Was distracted; rating may be somewhat off

64.250

Okay film. It hits a lot of the musical biopic beats. Musicians come from hard times, show talent, get discovered, experiences fame, discovers drugs and experiences a downfall. Still, I thought parts were interesting. The one truly notable thing about the film is Michael Shannon's wild performance as Kim Fowley. He is such a talented actor and delivers some of the best lines of dialogue in the movie.

As a film, The Runaways doesn't do anything special, except featuring excellent acting by two young actresses in particular. Their performances lift it to an above average film, biopic or not. The vocal performances are great, and the characters are interesting, despite us not getting enough of them. The film felt more like an overview than an in-depth look into the band, and the characters get less development as a result. Still, The Runaways is still a film I can appreciate.

Hey Kristen Stewart can kinda act, who knew. While the performances are fine, I really can't buy anyone here as their real life counterparts (they do look better though) and the whole thing just kinda feels flat with no real defining moments.

A few too many music video-like, substance-less interludes featuring sex, drugs and rock n' roll. The performances come off as uneven as well, sometimes decent, other times way overacted.

- recommended

Even if this movie weren't based on real events the events would be fairly easy to guess an hour before they occur on-screen. Still, the performances are strong and the script is solid. I love that only about a fifth of the movie is spent on their fame and that the audience isn't really told the band has fallen apart. Flash in the pan, just like the real thing. That said I wish the supporting cast was better fleshed out, though that was probably hard as the bassist was fictionalized.

This is a very enjoyable film about a all girl rock band. I did not know much about the Runways before I watched this film. It is your typical rock star story but it is still entertaining to watch.

story, (Kristen S, Dakota F)

Typical music movie. They meet, they jam, they do drugs, they have a falling out, blah blah blah blah blah. Joan Jett's story seems more interesting than Currie's, but since this is based on Currie's autobiography, that's not the story we're getting. Still, the movie has a nice visual style and Dakota Fanning gives a strong performance in the lead. It's Michael Shannon's wild intensity as the band manager that makes the movie worth watching, however. That guy's great in everything.

Dakota Fanning is disturbingly hot in this movie. Kristen Stewart (whom I also find to be attractive- though not in this film - and for the most part not as unbearable as many others do) is absolutely horrible, though. Film is not awful, just all over pretty bland apart from Fanning and Shannon.

Follows the exact same story arc as every other musician film. Could have been fascinating if they explored the dichotomy of a manufactured band becoming a revolutionary group (for women rockers). However, this film provides (virtually) no musical or cultural context for the band, leaving people like my friend to ask "why do people care about this mediocre band?".

I've recently seen Kristen Stewart in Into the Wild, Adventureland, and now this, and she's actually really good in all three. Dakota Fanning I found significantly less strong, but alright. My one major complaint about the movie is regarding the direction. The concert scenes are kind of filmed like a music video, which feels cheap and over-glamorized. Things that the rest of the movie are not. Kind of went over board there. The rest of the movie is not great, but alright.

It's predictably shallow (and just plain predictable for that matter) but it's nonetheless entertaining and vivid, and very well-made, for whatever its faults. It doesn't do anything in particular to separate itself from the typical rock-star-rise-and-fall biopic, but I enjoy that sort of movie anyway, and The Runaways are certainly an interesting enough group to warrant the treatment. It's supported by some good performances from Stewart/Fanning/Shannon.

Dakota fanning and Kristen Stewart definitely made the movie. But I was expecting something deeper.

fan-fuckin'-tastic

better then it should have been. not only does it follow the traditional music bio-pic formula, but it also has two actresses with major question marks (stewart has been terrible in everything i have seen her in, i haven't seen fanning act since war of the worlds) -- but, this movie is able to rise above those trappings. michael shannon has a great character, but he feels underused.

The thin script--based by first-time director Sigismondi on Cherie Currie's autobiography--is centered on Currie but really wants to be about Joan Jett. And that's a problem. Kristen Stewart as Jett is guarded, suggesting hidden depths and motivations, but Dakota Fanning as Currie is flashy and bland, nothing but jailbait eye candy. In other words . . . just like the members of the original band.

I think the "musician movie" is becoming my least favorite genre. They're usually competently made, as is The Runaways, but they all follow the exact same story arc down to the tiniest details. Yeah, I get it, a harrowing descent into fame and drugs! I don't need to see that plot again! The only twist this movie puts on it is centering it around teen girls rather than grown men, but that doesn't change the "been there, done that" of the thing.

The most entertaining thing about The Runaways, a highly watchable if mostly run-of-the-mill group biopic, is that its writer-director, Floria Sigismondi, has a sixth sense for how the Runaways were bad-angel icons first and a rock & roll band second.

Viewers expecting an in-depth biopic will be disappointed, but The Runaways is as electric as the band's music, largely thanks to strong performances from Michael Shannon, Dakota Fanning, and Kristen Stewart.

Really quite disappointing. Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart were both good in their roles, but nothing two special. Michael Shannon was highly entertaining, but way too unrestrained by the director. The music sequences were great. Yet the story suffered from having way too many dangling loose subplots. The film relies on shock and in-your-face style rather than really clue you in on what these girls are going through. It did not explain enough, and yet still felt 20 minutes too long.

Given how rockers love 2 imitate their heroes, most biopics r usually more-of-the-same. Fortunately since these r all teen girls, this one takes enough twists away from formula 2 entertain. There's the relationship btwn Currie& her sister, which makes 4 some awkwardly bittersweet moments, as well as Shannon playing perhaps the most memorably obnoxious Svengali ever.& in this age of stripper-as-pop-star, there's a real thrill watching angry girls, who can actually play, rage against the machine.

Sorry. This was just not good... Most of the problem resting on an absolutely awful (can it even be called a) script; which, unfortunately, was based on Currie's book... It's all just completely disjointed and "on the surface"...

Worthwhile film about Joan Jett's first band. Highlights for me were the music and the charismatic Michael Shannon as their eccentric producer. OK, they were a rock band so be prepared for an excessive review of excess.

Outstanding performances by this girls, beyond my limited expectations. Fantastic story telling about a fascinating group of women during my favorite decade. Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll. And then some.