The Vidiot Reviews...

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2010)

The Runaways
If you ask me, The Runaways sound like the kind of band that one would go see with a pimp who is looking to replenish his underage prostitute coffers.
And while the members of this rock n' rebellious girl group aren't hookers, they do have to swallow plenty of cockamamie ideas in order to succeed in the male dominated music industry.
Formed by eccentric record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) in 1975, The Runaways are comprised of 5, 16-year-old female musicians clad in leather and lace. With the precocious Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) on vocals and the ill-reputed Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) on rhythm guitar, the group garners a huge fan base. Unfortunately, the road takes its toll on the inexperienced girls and they lose themselves to drugs, drink and ego, ultimately tearing the band apart.
Based on Curry's memoir, The Runaways is a satisfactory biopic of a band that spawned more successful solo careers than 1# songs, however, while it has its merits, i.e. visceral visuals and sleazy soundtrack, it's just not that tragic of a band biography.
Besides, everyone knows the most shocking disintegration of any musical collaboration is, and always will be, the breakup of a one-man-band. (Yellow Light)