Ch...Ch..Ch..Ch..Cherry...BOMB 2 Out of 5 Stars
What might have been a decent sex and drugs and rock and roll movie turns into an utter snoozeout within its first 60 minutes. "The Runaways," based on Cherie Curie's book and executive produced by Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna might as well have been called "Cherie and Joan" for all the depth it gave the rest of the band. Poor bassists Vickie Blue and Jackie Fox are replaced by "Robin." Lita Ford, who did have a successful solo career post Runaways, is portrayed minimally, and then as a shrill, jealous harpy. Like Lita, Sandy West becomes a background figure who is mentioned only when Kim Fowley introduces her to Joan near the beginning of the movie. Then, in almost insulting fashion in the movie's epilogue, only Jett, Curie and Fowley's status gets mentioned.
While "The Runaways" does feature the band's best known songs (albeit re-recorded), it really shorts the band overall. There's way too much time spent on druggy hazes and a lesbian subplot when a bit more interest in the band might have made this more entertaining. It also allows Michael Shannon, playing Kim Fowley like a glammed up Dennis Leary, to steal the show. It's curious to note that, as profane and ludicrous as Fowley is made out to be in the film, in real life he was allegedly even worse. Like most sharks, he smelled blood money in the water and exploited it at every turn.
Fortunately, in real life Joan Jett survives the band's breakup, which is where the story concludes. Which also is a highlight of the movie; Kristen Stewart does a terrific job as Joan Jett, even down to the singing. Dakota Fanning at least washes her goody-goody away as Cherie, but her part is written to poorly to allow her to stand out. Watch this (if you must) for Stewart and Shannon, and then listen to the The Best of the Runaways: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection. Just don't take the DVD as history.
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