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THE RUNAWAYSMovie Reviews
Period drama set in the 1970s about the rise and fall of the all-girl teenage rock group The Runaways. Cast:Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Scout Taylor-Compton, Alia ShawkatDirector:Floria SigismondiRelease Date:March 19, 2010DVD Release:July 20, 2010From:ApparitionRating:RLength:1 hr 46 min
The Runaways played in national release to very good reviews. • David Germain wrote for the Associated Press, "...a brisk, engaging portrait, the story making up for its lack of insight into teen rebel Jett and her bandmates with driving, infectious rhythm." • And Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...a soaring, sympathetic ode to the outlaws, subversives and insurgents who occupy the edges of popular culture..." More Reviews Below...
The Runaways Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...lacks substance, but the actresses deliver on style, with the tense Stewart showing some oomph as Jett. The gutsiest performance belongs to 16-year-old Fanning..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 106 words, 03/18/10
Mary Pols, Time: VERY GOOD "...vividly atmospheric and fun from a musical perspective... Dakota Fanning gets ahold of the film... a performance of startling maturity."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 03/19/10
David Germain, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a brisk, engaging portrait, the story making up for its lack of insight into teen rebel Jett and her bandmates with driving, infectious rhythm."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 726 words, 03/18/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...a highly watchable if mostly run-of-the-mill group biopic with a casually likable, no-frills performance from Kristen Stewart..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 735 words, 03/19/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a well-made but generic account of the rise and collapse of a musical group.... writer/director Floria Sigismondi has erred on the side of sanitization..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 918 words, 03/16/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a walk on the wimp side.... there's no sense of rock anarchy. Say what you will about the Runaways -- they never played it safe. The movie does."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 458 words, 03/19/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...more of a quick overview of the creation, rise and fall of the Runaways, with slim character development, no extended dialogue scenes, and a whole lot of rock 'n' roll."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 03/18/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...evokes its moment and milieu with affectionate, almost uncanny fidelity.... ... may be a little too tame in the end, but at its best it is just wild enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 939 words, 03/19/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Amusing though it sometimes is, the closest thing the movie offers to a reason for its existence is the post-Runaways success of Jett."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 03/19/10
Glenn Gamboa, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...seems oddly restrained, alternating between art-house film and after-school special... it all comes up a bit short."(See all of Glenn Gamboa's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 03/19/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...more of a quick overview of the creation, rise and fall of the Runaways, with slim character development, no extended dialogue scenes, and a whole lot of rock 'n' roll."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 03/18/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...a predictable rock movie -- wide-eyed rise leads to free fall, which leads to rebirth and redemption -- and that's fine.... It's sexy, but skin-deep."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 03/17/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...makes a compelling argument about overlooked talent and under-appreciated influence (Bangles, Bikini Kill, etc.). The movie also, ahem, rocks."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 673 words, 03/19/10
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...captures the sleaze and innocence of the era and has some still-relevant things to say about the conflict between girl-rocker empowerment and exploitation."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 03/19/10
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Cool lesbo content, too, subtle and worked in as an organic part of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. And art direction to die for. Was there ever an uglier decade than the 70s?"(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 185 words, 03/18/10
KEY CITIES (17 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a soaring, sympathetic ode to the outlaws, subversives and insurgents who occupy the edges of popular culture, making them safe for everyone else's dreams."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 04/09/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place... [still,] it adheres slavishly to the too-much, too-soon template of nearly every other music biopic."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 499 words, 03/19/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The strength and beauty of 'The Runaways' are that it tells the truth.... it conveys precisely what it was like to be young in the mid-1970s..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 04/16/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "Fanning gives her most adult performance... Stewart loses her lip-biting winsomeness and brings the heat as Jett. And Shannon, with all the best lines, walks off with the movie."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 04/09/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a carelessly busy, likable, energetic bio.... It's like a double album with a mere handful of good cuts."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 03/19/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "What's lacking are surprises or any sort of different take on the traditional rags-to-rock-riches story. The performances help make up for that..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 583 words, 03/19/10
Preston Jones, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Although Sigismondi does a fine job capturing the debauched scuzziness of the Runaways' brief existence, too much of the film feels like an expensive music video..."(See all of Preston Jones's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 03/19/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough does nice good job portraying the one left out -- Cherie's twin sis, Marie. How's that for rock cred?"(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 624 words, 04/09/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...writer-director Floria Sigismondi decided to take a fresh and clever approach... avoids the standard storytelling of biopics."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 04/09/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Told with a jolting, lurid energy... busily capturing the feel of an era, often vividly: the glitter platforms; the feathered hair; the low-ceilinged, shag-carpeted basements..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 372 words, 03/19/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "Aimless and shapeless and too shallow and too slight, it's a film about a moment and an impulse that feels far too distant from either to convince."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 04/09/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...isn't just about rock 'n' roll; it is rock 'n' roll, as loud, sexy, sometimes sloppy and ultimately exhilarating as the music can be."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 04/08/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Stewart just plain nails the role... she makes you want to watch the movie.... Fanning generates no heat, no matter how many fishnet stockings and corsets she tries on."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 04/09/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...a predictable rock movie -- wide-eyed rise leads to free fall, which leads to rebirth and redemption -- and that's fine.... It's sexy, but skin-deep."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 03/17/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) " 'The Runaways' were the first major all-girl punk band.... the first major all-girl punk band to inspire a bleary, excessive, and altogether mediocre big-screen biography."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 384 words, 03/18/10
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Cool lesbo content, too, subtle and worked in as an organic part of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. And art direction to die for. Was there ever an uglier decade than the 70s?"(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 185 words, 03/18/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a familiar showbiz cautionary tale... Last year's roller derby comedy 'Whip It' had more fun exploring female empowerment through a counterculture."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 384 words, 04/07/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: VERY GOOD "Finally -- finally! -- Kristen Stewart has taken a decided step away from the franchise that made her both a star and a punch line.... Fanning is astonishing..."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 721 words, 04/08/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...evokes its moment and milieu with affectionate, almost uncanny fidelity.... ... may be a little too tame in the end, but at its best it is just wild enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 939 words, 03/19/10
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: GOOD "...a conventionally enjoyable making-and-breaking-of-the-band saga.... does a good job setting the scene without laying on too much retro kitsch."(See all of Dennis Harvey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 881 words, 01/26/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...is it any good? Surprisingly, yes. It just must be met on its own terms.... the film does prefer music and bad behavior to insight, character or substance."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 918 words, 01/25/10
Patrick Z. McGavin, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...energetic and exceptionally well made... somewhat leery of really tracking what if any kind of intimate relationship might have passed between the two young women..."(See all of Patrick Z. McGavin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,053 words, 02/02/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...evokes its moment and milieu with affectionate, almost uncanny fidelity.... ... may be a little too tame in the end, but at its best it is just wild enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 939 words, 03/19/10
11.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Runaways's reviews are separated by an average 11.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Runaways (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Runaways's reviews cover 89.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 24,931 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 542 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Runaways Coverage, Volume & Length (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 16.4 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Runaways's reviews on average broke 16.4 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Runaways's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Runaways (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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