Running Scared (2006)

'Running' the Other Way

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

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In this vile disaster, Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) spends an entire night trying to track down a missing gun used to kill a cop during a drug bust. Writer/director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler) overcooks the action sequences, adding a few extra slams and bangs during the downtime just to jar us awake. His screenplay relies on wild coincidences in place of logic and relentless profanity in place of rhythmic, Tarantino-like dialogue. Characters act with no sense of moral consequence and -- worst of all -- children are the targets of overt violence. For laughs, there's even a gratuitous child pornography subplot. From there, it just gets worse. Vera Farmiga (Down to the Bone), Cameron Bright (Birth) and Chazz Palminteri co-star.

Starring: Paul Walker, Vera Farmiga, Cameron Bright, Chazz Palminteri, Johnny Messner, Michael Cudlitz, Alex Neuberger, Ivana Milicevic, John Noble, David Warshofsky
Written by: Wayne Kramer
Directed by: Wayne Kramer
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong brutal violence and language, sexuality and drug content
Running Time: 122 minutes
Date: February 24, 2006