Running Scared(2006) Film Review

4/4 Stars, Thumbs Up.

Rated R For Pervasive Strong Brutal Violence And Language, Sexuality And Drug Content.

2hrs 2min/122min.

396 uses of the F-Word.

Anzor Yugorsky: "You do not walk out on the duke!"

"If one day speed kills me, do not cry, 'cause I was smiling."

                                                    -Paul Walker(1973-2013)

First, before I start the review, I've been getting questions about how I'm getting the exact number of f-bombs for a lot of films. Truth is, I count them. I don't use tally marks or anything novice like that. I count them out in my head, and it's incredibly easy to do it. You see that number under the MPAA rating and runtime? That number of 396 is accurate. You're welcome dear reader. I've also been asked once or twice, how I've gotten the images to put in the review. Well, that's a secret.

Now onto the actual film. Wow. If you want to show someone a live-action cartoon, Running Scared is the film you need to show them. Violent, Vulgar and Ferocious, Running Scared is an over the top film that twists, turns and has a pace that cuts you like a serrated knife(sounds like the back of the DVD). Although, as has become routine for his films, This film is now a little hard to watch due to the death of Paul Walker. Fact: the night that he died, I was going to watch this film but decided to watch Fast Five for two reasons. 1). Seeing as how the man just died, a film filled with nothing but violence wouldn't be the best decision and 2). Fast & Furious 6 hadn't come to home media yet. 

The plot revolves around Joey Gazelle(Paul Walker), a young mob guy who is ordered to toss a gun that was used to kill a couple of crooked cops in a deal gone awry. When he stashes the gun down in his safe, he discovers that his son Nick's friend Oleg took the gun to shoot his abusive father and then ran off. If Joey can't find the gun and the kid by the end of the night, he won't live to see the next morning.

The gun in question is a .38 Snub-nosed revolver with chrome grips. The performances, while not great, can still pass muster in terms of the plot. Paul Walker is great with each f-bomb he drops earning more and more respect from me. Vera Farmiga, well, is hot. What? I'm a guy I can admit these things. The two child actors who play Nick and Oleg do a great job.

The violence is grand and over the top. At one point a man gets shot in the stomach and his intestines drop out. I found something interesting. This movie earned the R rating the first time it was submitted to the MPAA. Usually a movie of this degree would have earned an NC-17 rating the first time through. I also like the different hues they use in certain scenes like a hyper sort-of blue during the shootout at the hockey rink. 

My mom doesn't like this movie, which I was shocked by because she usually likes these kinds of movies. But on my reviews, my opinion is the one that matters. Side note, I would like to thank two great friends, Paul Theodore and his wife Amber(go to kylehainesopinion.blogspot.com and click on the recent post to find out more about them) for recommending this movie to me. You see I need more film recommendations like this not ones like Pitch Perfect. To quote the late, great Roger Ebert from his positive(3/4 stars) review of this film.; "Running Scared goes so far over the top that I am in awe."