LA Times Review of ‘The Runaways’ Soundtrack

The LA Times has a review of the soundtrack for The Runaways, which features The Runaways, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, among others. Reviewer August Brown gives the soundtrack two stars.
It takes a real helping of celebrity chutzpah for Dakota Fanning to cover a tune like the Runaways’ “California Paradise,” a sarcastic ode to Hollywood street urchin life. For Fanning and film cohort Kristen Stewart, their night life equivalent probably involves dinner at the West Hollywood Urth Caffe followed by (non-alcoholic) cocktails at Drai’s. But on the soundtrack to “The Runaways,” their updated takes on the scruffy oeuvre of Curie, Jett and company feel tossed off in a way the original Runaways might appreciate.Like her fellow platinum-tressed actress-turned-rocker Taylor Momsen, Fanning takes her vocal cues from Courtney Love’s gnarled howl. But on record, Fanning sounds absolutely true to her motivation for making this soundtrack: She’s a beautiful, well-paid actress playing the part of a beautiful, famous rock star playing the character of a broke L.A. punk vixen. But this town is built on pretty people dressing down, and the deep irony of her musical role as Curie is unexpectedly on target given myth-building source material such as “Dead End Justice” and “Cherry Bomb.”
Stewart takes a passenger-seat role here, but her deeper register is a worthy compliment in this very silly formula. The rest of the soundtrack is essential but obvious ’70s sleaze-rock fare, including the Stooges and Bowie, and MC5.