WaffleMovies.com - Running Scared

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by Willie Waffle

Running Scared

As I mentioned last week while reviewing Eight Below, every time I go into a theater showing a Paul Walker movie, I have the same hope and dream - I hope Paul Walker will die in this movie. In Running Scared, I knew he was going to be playing a low level mafia hood, and, if I learned anything from a misspent youth watching Goodfellas, Casino, The Godfather, The Godfather II, and The
Godfather III, it's that the low level guys are ALWAYS knocked off by the high level mafia guys looking to protect their own booties. They'd have to kill off Paul Walker! Right? Pretty please?

Walker stars as Joey - a low level mafia hood whose specialty is dumping the evidence. When the crew leader, Tommy (Johnny Messner), kills two cops during a raid, Joey's supposed to get rid of the gun, but he doesn't hide it well enough. Joey is seen by his son, Nicky (Alex Neuberger), and the son's troubled best pal, Oleg (Cameron Bright), while stashing the gun in his basement closet. Soon, Oleg takes the gun to fight back against his abusive stepfather, Anzor (Karel Roden), and Joey has to find the gun, find Oleg, and wipe out any other evidence before it can all be traced to Tommy and him.

Can Joey find Oleg and the gun?

I can't believe I am saying this, but Paul Walker doesn't stink in Running Scared. In fact, Running Scared is a decent guys night out movie, probably repulsive to women (who have much better taste than men), but the kind of neo-film noir that appeals to guys with violence, nudity and mob stuff (did I mention the nudity?). Writer/director Wayne Kramer takes the audience and our characters through an epic adventure touring the underbelly of society, kind of like Alice In Wonderland, but, in this case, Alice/Joey is working her/his way through the scumville sewers of Jersey facing off with hookers, pimps, dealers, druggies, strippers, the Russian mob and pedophiles. Yes, Running Scared is rated R, and any human being who takes a child under the age of 17 into the theater should be arrested.

Kramer never provides dialogue worth writing home about, and most characters are ugly stereotypes, but Running Scared is a movie full of surprises, twists and turns. Joey seems to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble in every scene, and his search for the gun and Oleg keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you see the danger each one is facing, but Kramer finds himself straying from that compelling storyline to cover other less important stories. For example, Joey's wife, Teresa (Vera Farmiga), goes off on her own mission, which is quite dramatic and provides some of the movie's most stomach churning danger, but doesn't add much to the movie other than too much time.

Then, Kramer provides an overly melodramatic climax, along with an ending that just won't quit. Running Scared feels like it goes on and on and on once we pass what should be the ending, and goes for blood and shock value over something more gripping and intellectual. However, and I know I will get all sorts of ridiculing email over this, Walker keeps the audience engaged with his best performance ever (just kill me now).

When not trying to give Joey a typical Italian-American accent (at times, he's sounds more like Super Mario than Al Pacino), Walker does a very good job drawing in the audience and reacting to the horrors on screen. He has good intensity, and always lets us see Joey's raw emotions, whether it be anger, frustration, fear or desire. In fact, Walker is at his best when Joey is in deep trouble, and full of fear at what might happen if he doesn't take care of every tiny detail, or has to face the consequences of what has happened on this dreadful night. Even better, if you pay attention, he gives us some hints about how all of this is going to end. It's subtle, which is shocking from Walker, but there nonetheless. I hope he continues to work with good directors and perform at this level.

Running Scared is not for everyone, and has its problems, but it's worth it for those into the genre. Additionally, I want hazard pay after enduring the sight of Paul Walker's naked booty. Granted, it's not the worst case of naked man tail I have had to witness at the movies in the last few weeks. That would be someone else in Failure To Launch, coming out on March 10. Look for the rant then, if I have recovered from my temporary trauma induced blindness (it wasn't good nudity).

2 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4)