Making a movie based on “The Runaways” seemed like a good idea.  What’s not to like? 80’s girl rock, platform heels and teenage spirit are really all you need for an entertaining film.

I had this in mind when I went to go see the movie, and yet I left the theater feeling less than satisfied.

“The Runaways” is about the rise and fall of the all-girl band (of the same name) that achieved fame despite prejudices about women in the music industry, only to break apart at the peak of its success.

Throughout the course of the movie, the characters Cherie Curie (Dakota Fanning) and Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) do hard-core drugs, have random sex and partake in vandalism.  With all of this mayhem, I expected some spectacular defining moment in which the band crashes and burns.

Unfortunately, the movie lacks a real climax. After the band breaks up, the movie just sort of drifts to the end as the wild child Cherie fades back into normalcy following her vague recovery from addiction.

Because the pace of the movie didn’t change much from beginning to end, each scene simply blended into the next, making the whole experience forgettable.

Even though the film is a bit unremarkable, it was interesting to see Fanning play such a mature and controversial role.  In contrast with her previously innocent characters, the role of Cherie is the epitome of a sex-goddess, with Fanning strutting around in lingerie for a good 10 minutes.

Kristen Stewart also fully embraced the character of Joan Jet, from her grungy, rocker look down to her tough attitude.

Though the characters themselves were sharp and realistic, “The Runaways” needed a culminating moment to give it more depth.