Our country is obsessed with the mafia. Something about organized crime appeals to us despite a disapproval of the lives they lead. (I hope; if not, please seek therapy). In fact, the mob movie has become something of a cliche, permeating pop culture and, by and large, becoming a parody of itself.
Running Scared is no exception: the film follows small-time mafia member Joey (Paul Walker) on a desperate search to find a gun that, after being stolen by his neighbor's kid, could implicate his organization in the massacre of a police team. And so a furious chase begins, full of bad New Jersey accents and lots and lots o' blood. Yawn. But despite this relatively uninteresting plot, Scared is full of surprises. Surprise number one: Paul Walker is a pretty good actor. Hey, stop laughing! I'm serious, the man can act. Granted, he's not the next De Niro, but he has definitely moved past his Pleasantville days. Congrats, Paul, you're no longer just a pretty face. How does it feel?
The second surprise was director Wayne Kramer's manipulation of time: he slows it down, speeds it up and even reverses it. Unfortunately the effect, novel at first, gets tiring after a while. Last, but definitely not least, is 13-year-old Cameron Bright's performance as quiet but absurdly brave Oleg Yugorsky, who is forced to endure a series of horrors that will make your hair curl. Without ever changing his facial expression, Bright will make you want to cry. Don't though. It's a mob movie, and you'll just look like a pussy.
Scared's greatest accomplishment is that, despite a lackluster plot, it manages to be popcorn-scarfing exciting. Sure it's no Godfather or Godfather II, but it's definitely no Godfather III either and is totally worth the 10 bucks. So go, enjoy, inhale your popcorn and prepare to see lots and lots of blood.
