Long before modern acts like The Donnas, Bikini Kill, and the Plastiscines, you had The Runaways, one of the first all female rock bands comprised of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett, vocalist/keyboardist Cherie Currie, guitarist Lita Ford, drummer Sandy West, and bassist, Jackie Fox. This is the story of their turbulent days under the firm grip of Kim Fowley, an abusive and adolescent obsessed manager, their rise to fame and fortune, the sexual abuse and exploitation, and ultimately, their downfall from the excesses of rock n' roll. Based on the book, Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story, the film centers on Currie's life and involvement with the band. However, it fails to present anything new to the genre, keeping the story somewhat stale, the casting slightly askew, and many scenes without cohesion and resolve. More importantly, The Runaways lacks an anarchistic punch - an authenticity and angst so distinctive of the band's rock n' roll revolution.

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From dragon slayer to dragon whisperer. Such is the tale of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III in How To Train Your Dragon, a film based on the popular children's story by Cressida Cowell. As a clumsy and awkward Viking teenager, Hiccup always managed to disappoint his father and the rest of the Viking elders with his warrior ways. But after capturing his first dragon, all of that would change. Rather than kill the dragon, he befriends it, forever changing the once tumultuous relationship between Viking and dragon. A spectacle of technical and animated brilliance, How To Train Your Dragon colorfully soars to both new and familiar heights, capitalizing on the resurgence of theatrical 3D. However, while the animation is bold and full of depth, the characters remain flat and underdeveloped, leaving a visually stimulating, but slightly inconsequential "how to" tale.

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