"Nasty, Naughty, and Out of Control!"

Or so the packaging would have you believe. It's tough to accurately describe what's wrong with this 1994 made-for-TV remake of a 1956 film with a 2005-penned tagline on the DVD cover, but...wait, I think I just did.

In short, Joe Dante's Runaway Daughters really doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be, though at least it's got the 1950's atmosphere down cold. The similarities it shares with the original film, directed by Edward Cahn, are few---in fact, there's not much that it hasn't been changed. Ironically, the 1956 original was a slighter darker tale of teenage angst and rebellion, while this remake plays out more like a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

The story goes like this: three teenage girls escape the clutches of suburbia to track down the deadbeat loser who got one of them pregnant. He's already run away to San Diego to join the Navy, but that doesn't stop our young heroines from attempting to make him own up to his dastardly actions. They encounter a handful of wild and wacky characters along the way, including a gaggle of police officers ranging from stupid to...well, stupid. Where the original version concentrates on the girls' bad home situations and their desire to find new lives, this remake focuses much more on the trip itself than the actual destination. As a result, we get a cute little film that breezes by harmlessly enough---yet it doesn't really seem memorable in hindsight. It's certainly a flawed picture overall, but the parties involved aren't all to blame.

Director Joe Dante certainly isn't a new face in the industry, nor was he back in 1994. At the helm of several classics of the 1980's including The Howling, Gremlins, The 'Burbs and even memorable shows like Eerie, Indiana, he's not always at his best during Runaway Daughters but he does a capable job. The film's look is spot-on, though, as this genuinely looks like a product of the 1950's era---and that's not due to a bad DVD transfer. Several lead performances are fairly solid, especially Julie Bowen (Joe Somebody) and Paul Rudd (Anchorman). Still, the flatness of this film is its biggest downfall, right down to the uneven pacing. The actual road trip doesn't even begin until more than 30 minutes into the film, leaving less than an hour to really explore the characters and story. Bottom line: there's not enough detail in either one to make this film stand out.

The main flaws (pacing, generic characters) are mostly forgivable given the subject matter, but there aren't enough positive elements here to consider Runaway Daughters a successful effort. If the remake had been socially updated for 1994, maybe the film could have worked more effectively...or maybe not. Even so, the idea of remaking a film that wasn't that exciting to begin with---and then releasing it as an overpriced, barebones DVD---doesn't make the finished product especially noteworthy. With that said, let's see how this disc stacks up, shall we?

It's tough to really grade a film that aims for a vintage look, but the 1.33:1 fullscreen transfer for Runaway Daughters---the film's original made-for-TV aspect ratio---seems pleasing enough. The image is soft and the color palette shifts to the pink side, but it looks to be a faithful visual representation of how most would remember the 1950's. There were no major digital imperfections to be found, save for a bit of edge enhancement during a few of the brighter scenes. Overall, the video quality won't blow you away---but then again, it's not supposed to.

The film's audio is of a similar style, as this Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround presentation is straightforward but perfectly clear. I didn't care for most of the film's music---as it's generally comprised of cover versions of 1950's era songs, instead of the original versions---but that's beside the point. Optional English, Spanish and French subtitles are included.

It's not good, it's not terrible...it's just sort of there. Although some could argue the harmless, paint-by-numbers approach to Runaway Daughters is befitting of most 50's-themed entertainment, there's simply not enough excitement here to really make the film stand out. To make matters worse, Dimension does their own paint-by-numbers with this DVD; although the technical presentation isn't bad, the complete lack of extras doesn't make this one worth hunting down---especially for such a stiff price. Interested parties may want to give the disc a weekend look at best, but most discerning viewers will want to leave this one on the shelf. Skip It.