Running Scared (not to be confused with the buddy cop film starring Billy Crystal film from the 80's) is the story of a low level mobster whose collection of guns used in crimes comes back to bite him in the ass when one makes its way out in the street and used in a number of crimes. Paul Walker and Cameron Bright really shine in this wild and twisted ride on the streets of Grimley, New Jersey.

Running Scared tells the story of a low level Mob thug named Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) who is charged with disposing of a rather unique gun used in a bloody shoot-out that killed several crooked cops. Instead of getting rid of this gun like he's supposed to, Joey tucks it away in a secret hiding spot in the basement, but Joey's 10 year-old son (Alex Neuberger) and his best friend, Oleg (Cameron Bright) inadvertently see where Joey hides the gun. Oleg steals this unique gun (a snub-nosed .38) and shoots his abusive stepfather, Anzor "Duke" Yugorsky, (Karel Roden) with it. This is when things start to get hairy.

The stepfather, a psychopath who is fascinated with John Wayne movies, beating his family, and making meth, just happens to be connected to a Russian mob boss who has dealings with Joey's organization. Worse still, Oleg has run away into the mean streets of Grimley with a loaded gun that Joey was supposed to get rid of. And as if things weren't bad enough, one of those dirty cops who escaped the mob shoot-out previously mentioned, Detective Rydell (Chazz Palminteri), figures out who Joey is and that he is looking for a gun that could cause everyone a whole lot of trouble. This is the story of Running Scared - an action film and a sort of adult themed fairy tale where Oleg wanders the streets getting in all kinds of horrible situations, with the gun at the center of everything.

While you might think Running Scared is all about action, the real story revolves around Bright's character, an abused kid whose only real passion is the local Hockey team. Oleg wanders in and out of terrible situations with ease and very little fear as crack heads, pimps and even the cops try to manipulate him and the fancy gun he carries. Eventually Oleg proves to be the center of attention as the police and several organized crime bosses seek him out and find out why a gun that was supposed to be disposed of was used to shoot the nephew of a major crime boss.

Things go from bad to worse for Oleg, all while Joey and his son wander around the city looking for him while avoiding the suspicious eye of his fellow mobsters. Bright's performance in the film, as he goes from bad to worse situations is refreshing and you can tell that some day this kid is going to be a huge star. Walker's performance - somewhere between street smart ghetto and Mafioso was decent as well and really helped drive the action and the story of the film.

The rest of the cast could have been better, with a special note towards his wife (Vera Farmiga), who gave a lackluster performance through most of the film in my opinion. Director Wayne Kramer's work on this film also needs to be noted, creating some memorable scenes through his solid script. The film's cinematography and special effects also deserve a serious nod for creating a unique film style that you don't see in too many movies these days.

Running Scared as a DVD release is a pretty solid affair and a decent action film with a compelling story that most will enjoy. While the extras are nothing to write home about (storyboards of two pivotal scenes from the film drawn by writer/director Wayne Kramer and some behind the scenes interviews), the actual film more than makes up for those shortcoming. Run out and buy this DVD today. You can learn more about the film and play a flash game based on the film by visiting www.runningscaredthemovie.com . Running Scared is Rated "R" and was released by Warner Home Video. - James Fudge.