Filed under: Reviews
Although 'The Taking of Pelham 123' wasn't the blockbuster many expected, Denzel Washington's second train film and fifth collaboration with director Tony Scott, 'Unstoppable,' should bring him back on the success track following this year's 'The Book of Eli.'
At 98 minutes, it's Washington's shortest movie ever but with all the film cylinders (action, pace, acting) at full speed, the film is action-packed.
The premise is simple? How does one stop a moving vehicle without killing its passengers?
Scott's latest film has a new train conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine), already dealing with family problems when he encounters issues at work on his first day. Seems his family lineage has corporate ties that put him in a good position at such a young age. That doesn't bode well with engineer Frank (Washington), who's put in 28 years on the job and is being forced to retire.
Meanwhile, when a mishap leaves a freight train unmanned with no brakes, the entire authority force in Pennsylvania is on deck to stop it. Traveling at 70 MPH with toxic chemicals on several cars, it could reach several towns and cause a catastrophe never seen before.
Initially hostile toward each other, Frank and Will must put their heads together and work with the rail commander (Rosario Dawson) to come up with a way to slow the train or stop it before innocent lives are lost.
As simple as the plot is, what works is the execution by Scott in moving the film along at a rapid pace. There are plenty of intense action scenes, as well as back and forth banter between Washington and Pine, Dawson's character and her superiors, and the railroad employees who set this train in motion. Washington's pretty solid and reliable when playing the ordinary man put in difficult circumstance, and Pine is just as good in providing the chemistry needed for this film to be nail-biting.
What also works are the supporting characters (played by Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Corigan, Kevin Chapman and scene stealer Lew Temple), who prevent this movie from becoming the usual buddy action flick.
The only flaw is the lengths to which ordinary men will go to save innocent lives. It's a bit far-fetched. Yet Denzel delivers, as he always does, making 'Unstoppable' one hell of a joyride.