Post by StevePulaski on Sept 10, 2011 12:57:26 GMT -5
Chris Pine in Unstoppable.
Rating: ★★★
Tony Scott clings to Denzel Washington like Dennis Dugan clings to Adam Sandler. For years, Washington has been in many movies directed by Tony Scott, but I don't think any have surpassed this one in quality. This is a step up for both men as they work together to create a suspense-filled action film about a runaway train roaring on the tracks over seventy miles an hour destroying anything in its path.
The train becomes unmanned and labeled a "runaway" after Dewey (Suplee) fails to set the brakes fully by using the switch. The switch then falls to "full throttle" resulting in the train speeding increasingly faster on the main track. Veteran Frank (Washington) and rookie Will (Pine) attempt to stop it by using a number of plans instructed by a secretary who does everything but paint her nails (Dawson).
Unstoppable is a big-budget popcorn flick, and that's one of the many things I like about it. It gives backstory, but it never asks for sympathy of any of the main characters. After all, the action films easily overshadow the storyline. This almost reminds me of an underrated eighties film called Maximum Overdrive. In that film, machines themselves come alive and start attacking the people around them. Both films are good for some mindless, enjoyable, and all out entertainment.
Besides providing some fun, Unstoppable seems to get carried away in parts and becomes silly rather than realistic. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it's rather inevitable that a disaster film gets out of control. But if you compare Unstoppable with a poorly made action film that relies on cliches, lackluster escapes at the last second, and pitifully shameful acting like 2012, I suppose you could pat this one on the back for not taking that route.
Unstoppable sports its "Inspired By True Events" text because it's based on the CSX 8888 incident that took place in 2001. In Walbridge, Ohio, a train carrying thousands of gallons of a harmful liquid was speeding on the track at over fifty miles an hour before finally being stopped by a man in Kenton, Ohio. The events in the film, while dramatized for entertainment purposes, seem to lift directly from the true event making this worthy of the statement at the beginning of the film and on the poster.
This is an engaging action film, inspired not by stupidity, but an honest accident. There's rarely any humor which is nice, and every actor gives a believable and memorable performance. Unstoppable isn't a perfect film, but it will win the hearts of train enthusiasts and action seekers. Which is perfectly acceptable to me.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Dunn, and Ethan Suplee. Directed by: Tony Scott.