Tony Scott has never been the most remarkable director. He's brought us the crowd pleasing yet confused Man on Fire, to the dreaded Domino, he hasn't really hit a home run yet. His movies are generally slick and fast paced with quick jarring camera movements, and fast zooms both in and out. With Unstoppable, he has found material that was made for him, and finally he has hit his home run.
Denzel Washington plays Frank, a train engineer/ conductor that has been with the company for twenty-eight years. Chris Pine plays Will, a young brute of a man that made a terrible mistake and is seeking redemption. Plenty of support comes from Rosario Dawson, Kevin Dunn and Kevin Corrigan. The cast is stellar and they do exactly what they are supposed to do. Washington and Pine are perfect together, their dialogue is quick and snappy and the actors play their characters so well as they are comfortable sharing the screen with each other. This relationship between Will and Frank is what makes this movie a joy, that and the quick, snappy and thrilling camera work.
This movie is no holds bar, it's an adrenaline shot about a huge train that can't be stopped. It never lets up, it doesn't even stop to get to know the characters, the star of the movie is this Unstoppable train not Will nor Frank. Scott knows this, his films have never been known for amazing character development, it's always about the story and how it pushes these characters to do extraordinary things. Unstoppable is perfect material for Scott, it doesn't slow down for characters, it makes the characters catch up to the plot and what is going on, here it works. This is all about the plot and the very thin theme it holds, everyone gets a second chance. In this movie you won't get a chance to slow down and reach for your popcorn, you won't get to breath until the credits roll. It's so fast, so intense and Mr. Scott's filming is absolutely perfect for this type of film, you will gasp and cover you're eyes in intensity no matter how crazy things get. It's a throwback to the films from the nineties like Diehard and Speed, just crazy adrenaline filled entertainment, period.
This movie is just a crazy thrill ride and does a great job creating suspense and intensity with an ending that's very crowd pleasing. Sure there is nothing deep or extraordinary here, but the story is good, acting is charming and the filming is fast and fueled with energy. If you want to forget the world and not think this movie is perfect. It's fast, suspenseful and so much fun to watch. No awards here, just a good time at the movies.
