(Long Island, N.Y.) Unstoppable is a movie directed by Tony Scott and based on a true story about some dunce of a train operator in Pennsylvania who decided to hop out of his moving choo-choo to manually switch tracks while idling out of a train yard. However, while he was ghost-riding the whip, a break lever he had set popped off, sending the train hurdling down the track without its engineer. Like I said…dunce.
So, while the train is careening off into the sunset, promising death and destruction in its wake, the career of engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) is slowly entering its twilight. Given his 90-day notice just shy of retirement, he’s stuck training rookie Will Colson (Chris Pine, AKA Captain Kirk from the 2009 Star Trek reboot…does anyone really know him from anything else?) in the ways of a rail man. The elder statesman and his young protégée bicker like newlyweds at first, but we all know that eventually this will give way to rampant camaraderie and cuddling once they start opening up about their personal lives, which by the way, are both dysfunctional. Yes, Barnes is estranged from his kids, and Captain Kirk is estranged from his girlfriend, who’s keeping him from seeing their daughter. The two swap stories, and the next thing you know, they’re best buddies.
Meanwhile, yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) is dealing with how to stop the runaway train while saving the innocents who are in its way. A valiant attempt to stop the train results in disaster, and in the midst of the chaos, Barnes and Captain Kirk, who just so happen to be on the same track, decide to do the right thing and set out to stop the evil train before it causes more destruction. However, they not only have to contend with 300 tons of raw steel traveling at over 75 miles per hour, but the greedy and callous owners of the train line who are more worried about stock prices than human lives.
Unstoppable is a pretty tight and intense thriller. It fires along non-stop, and manages to juggle the main plot-line with a few of the character’s back stories without jumping the rail, so to speak. Yeah, these back stories aren’t exactly deep – they’re more for filler than anything else – but whatever. It’s more development than most movies bother to give their leads these days, which is actually kinda sad when you think about it.
The only thing that sort of bothered me about the plot of Unstoppable was how Barnes and Captain Kirk’s messed-up personal relationships with respective families improved just because they were seen on television being heroes. All transgressions forgiven, whatever they may be. We find out what Captain Kirk did that irked his girl (which wasn’t so bad), but what did Barnes do to get his kids to hate his guts? We’re never told, but it couldn’t have been that bad…one glimpse of daddy jumping from train car to train car and his daughters (both of whom work at Hooters!) are ready to throw the guy a party.
But despite the film’s breakneck pace and great action pieces, it would still fail if the acting was crap, as a movie like this with Z-grade stars in it would probably even be rejected by the Sci-Fi Channel (but probably not). Denzel (who’s playing Denzel, which is fine) and Captain Kirk (who’s playing Captain Kirk, also fine) bring the goods, displaying great chemistry with each other. In fact, a yearly Unstoppable series where they have to chase down various out-of-control vehicles might be fun. You know; a jet plane, a submarine, a horse-drawn carriage, etc.
Oh, and Rosario Dawson is quite solid in her supporting role as well. So’s the Banjo and Sullivan guy from The Devil’s Rejects, who’s in this movie as well. Forgot to mention that.
As far as visuals go, Tony Scott’s usual overblown attempts to be stylish are present and accounted for, but the shaky cam isn’t nearly as nauseating as it usually is in his movies this time. Maybe his brother Ridley advised him to dial it down a tad or something, but whatever the case may be, the result is a sharp film, visually; gritty and kinetic, without overdoing it.
So, if you’re looking for a good action/drama, direct your feet to the nearest theater showing Unstoppable. It won’t change your life, but who says every movie you see has to be unmitigated classic? Sometimes just being entertaining will do fine.
