Unstoppable Review

The case for and against Unstoppable. Let’s hear the prosecution make the case against.

Zero character/character development.

Direlogue.

The usual clichés (Everyman saves the day, the suits in charge care only about the money etc etc etc)

Zero story.

Logic be damned. (“Inspired by true events” apparently and I would imagine the key word there is “inspired.”)

And the defence.

A one million tonne runaway train. Let me repeat that. A one million tonne runaway train.

Large popcorn and coke. (I’d love to tell you I was hungry or I needed it, I’d even love to tell you it was comfort food. It was none of the above. This film required, nae DEMANDED a large popcorn and a large coke.)

Denzel Washington running across the top of the train manually slamming on the brakes carriage by carriage. Let me repeat that. Denzel Washington running across the top of the train manually slamming on the brakes carriage by carriage.

The “Stanton Curve.” (“It’s going too fast!!! It’s gonna fly off the tracks!!!”)

90 minute running time.

The defence rests.

And indeed, the defence wins. Every fibre in my being is screaming at me that this film is rubbish but damn it if I wasn’t on the edge of my seat falling for it hook, line and sinker. It’s 2012 all over again except that this one wraps itself up in 90 minutes. This is Tony Scott’s most fun film in years, which in reality isn’t saying much, but it’s loud, silly, exciting, doesn’t outstay its welcome and ends up being a lot of fun. One particular shot contains two trains, two helicopters, a fleet of cars and a guy hanging in mid air! It's vehicular porn of the most gratuitous kind and you'll never watch the film again but it really is a blast. What's also nice is that the train has weight and feels "real" with CGI apparently used sparingly and to enhance rather than create from scratch. Denzel and Chris Pine rise above their backstories and trite characters and the final moment of the film is brilliantly bad.

Maybe I was just in the mood or looking forward to the weekend… Or maybe sometimes all you need is a runaway train.

7/10