The movie takes the audience on a huge roller coaster ride with plenty of crashes. The movie starts with two dumb dudes -- Dewey, played by Ethan Suplee (My Name Is Earl), and Gilleece, played by T.J Miller (She’s Outta My League) -- who work in the freight yard with trains. Dewey is told to move a train and Gilleece notices the air brake cables are disconnected. Dewey disregards the warning because they are only moving the train a short distance. Then, after putting the train in a gear that gives it a little power, Dewey jumps out of the cab to manually adjust something on the track. Of course, the train picks up speed and chubby Dewey can’t get back in to stop it. The train is off on its own.
I like that the threat is from a human error rather than a terrorist plot or a mad man trying to blow something up. The train is now the villain.
Rosario Dawson, often seen in independent films and Web projects, proves she’s worthy of the big screen as Connie, the station dispatcher trying to deal with the runaway train. Of course, things can only get worse, and she discovers the train is carrying deadly chemicals.
Denzel plays Frank Barnes, a locomotive engineer with more than 25 years on the job who must train an apprentice, Will, played by Chris Pine (Star Trek). There’s a good chance Will may replace Frank, and that creates a tension between the two. Then Frank and Will find out the runaway train is heading towards their locomotive. The near collision was very good and heart-stopping.
Frank and Will decide to go after 777 by hooking up to it to slow it down.
Unstoppable is like a monster movie where the runaway train takes on its own devilish like behavior by gaining speed and smashing things. It even has a devilish name, 777. The movie is visually gritty with a 70s film look.
It also moves so fast that it was dizzying at times. It has all the movie mainstays of two main characters who dislike each other but come together for a dramatic climax as they (predictably) stop the devil train before it reaches the town and blows-up everyone.
Despite the reliance on formula, Unstoppable was worth the ride. And we have a local connection to the movie: Poland native Jeff Hochedoner has a great supporting role, portraying Clark. On a side note, if you want a laugh, you should see the spoof of Unstoppable from Saturday Night Live. Here is a link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/193067/saturday-night-live-unstoppable-trailer
Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts
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