When it comes to films from Tony Scott, you always know what to expect, sure the script may be formulaic and cliché and there is little if any character development, which makes the characters as interesting as cardboard, but he damn knows how to make an action movie. Unstoppable is no different, basically set as a true story, one engineer, called Frank (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor Will (Chris Pine), who meet on Wills first day of work and at first have a mutual, mild dislike for each other at first until they get caught up in trying to stop a runaway train (that a engineer let go because he left the air brakes on) number 777 from crashing into a populated town called Stanton,which will explode as there are explosive toxins as cargo on board.
From a cliché script and little character development Washington and Pine give adequately decent performances with some nice chuckles as their relationship starts from mild dislike and moving onto understanding, trust and finally respect at the end of the movie as they have to work together to stop the runaway train. Also the supporting performance by Rosario Dawson as Connie was good and she deserves to be mentioned.
Scott as I say may give little in terms of depth about the character's life, but at least he tries as Frank's two daughters aren't talking to him and Wills wife has put out a restraining order against him and is threatening to take their son away. What does matter with this film is that Scott makes you care about these characters as they don't glamorise them as heroes. He makes an interesting point that they are just two ordinary men who have jobs and want to make their way in the world for the people they love, but commit an extraordinary act of courage and risking their own life's to save hundreds of thousands. Scott stylishly shots this with some jump-cuts and blur outs at the start, like in his remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, but wisely tones it down and sticks to the method of conventional editing and camera work that authenticates the movie by sticking to the gravity of the two ordinary characters who become heroes. There are also some excellent stunts particularly as the film reaches it's climax and the pacing on the film never flags.
As I reiterated before this film isn't perfect with an ending that was also predictable and a bit abrupt, but there is no denying this is an entertaining and action packed ride that had suspense and tension from the start to the finish and is enough to satisfy anyone's need for a shot of action pumped adrenaline for the week.
From a cliché script and little character development Washington and Pine give adequately decent performances with some nice chuckles as their relationship starts from mild dislike and moving onto understanding, trust and finally respect at the end of the movie as they have to work together to stop the runaway train. Also the supporting performance by Rosario Dawson as Connie was good and she deserves to be mentioned.
Scott as I say may give little in terms of depth about the character's life, but at least he tries as Frank's two daughters aren't talking to him and Wills wife has put out a restraining order against him and is threatening to take their son away. What does matter with this film is that Scott makes you care about these characters as they don't glamorise them as heroes. He makes an interesting point that they are just two ordinary men who have jobs and want to make their way in the world for the people they love, but commit an extraordinary act of courage and risking their own life's to save hundreds of thousands. Scott stylishly shots this with some jump-cuts and blur outs at the start, like in his remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, but wisely tones it down and sticks to the method of conventional editing and camera work that authenticates the movie by sticking to the gravity of the two ordinary characters who become heroes. There are also some excellent stunts particularly as the film reaches it's climax and the pacing on the film never flags.
As I reiterated before this film isn't perfect with an ending that was also predictable and a bit abrupt, but there is no denying this is an entertaining and action packed ride that had suspense and tension from the start to the finish and is enough to satisfy anyone's need for a shot of action pumped adrenaline for the week.