Unstoppable is the latest movie to reunite Tony Scott and Denzel Washington in what turns out to be their fifth movie together. The previous outings including Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Deja Vu and more recently, The Taking of Pelham 123 and as you might notice, they all have a similar formula – action! I’m a big fan of both Tony Scott and Denzel Washington so when I got the chance to see this movie, I was very much looking forward to seeing it.
Unstoppable is based on a true story about a runaway train which is unmanned and under power thundering through the towns across Ohio with hazardous chemicals on board and a train load of kids heading straight for it. With the train smashing through everything in it’s path, two men (Chris Pine and Denzel Washington) decide to take it upon themselves to try and stop it be devising an ambitious plan that if successful, could stop the train in it’s tracks – quite literally! This goes against all their orders from the men in suits back at head office, more interested in saving money and saving face than saving lives. Denzel and Chris do have one allie however in the form of Rosario Dawson who plays Connie, and is in charge of mission control back at the train depot. She’s able to help them with the details on where the train is at any given moment and is really well cast in the movie.
Let’s face it, watching a train pootle along a track at speed for 90 minutes is never going to be that exciting but when Tony Scott adds the multitudes of helicopters, loads of police cars, children on another train in imminent danger and a horse on the track, it’s always going to make it that little bit more interesting! He even manages to get an explosion in there in true Tony Scott style! By using loads of close up shots of the characters and the train, it really feels like the train is out of control and you do actually begin to care about what happens to the people involved (can you see I’m still thinking about my Skyline review!). I was never overwhelmed by the chemistry between Pine and Washington and Pine’s back story was a little lame. It basically focuses around a messy court case around the access to his daughter and ends in a rather silly fashion where they all live happily ever after by the time the credits roll! I guess it is a film and it had to have this backstory for you to want Pine’s character of Will to suceed.
Overall though, I’m pleased to report I did very much enjoy this movie. I always think of myself as a very mainstream kind of movie goer. I love all that over hyped over done action genre and Unstoppable is exactly that! Denzel is back on form, running over trains and the sound was excellent, especially in the Fox screening room where the floor shakes when the train comes roaring at you head on!
If you’re a fan of all things Denzel Washington and Tony Scott, then this one is yet another to add to the collection and I’d definitely buy it on DVD when it’s released next year.
Unstoppable is released in UK cinemas next Wednesday, 24th November and if you haven’t already entered, click here to win merchandise from the movie.
