Imagine the complexity of disaster and how it would affect everyday life. It more than certainly would turn things upside down. When the situation is grave, common men tap into their inner courage to step to the forefront and be very brave. That is the root of the movie “Unstoppable.” This film, the latest from director Tony Scott, whose credits include “Top Gun,” “Days of Thunder” and “Enemy of the State,” stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson as the people who are tasked with trying to stop a runaway locomotive. The train is set to derail in a heavily populated area and harm lots of innocent lives.
The best characters in cinema are the ones who are real and believable. These characters are very much so and it’s refreshing that they are, because that’s when you root for them. Chris Pine has proven himself to be a great actor (especially as Captain Kirk, sorry for working Star Trek into this review) and has great chemistry with Washington as the two railroad workers that go through this together, incidentally, on Pine’s character’s first day on the job.
The action sequences are first rate, and so breathtaking and non-stop that you probably had about a dozen or so “oh crap!” moments throughout the film, one right after the other.
This film is inspired by a similar situation that occurred in Ohio back in 2001, except that lots of dramatic license was taken here, obviously. Still, however, the writer, Mark Bomback, kept the action within reason and kept it away from impossibility. Two major pluses on the script side.
All told, this is a great film that will give you 98 minutes of pulse pounding entertainment. 3.5 out of 4 stars.