Unstoppable

Inspired by true events, “Unstoppable” is a thrilling new adventure movie directed by Tony Scott, whose last movie,” The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3,” was also on rails. But instead of developing action elements on a relatively stationary train as he did in “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3,” Scott this time around manages to create an exhilarating ride as the characters battle to stop an unmanned, runaway train. “Unstoppable” might be original in its execution, but I can’t help feel that the movie is an extension of Scott’s last movie. Nonetheless, “Unstoppable” is a ninety-minute adrenaline rush that does not slow down even for a minute, just like its speeding train. Made with a high budget of over $100 million, the movie generated enough revenue to break even at the box office.
   
Early on, we see Dewey (Ethan Suplee) at a train yard in Fuller, Pennsylvania, trying to taxi an idle train from its current track, so that an incoming excursion train filled with schoolchildren can use the track. To save time, Dewey decides against connecting the locomotive’s air hose with the rest of the train; this means the train will only stop if the brakes are applied from the engine. Thinking that the train is moving slowly, Dewey gets off the locomotive to manually switch a line so that he can park the train on an unused rail track. Not only does he get the train off in this manner, Dewey also incorrectly sets the train’s dynamic braking system. As the slow-moving train gathers speed, Dewey is unable to get on the locomotive again. The end result is a speeding train loaded with gallons of life-threatening chemicals.

What begins as an ordinary day for train operators Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and Will Colson (Chris Pine) quickly becomes a dangerous game of survival. Starting in the opposite direction at a different train yard, Will and Frank take their train to another yard. Soon, a yardmaster, Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson), contacts Frank informing him of the speeding train headed in their direction. Frank and Will somehow manage to bypass the unmanned train by getting off from the main track onto a parallel track. But they soon devise their plan to go after the speeding train against the wishes of Connie’s boss, Oscar Galvin (Kevin Dunn).

“Unstoppable” feels like “Speed” (1994) on rails. In both the movies, the speed drives the story at a brisk pace. While the protagonists in “Unstoppable” are trying to slow down a high-speeding train, the characters in “Speed” have to maintain a predefined speed limit. With no real villains in “Unstoppable,” the speed acts as the main antagonist in the film; after all, there would have been no threat if the train was just moving slowly. Nonetheless, it’s the speed that provides the necessary fodder for a thrilling experience.

In “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3,” Denzel Washington’s character ran the show from within a subway control room; but this time, he stars as a veteran railroad engineer, who through the sheer presence of mind executes a series of timely, intelligent actions. Equally assisting him is the young train conductor, played by Pine, who performs daring acts to manually couple their locomotive with the running train.

The characters of Washington and Pine portray the lives of men belonging to the ordinary working class. Along the way, the two men share some interesting family moments together. The conversations bring in a few lighthearted moments, but their characters on the whole are devoid of any deep details. Washington operates in the same mold seen in “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3,” but on this occasion, his character is transported to the center of the action occurring on the train track. He precisely controls the locomotive and in the process demonstrates his skills as a veteran locomotive engineer. Meanwhile, Will keeps on learning something new from Frank, and they begin to develop a mutual respect for each other. However in the performance aspect, Washington’s performance is just average and lacks the urgency to make it worth remembering. Chris Pine also gives an acceptable performance as a new recruit. I think the script lacks emotionally vibrant characters, which only results in average performances.

Director Tony Scott infuses the film with his trademark style. On numerous occasions he employs a slow-motion technique to show the uncontrolled train. Mainly, the film is focused on the train because it poses an imminent threat to nearby towns. More so, the two main characters are scripted much later in the story. In spite of adding adequate thrills along the way, the final product is too predictable. We see Frank and Will strategize their moves as they brave their way through the train, and this is definitely going to generate cheers from the viewers. As it turns out, “Unstoppable” becomes the story of two underdogs who later become national heroes for their community.

There is another minor issue on the events shown in this film; and this is something you will probably realize after researching the real-life incident that inspired this movie. The actual incident reported that the Crazy Eight train (a runaway train in Ohio, 2001) was running at a maximum reported speed of 47 miles per hour, but in the film, you see the train running at about 71 miles per hour. I know the film is a Hollywood version of real events, but I think it is a deliberate way to develop cheap excitement and thrills. However, your thoughts about “Unstoppable” might change after you research the actual incident.

Was I entertained? Absolutely, even though I knew what the final outcome would be. I was thoroughly fixated by the train and how Frank and Will, against all odds, are able to perform acts of heroism. The film comprises slick, thrilling sequences, high production values, sharp editing techniques, a great concept, and a maddening pace, thereby making “Unstoppable” a worthy viewing experience.