Secondhand Reviews: Unstoppable

Rated PG-13 for violence, and some brief sexual references.

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Tony Scott... let's face it, folks, this is not exactly one of the great directors of the ages. The man who gave us "Top Gun" and "Days Of Thunder?" Really? But he's also the guy who gave us the perfectly serviceable "Crimson Tide" with Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, and he's developed a solid working relationship with Washington over the years. And as far as action movie premises go, this one is fairly promising. So we might have reason to expect, at the very least, an entertaining 98 minutes.

Chris Pine (Captain Kirk from the 2009 "Star Trek" movie) and Denzel Washington play a rookie newcomer train conductor and the veteran tasked with showing him the ropes, respectively. Their first day as a team looks to be quite uneventful until they learn about the unmanned, runaway train zooming along the tracks ahead of them loaded with toxic fuel that has the potential to be "a bomb the size of the Chrysler building" (that's a quote). Somebody has to stop it, and guess who decides to take on the job? It's one of the classic man vs. machine stories, one that John Henry in that old folk song could never have imagined.

Let's get the uninspired sludge out of the way first, okay? The way the story gets an unmanned train zooming down those tracks out of control does strain credibility. And while it's admirable that a woman has an in command, forceful presence that makes her an equal to the male characters... something you don't always get in a testosterone-fueled action movie... that positive effect is somewhat offset by the fact that the story has Washington's two daughters, both in their late teens, working at.... ready for it?... Hooters. Yes, that's right. And do you think there's be a scene or two of them on the job? i don't really need to answer that question. And let's not think for too long about how likely it is that a middle-aged guy who doesn't live a very action-filled lifestyle would be able to run on top of the cars of a moving train and hop from one car to the next.

Thing is, though, that a movie like this is essentially like a machine that's designed to do a very specific task, and do it efficiently. As long as it accomplishes this, it's done what it's supposed to do. And the script (sloppy in other respects, tight when it focuses on the characters' dilemma with the train), some sharp camera work that adds to the tension, some very realistic special effects... all of this adds up to an audience getting put right into the shoes of the Washington and Pine characters and being right there on the train with them, wondering how they're going to catch up to it and if they do how they can possibly stop it from taking out a town or two. "Unstoppable" still isn't exactly a work of art... even within the action movie genre... but it's a sufficiently well-functioning machine that it's possible to ignore the flaws and go with the fast-paced flow.

There are also some unexpected bonuses that the typical action movie doesn't always give you. Washington and Pine both give fine performances individually, as well as making a good team... just the right blend of admiration for each other along with a touch of "what do you think you're doing?" And as the "yardmaster" the two of them are communicating with via radio throughout the film and who coordinates possible rescue efforts, Rosario Dawson is a very solid and believable leader, the kind of person who would give you confidence in a dangerous situation like this if she was in charge. And I don't know how many of you remember the movies of low-budget exploitation movie maker Roger Corman, but one of his trademarks was to always slip in some social commentary in the midst of the blood and thunder, and Tony Scott follows his lead here as the train line's big bosses... "The Suits"... constantly refuse to listen to any possible plan to catch the train or save the towns on its path that has any chance at all of reducing their bottom line or their stock value. True, it's a blue collar character who's responsible for the runaway train in the first place, but he's only one character... and every other "blue collar" type is shown to be sharp, smart, resourceful and brave. Something you can't exactly say about the bosses.

So what we have in "Unstoppable" is definitely a formula movie that follows the well-worn paths of similar movies that have come before it, much like a train has to follow the tracks. It's a movie with flaws. But the flaws aren't fatal, and in a year that has given us horrendous action fare like "The A-Team" and "The Expendables" (or even "Red"), a movie that has a few actual characters, a touch of a social message and quite a bit more believability is welcome. If you're just not an action movie fan at all you can probably safely skip it. However, if you do appreciate the genre... at least when it's done with a little style, as I do... then you'll probably have a good time. And when we're dealing with this particular genre, isn't that enough?