You would think that a film with a title like Unstoppable would somewhat live up to it’s name. Sure, it sounds like a standard action thriller that really could be about anything, whether it be hit men or revenge or gang warfare or, in this case, a runaway train. In fact, the title is so generic that there was actually only six years earlier another film with the exact same title starring Wesley Snipes (that one being about a CIA agent in Bosnia, yet even the DVD cover has thee same color scheme and overall tone as the more recent film of the same name). Yet the generic action thriller, as a genre, has its own charms and entertainment value. As a viewer, I occasionally relish the ability to turn my mind off and take in some good explosions, campy dialogue, and simplistic plot structure. In the endless debate of art versus entertainment, sometimes one just wants to forget about the former and bask in the cheap thrills of the latter. Yet Unstoppable, while appearing to promise guaranteed entertainment, doesn’t quite deliver.
The ingredients that were combined to cook up this movie had success written all over them. It stars the great Denzel Washington, who always oozes charisma and charm, even when spouting the most ridiculous material. One could reckon he’s one of few actors working today who could play nearly any role handed to him and do a good job; he has an effortless ability to make things seem cool and easy. Alongside Washington is Chris Pine, riding high off of his newfound fame as Captain James T. Kirk in the well-received Star Trek reboot. Like Washington, Pine also has the unpracticed vibe of a natural movie star, though it of course less perfected than that of his more mature costar. Obviously, lines of dialogue such as, “This ain't training. In training they just give you an F. Out here you get killed,” require a special kind of je ne c’est quois to say without just sounding laughable. Washington and Pine do an admirable job; the two have the standard hardened-old-veteran and young-hot-shot chemistry that is necessary for this kind of film to work.
However, as I previously stated, Unstoppable does not work. The great action-friendly auteur Tony Scott directed it, and yet his fun and unique stamp is nowhere to be found on the final product. The actors are all doing their best with what they have; I would like to single out Rosario Dawson, besides the aforementioned male leads, as being particularly good as Connie. She is an underrated actress who deserves more high-profile projects. Screenwriter Mark Bomback was also responsible for Live Free or Die Hard, which was a similarly dull movie that had designs on being exciting, so most of the blame probably lies in his hands; yet the Tony Scott that directed True Romance, Top Gun, and Crimson Tide still should have been able to salvage something out of this story.
What is the true? It’s based on true events of not too long ago (2001, to be exact), though said true events were not nearly as threatening or dramatic as those in the film. Washington is train engineer Frank; Pine is conductor Will. The two of them are on board a train due to collide with another, out of control train loaded with toxic chemicals. If the loose cannon train cannot be stopped, it could not only crash into other trains, but also busy towns, and disaster would naturally ensue. Frank and Will decide to chase down the train and try to latch on to it and slow it down before it can literally crash and burn. It’s the kind of race against the clock that should keep the viewer on the edge of one’s seat, yet Unstoppable ends up being just boring. Too much news footage is used as a device to repeat bits of story and move the plot along; it’s too exposition-heavy and not action-packed enough as a result. Not only that, the technical jargon being thrown around makes things more confusing than they need to be. This is a movie about a runaway train, not solving the crisis in the Middle East.
Overall, I would recommend skipping Unstoppable. If you’re in the mood for a blockbuster action movie, opt for one of my personal favorites, such as Taken or The Transporter, instead.
DVD Bonus Features
The only bonus features on this single-disc DVD are an audio commentary with Tony Scott and a featurette titled, “The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable,” which makes it sound like the most epic featurette in the world. Sadly, it is not.
"Unstoppable" is on sale February 15, 2011 and is rated PG13. Action, Thriller. Directed by Tony Scott. Written by Mark Bomback. Starring Chris Pine, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson.
