Joseph
Gordon-Levitt is a bike messenger who has to deliver an important envelope in
an hour and a half. Before he is even on
the road, he’s harassed by a wild-eyed cop (Michael Shannon) who wants the envelope
for himself. He chases him through the city
in hot pursuit and JGL has to weave in and out of traffic in order to stay one
step ahead of him.
The
previews made this look like absolute crap.
I shouldn’t have worried because after all, it’s a David Koepp flick. Koepp takes what in lesser hands could’ve
been a corny and forgettable thriller. He’s
able to crank up the tension right from the get-go and pulls you in with the
simple, but effective set-up. The
coolest parts are the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style sequences when Gordon-Levitt
goes through an intersection and in a split-second decides which path to
take. Most end with him dying in
horrible ways, but he’s always able to find a way through the congestion unscathed. I also dug the Pac-Man like graphics of his
progress across the city.
The
performances are great. Gordon-Levitt
makes for a solidly likeable leading man.
He’s brash and confident without being arrogant and/or an asshole. The movie really belongs to Shannon though. His out of control antics are a lot of fun to
watch. I especially liked his backstory
where he goes from mahjongg den to mahjongg den getting deeper and deeper into
debt along the way.
Clocking
in at a brisk ninety minutes, the film practically plays out in real time (with
the exception of the flashbacks). Koepp
keeps things moving along at a steady clip and delivers a handful of crisp,
exciting sequences. I can’t say the
second half is as successful as the bristling first half, but Premium Rush
remains thoroughly entertaining throughout.
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