Premium Rush is a very different action thriller...It occurs almost exclusively in the streets of NYC on 2-wheels. Framed around the fearless fast-paced life of a bike messenger "Premium Rush" is based on the delivery of a marker paid for the black-market immigration of a young boy whose mother has paid the Chinese underground for his passage. The marker represents a large sum of cash that a down-on-luck NYC detective has to intercept to settle his gambling debts. It all happens in the short span of an afternoon...the clock is ticking.
Most high-octane action flicks have the pre-requisite of the viewer parking myriad plot-holes and dis-belief, while Premium Rush doesn't dispose of this need entirely, it tucks it neatly. For this I will credit chief writer David Koepp. Koepp has a compelling idea which he fully realizes as director. Koepp's use of shifting time forward, backward, and forward again is masterful. The editing, and aforementioned time shifting, create constant tension with the fast pace. Imaginative use of GPS phone routing and the lead character's vision to process alternate routing is a nice stroke of cinematic genius in telling the story. The inner-city bike runs are exhilarating and quite amazing as translated to film. Koepp's vision comes to life and keeps the viewer totally invested as even the slower in-between segments serve to link the action-packed journey humming along.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Wilee our fearless bike messenger. Great credit must be given to him as it appears he did his share of work along with, I'm sure, nameless stunt-men. It is so seamless the viewer must be impressed with his 2-wheel prowess. Gordon-Levitt nails the part. The other character, the on-the-edge police detective played by Michael Shannon, is just as wonderfully "spot-on" too. I will certainly know Mr. Shannon from here on as he is excellent in his portrayal of Det. Bobby Monday. These two actors are the movie.
If you seek an action-packed thriller without a body-count (well, there is one), one that has just the right comic-relief see "Premium Rush". This movie is a welcome and highly entertaining "not me-too" flick that never lets up to the satisfying finale. Recommended.
Most high-octane action flicks have the pre-requisite of the viewer parking myriad plot-holes and dis-belief, while Premium Rush doesn't dispose of this need entirely, it tucks it neatly. For this I will credit chief writer David Koepp. Koepp has a compelling idea which he fully realizes as director. Koepp's use of shifting time forward, backward, and forward again is masterful. The editing, and aforementioned time shifting, create constant tension with the fast pace. Imaginative use of GPS phone routing and the lead character's vision to process alternate routing is a nice stroke of cinematic genius in telling the story. The inner-city bike runs are exhilarating and quite amazing as translated to film. Koepp's vision comes to life and keeps the viewer totally invested as even the slower in-between segments serve to link the action-packed journey humming along.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Wilee our fearless bike messenger. Great credit must be given to him as it appears he did his share of work along with, I'm sure, nameless stunt-men. It is so seamless the viewer must be impressed with his 2-wheel prowess. Gordon-Levitt nails the part. The other character, the on-the-edge police detective played by Michael Shannon, is just as wonderfully "spot-on" too. I will certainly know Mr. Shannon from here on as he is excellent in his portrayal of Det. Bobby Monday. These two actors are the movie.
If you seek an action-packed thriller without a body-count (well, there is one), one that has just the right comic-relief see "Premium Rush". This movie is a welcome and highly entertaining "not me-too" flick that never lets up to the satisfying finale. Recommended.