[Movie Review] Unstoppable 2010

Finally another Denzel film. Who doesn't love Denzel Washington?! Not once have I watched a film with him starring in it and not liked it. He only chooses roles he looks good in. His latest, "Unstoppable" .

It starts as any normal day would, a family man wakes up, and gets to work. His first day as a Train Conductor. Will Colson (Chris Pine) is paired with veteran railway engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington), and they get along just as any pair would when the veteran has to take orders from a rookie. Meanwhile, a group of students gather in preparation for their field trip. A typical day. Until a few irresponsible railway employees decide to not follow protocols. In the next few minutes a runaway train, turns from a stupid mistake into a potential national crisis. A mile long train, carrying hazardous material is running a full speed into populated areas, and with no one at the controls.

As usual, here's a trailer ~

Unstoppable, directed by Tony Scott, written by Mark Bomback and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Based on the true events, of the unmanned train incident of 2001, Unstoppable has been said to be quite accurate to the real life incident. While predictably exaggerated for entertainment purposes they still keep to the original plot of the true event.

Don't be fooled by the trailer though, the movie itself abandons the "save the children" plot not 30 minutes into the movie. And from there on focuses on the train heading for a sharp turn in the city of Stanton. Colson a rookie conductor, slowly builds a strong bond with his locomotive engineer Barnes. While being stressed about his family issues, and being stubborn to Barnes practical knowledge of trains, Colson makes many mistakes which nearly caused their demise. But after countless corrections, he slowly starts to respects Barnes knowledge and they make a great team. Unstoppable will have your heart pounding and adrenaline rushing through your system till the last moment. It portrays how life is for veterans who even with their vast knowledge of their field, still get pushed aside, and replaced. How large cooperations make decisions to protect their revenue instead of the people, and how even in this greedy world, there are still a few pure souls who care more about others than themselves. While being an action-thriller, Unstoppable still instills many subtle notes which make it a really interesting and worthwhile film to watch.

Predictable storyline, but still breathtaking. Especially since there were nearly no CG used, which is something special for films nowadays. Many have never gotten a chance to travel by train, and Unstoppable just shows how powerful those ancient transportation modes can be. Not a family movie, but definitely a movie to watch if you get the chance.

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