Unstoppable – A 20th Century Fox Release

http://www.unstoppablemovie.com/

Release Date: November 12th

Rated PG for language may offend

Running time: 98 minutes

 

Tony Scott (dir.)

 

Mark Bomback (writer)

 

Harry Gregson-Williams (music)

 

Denzel Washington as Frank

Chris Pine as Will

Rosario Dawson as Connie

Ethan Suplee as Dewey

Kevin Dunn as Galvin

Kevin Corrigan as Inspector Werner

Kevin Chapman as Bunny

Lew Temple as Ned

T.J. Miller as Gilleece

Jessy Schram as Darcy

©20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved

Chris Pine and Denzel Washington in Chris Pine’s Unstoppable.

 

Our reviews below:

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Unstoppable Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

One of the first images presented in front of a theatre audience was of a train barreling towards the camera.  As the story goes, it sent audiences fleeing from the theatre, worried it would crash through the screen.  This may not be true, but over 100 years later we get a train movie that speeds forward with such ridiculously high levels of suspense that it is sure to leave audiences on the edge of their seats.  Through superb camera work, sound effects and editing, Tony Scott’s Unstoppable puts us right beside this metal beast.

 

Inspired by a true story, the film opens with Will Colson’s (Chris Pine) first day working at a Pennsylvania train yard, where he is teamed up with disgruntled veteran conductor Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington).  When an unmanned train carrying dangerous chemicals is fast headed towards a small town, Colson and Barnes are on the engine set to take it down.  Along with the much-needed help of Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) back at the station, they may be the only ones who can stop the runaway train.

 

Less than 15 minutes in, the brakes blow out on this baby and it’s non-stop tension for the rest of the movie.  Carried by strong performances, this is an action film that never stops for a second of it’s running time, but it’s also not afraid to have intelligence and heart.  Over the course of the film, we come to care about the characters, making the payoff all the more effecting.

 

This is 98 minutes of excellent, off-the-rails fun.  Unstoppable is, for lack of a better word, unstoppable.

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Unstoppable Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Inspired by the true story of the runaway train 8888 – or ‘crazy 8’s’ – Unstoppable is an action movie that keeps an exhilarating pace throughout, pitting man in a race against machine.

 

In this movie adaptation, the train is 777 – or ‘triple 7’ – just one of the facts changed for the movie version.  As is to be expected, things are amped up more than a little for the silver screen – despite an already exciting true story.  The film Unstoppable follows two guys, Will Colson, (Chris Pine), and Frank Barnes, (Denzel Washington), who decide to try to catch the train from behind using another engine.

 

The editing and cinematography are really well done here, with shots designed to show the speed at which the trains are travelling.  The film takes place mostly in ‘real time’ for it’s 98 minute length.

 

I think a lot of people will enjoy this film as a change from other action films which have people fighting each other and lots of shooting, etc.  There is no villain in this film – only the train.  The tension comes from how everyone has to figure out how to work together, as disagreements arise in the plan to stop the runaway train – a train that just happens to be carrying hazardous materials (one of the facts true from the real life incident).

 

For both those who enjoy a good suspense film, and those fascinated by the story or trains, this is one to go see.  It deserves to be watched on the big screen too, in order to see the real scope of the runaway train.

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Unstoppable Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

This movie is 98 minutes of unstoppable fun.  It’s just a seemingly ordinary day at the railroad in Southern Pennsylvania.  That is until a human error causes freight train 777 to run away at alarming speeds.  To make matters worse, 777 is carrying a load of phenol, a highly flammable chemical.  It is now up to engineers Will Colson (Chris Pine) and Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) to chase the train down, and bring in another engine to stop it before it destroys the town of Stanton.

 

The chase scenes are a lot of fun.  I really like the camera angles, particularly the shots beside and underneath the train.  Beautifully shot, the camera work captures the immense size and speed of train 777.  I also love the human side of the story where we get a sense of friendship between Colson and Barnes.  We meet their families and see how personal their adventure is.  Loosely based on the true story of train 8888 (‘Crazy 8s’), Unstoppable is an exciting film that everyone, especially train enthusiasts, will enjoy.

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Unstoppable Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Train enthusiasts are going to love Unstoppable.  Inspired by the true story of a runaway freight train carrying hazardous chemicals through Pennsylvania, Unstoppable is non-stop tension and excitement.  Even if you know the story and how it ends, director Tony Scott keeps moviegoers on the edge of their seats.  The nicely edited shots, especially those at track level give a really good sense of speed and movement.

 

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine give solid and believable performances as the two heroes, conductors Frank Barnes and Will Colson.  Fans of both these actors will want to check out this action-packed, train-centric movie.

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Unstoppable Review By Tony

**** (out of 4)

Unstoppable is loosely based on a real incident, with embellishments that really work. When a lazy and incompetent employee cuts corners allowing a freight train containing toxic chemicals to go out unmanned at full throttle on a main line through Pennsylvania, it is a race against time to prevent the train from reaching a city and derailing on a slow curve with disastrous results. The only hope comes from another engine catching up to and coupling with the train and braking. The engine is driven by Frank (Denzel Washington) mentoring his new hire conductor Will (Chris Pine).

 

The film wastes no time introducing the characters and setting up the chain of events that lead to the runaway train, after which suspense never lets up. Not only a thrilling action movie with great cinematography and editing, it allows us to get to know its characters, their families and fellow workers. Unstoppable is a worthy addition to the genre of great train films.

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Consensus: With strong performances and excellent camera work, Tony Scott’s Unstoppable is a smart action film that plays with non-stop tension from beginning to end. ***3/4 (Out of 4)