Chugga Chugga Woo Woo

Unstoppable is on a crash course with the mundane
By
 Morgan P Salvo

Unstoppable is the fifth collaboration of director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington and is merely by the numbers stuff. That’s not to say Unstoppable isn’t engaging, as a suspenseful thriller it works fine, but it rings out as Hollywood mainstream schlock at its most finely tuned and nothing comes as a surprise.
Scott must’ve become train fixated after his last dismal flick, the “why-would-anyone-consider-to-make-a-remake”, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. This movie is Speed without Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper and Sandra Bullock, meaning it’s without any dynamic characters. There are no scheming terrorists, or a lone psycho. The main star is the train and even though Denzel adds the star power, Unstoppable boasts no great acting, just competent line delivery. It’s all filler dialogue and then on to the next nail-biting shots.
The premise is almost refreshingly bare: an unmanned train loaded with hazardous combustible materials must be stopped before it hits a highly populated area, while a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent the catastrophe. It starts when the big dolt from My Name is Earl (Ethan Suplee),is messing around with the guy that did the voice over camera work from Cloverfield(T.J. Miller),and forgets to hook up air brakes on a train he’s driving and decides to jump off, fully intending to climb back on, but can’t because the never explained stick shift lever that mysteriously moves into high gear turns into a runaway train. I was thinking ghosts but no such luck.
Supposedly based on “true facts” the historical basis for Unstoppable is a May 15, 2001 incident in which an unmanned CSX train became a runaway, speeding at 40 miles an hour, covering 66 miles in Ohio and was stopped within under two hours in a manner similar although way less dramatic to what is depicted in the movie.

Denzel and Chris Pine (Star Trek) play the working-class heroes thrown together to halt the renegade freight. Pine is as good as Washington with their buddy camaraderie, as everyone does fine considering they are working with a limited soap opera script. Kevin Corrigan and Rosario Dawson provide the kooky realism and Kevin Dunn plays the corporate middleman slime-ball. All actors give credible performances but the scene stealer (if there is one) is Lew Temple (Devils Rejects/ Trailer Park of Terror) as Ned, the other hero, who speeds alongside the train with a police escort trying to thwart it at every stop.

Credit must go to all the amazing stunts as Scott used little to no CGI. Scott always makes a film easy and fun to watch; from his psychedelic angles to the quick zooms and fast cuts to the super close-ups with big faces filling the screen. He also has a thing about technological communication evoking all his same great tricks used in Spy Games, Crimson Tide and Enemy of the State. But the most impressive shots are the ones of the train itself. Scott frames its massive bulk in one tilted angle and then its streamline missile effect in the next telephoto shot. The train is like the shark in Jaws (only not as scary).Also effective is the sound of telephone polls whipping past. The grandiose soundtrack comes complete with heart beating synthesizers, Middle Eastern flairs and a lift from the Soundtrack of Aliens vs. Predators (trust me, it was in the credits). Scott uses a lot of television news coverage and since Unstoppable is a 20th Century Fox film, unsurprisingly Fox News is featured. Pennsylvania is another big star in this flick as Scott beautifully captures the scenery and heart of America’s railroad arteries.
Unstoppable, speeding towards more popcorn money, has all the elements of beat-the-clock action flick but it stayed on course and offered no shockers. Even in the more intense moments it seemed safe. This movie could have derailed a little and gone off into a more edge-of-your-seat territory, and for corn's sake there’s even a Hooters element to this thing. I think Unstoppable’s biggest surprise was that there was no surprise. This is really a movie where you get exactly what you expect, nothing more, and nothing less. With all the cool stuff to look at, in the long runaway run, it’s a shame.

Unstoppable
Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Corrigan
Directed by Tony Scott
2 ½ stars