Premium Rush

I had an image running through my head for almost the entire duration of Premium Rush. And it didn't necessarily ruin the movie, but it made it hilarious at times. 

Do you remember 21 Jump Street? Of course you do, you guys are smart! Well near the beginning of that movie Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are bicycle police and they see a drug deal happening across the park. Immediately, they hop on their bikes and are off! The camera is close and blurring everything in the background...it gives off a sense of speed. Because they must be going really fast right? Well then the camera pulls way back to show them riding across the grass and it produces one of the funniest moments of the film. They are going no faster than a steady jogging pace. It completely deflates the intensity of the previous frame and is absolutely hilarious. 

And I could not help myself about thinking this way during Premium Rush. The camera is always tight on the rider and it makes it seem as if these bikers are going 80 miles per hour. Dont get me wrong, there are certainly some high speeds reached on the bikes in this movie, but I just kept thinking what would happen if they pulled the camera back. It would have definitely taken the "rush" out of it. But that isn't really fair to the movie just because I was giggling like a school girl at times. Just thought I would share it with my readers to keep in mind should they see this movie. 

From Batwing and Batpod to...bicycle? Quite the downgrade
Mr. Gordon-Levitt.

Premium Rush doesnt have an exceptional story, but about 3/4ths of the way through the film you find out that it isn't necessarily a bad one either. Long story short: Wilee, played by the ridiculously busy Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a bike courier in New York City. He gets a package that he must deliver and soon becomes relentlessly hunted by Mr. Monday, played by Michael Shannon. We soon learn what is in the package and why it is so important that it gets delivered. 

The movie features some talented actors but doesnt really require any range from them. Gordon-Levitt seems like he is coasting through the motions just like he is coasting on his bike. Dania Ramirez does fine as the love interest although her ridiculously toned upper body was distracting...in a good way I suppose. The true star of the show (and I use that term lightly here) is Shannon as the villain. He has anger management and impulse issues and is very believable. 

"I really liked you in Inception! But now I have to kill you."

Uh-oh!

Premium Rush has some pretty cool features. The riding can be compelling at times and there are some cool graphics that it uses. For example, when Wilee plugs an address into his smart phone the film shows a map that displays the path. It's not necessary, but it's neat. I also really liked Wilee's "choice sequences" (what I call them) where he comes to an intersection and his mind plays through different paths he could take. Each path has a consequence: him dying, him killing someone else accidentally, him causing an accident, or even him killing a baby! They are pretty cool despite the fact that they feature terrible special effects. 

The main issue I have with Premium Rush is its pacing. It just is one thing after another with this one. I dont know how many times Mr. Monday loses track of Wilee and then finds him again but I'd be willing to say it's near the double digits. It seems like they stretched a 60 minute movie into a 91 minute movie. And when the pacing is bad, then you start to question the character's motives. Would they really be doing this? There are several times the answer is no. It was just frustrating because had they cut about 20 minutes from the movie it would have been much more exciting and not felt like it was dragging. 

I shouldn't be yawning in a film with the word "Rush" in the title. 

Pros:

• The cast is well constructed and while there is no stretch of their acting chops, they do well 
• Travels across all of NYC so it is pretty cool to see a bunch of different parts of the city
• The "choice sequences" are inventive, funny, and easily my favorite part of the movie
• Some intense chase scenes
• Unique because it provides a look into the bicycle courier world

Cons:

• Drags on eventually. Makes us question character motives
• If you have seen the trailer, you have pretty much seen all of the "cool" bike stunts
• It's a one-and-done movie. I enjoyed the first viewing but I would never watch it again

Rath's Review Score: 5.5/10

Many of my female readers wanted me to review The Odd Life of Timothy Green. I really had no interest in that movie so I decided to pass on it last weekend. But I came across this little gem last week that pretty much acts as a review in and of itself. Enjoy! (Warning: contains spoilers)