Movie review: Premium Rush - a thrilling ride
Spoiler alert.
Energetic and skillfully made, Director David Koepp’s Premium Rush pedals at breakneck speed. This is an endearing action film that takes the age old chase movie formula, and repackages it in a film about cycling. Although the characterisation and narrative aren’t particularly original, it doesn’t matter; because Premium Rush doesn’t give you time to catch your breath. If you stop to think, you won’t enjoy the ride.
The film is set in New York City and is about Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who has a job the public doesn’t much care for; he is a bike messenger. Wilee is smart, charming, and can have any job in the world, but he pities his boring lawyer friends who sit behind a desk. Wilee loves the rush he gets as he zips dangerously through traffic, with his mind working as fast as a computer, trying to find a route that won’t get him or anyone else killed.
The pace unexpectedly picks up for Wilee when he is routinely tasked with picking up a package from Nima (Jamie Chung), who happens to be an overseas student from China. As fate would have it, she also happens to be the roommate of Wilee’s ex-girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), who is also working as a bike messenger for the same company as Wilee. But before Wilee can make the drop, he hits a speed bump in the shape of corrupt NYPD detective (Michael Shannon), who is a gambling addict looking to steal the valuable package for himself. Here, Wilee finds himself competing with a bad cop, a good cop, as well as bike messenger rival Manny (Wolé Parks).
The film ends in a manner that feels a little overly convenient. But, Premium Rush isn’t concerned with the fix-it patches applied to the story telling. It is more concerned with the action, and with our heroes daringly dodging joggers, cars, buses, taxis, pedestrians, and buses, it is safe to say that Premium Rush is worth the bumps on the road.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 7th, 2012.
The film is set in New York City and is about Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who has a job the public doesn’t much care for; he is a bike messenger. Wilee is smart, charming, and can have any job in the world, but he pities his boring lawyer friends who sit behind a desk. Wilee loves the rush he gets as he zips dangerously through traffic, with his mind working as fast as a computer, trying to find a route that won’t get him or anyone else killed.
The pace unexpectedly picks up for Wilee when he is routinely tasked with picking up a package from Nima (Jamie Chung), who happens to be an overseas student from China. As fate would have it, she also happens to be the roommate of Wilee’s ex-girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), who is also working as a bike messenger for the same company as Wilee. But before Wilee can make the drop, he hits a speed bump in the shape of corrupt NYPD detective (Michael Shannon), who is a gambling addict looking to steal the valuable package for himself. Here, Wilee finds himself competing with a bad cop, a good cop, as well as bike messenger rival Manny (Wolé Parks).
The film ends in a manner that feels a little overly convenient. But, Premium Rush isn’t concerned with the fix-it patches applied to the story telling. It is more concerned with the action, and with our heroes daringly dodging joggers, cars, buses, taxis, pedestrians, and buses, it is safe to say that Premium Rush is worth the bumps on the road.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 7th, 2012.