Unstoppable Review

• 24th Mar 2011

Unstoppable is the new thriller by Tony Scott, once again starring Denzel Washington. This puts them together again for the fifth time. This time Denzel is joined by the up and coming Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Rosario Dawson. Unstoppable is based on real events as a runaway train loaded with a toxic chemical threatens to derail near a major population centre. As desperate attempts to stop the train fail it’s down to two rail workers to save the day.

Frank Burns (Washington) is a career railroad driver who has been partnered with new boy Will Colson (Pine). Colson is seen to have been promoted before his time, thanks to family ties and Burns has just been given his 90 day notice due to age. Both have troubles at home, with Burns struggling as a single father about to lose his job and Colson, estranged from his wife and daughter after breaking the law. At the rail yard, a train driver jumps down from the cab to change a rail switch but cannot get back on board in time to stop the train. Negligence on his behalf allows the train to gather pace and become the runaway carrying toxic material. As yardmaster, Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson), attempts to manage the situation but she finds herself up against the company whose decisions become disastrous. Thankfully, Burns and Colson decide to follow the train at speed, couple on and attempt to halt the train from the rear. As the train hurtles towards populated area it’s a race against time for both men as they desperately attempt to save the runaway train and themselves.

Tony Scott has made a career out of action movies that include genre classics Top Gun, True Romance and Déjà Vu. His signature style of two men coming together, flashy visuals, kinetic cutting and a thumping soundtrack has been poorly mimicked for the past twenty years. Unstoppable is a showcase for an action directing supremo who, like his brother Ridley, is master of making things look good. The pacing of the film is masterly as the slow build up allows for the action and the editing becomes frenetic as things move along. Also, the photography is flawless as the locations seem wonderfully downbeat, matching perfectly the rail industry within which the story is based. The fake news footage is first rate and the performances of those involved is equally brilliant.

Washington delivers an effortless, believable performance and Pine is fine as the young upstart providing decent support and displaying good chemistry. Dawson does the most with her part of being on the phone with people for eighty minutes. The real star of the film though, is the lesser known Lew Temple as welder Ned Oldham. He is charged with following the train and providing on the spot updates. He is a man who likes precision and his performance is one of perfect comic timing, delivering the small amount of lines he has to maximum effect. His helming of the ultimate press conference is a highlight as he describes how the possible disastrous event was right in his comfort zone.

There is nothing original in Unstoppable; it simply harks back to the 70s and its endless disaster scenarios. The difference maker here is the quality of the production led by the brilliance of Scott and the well put together cast. The 95 minute running time is a breeze in the hands of such a proficient team of action experts. Unstoppable is not going to change the history of film in any way, but it’s highly watchable if you’re in the mood for a good, no frills, disaster action flick.

Aled Jones