Greetings again from the darkness. Three things about the film are undeniable. One: A runaway train is fascinating and dangerous. Two: Director Tony Scott really likes working with Denzel Washington (this is their 5th movie together). Three: Inspired by a real life 2001 runaway train in Toledo, the story plays right into Mr. Scott’s wheelhouse with action and heroic testosterone.
Admittedly, I tend to expect a great deal from filmmakers – well at least maximum effort. Sometimes, this impacts my ability to just sit back and take a film for what it is. Such is the case with Unstoppable. While it would seem that a runaway train endangering many innocent people would be enough, I found myself annoyed that there wasn’t more. On the plus side, tension is rampant and the film does an adequate job of capturing the emotions from three different perspectives – inside a train (Denzel and Chris Pine), at command center (Rosario Dawson and staff) and at the corporate office (smarmy Kevin Dunn). We also see exactly how a simple poor decision by one major goofball (Ethan Suplee) can imperil thousands of people.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good stuff ends. The script is abysmal and the acting only slightly better. Denzel sleepwalks through another textbook “Denzel” character. Rosario Dawson is given little to work with as the supervisor, and the usually dependable Kevin Dunn is way over the top as the corporate bad guy who is only worried about the hit to the stock price. There is even a ridiculous shot of the Chairman on a golf course, in case we viewers are too dumb to understand the perspective of the company. Chris Pine (Star Trek, Bottle Shock) is the only one who shows much, yet he still is given horrible dialogue to spout.
For proof that an unstoppable train movie can be exhilarating AND well written, check out Andrey Konchalovskiy‘s 1985 Runaway Train. Both Jon Voight and Eric Roberts received Oscar nominations. The psychological warfare in that one matched the breakneck pace of the train itself. Instead, this current film is written by Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard) in such a one dimensional frame that it takes the dramatized news reports to remind us that real people are in danger.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: like me, you are sucker for movies based on a true story OR you can watch tension-laced action without asking for more
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you require character development OR you agree that at $20 mil per film, Denzel is overrated and overpaid.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 