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| Courtesy of Sony |
That’s
why Premium Rush is such a fun little surprise. The thriller isn’t going to
win any awards or set the box office on fire, but it’s a fun way to spend 90
minutes. It’s got solid action, harrowing bike scenes, creative storytelling
and terrific actors elevating the generic plot.
Joseph
Gordon-Levitt plays Wilee, a New York City bicycle messenger who blew off law
school because wearing a tie is like having a noose around your neck, man. He
prefers flying through busy intersections on a bike with no gears or brakes.
Not the smartest plan in the world, but it seems to be working for him.
Well,
it’s working until he’s hired by a nervous-looking acquaintance (Jamie Chung)
to deliver an important envelope across town ASAP. There’s also an unhinged
corrupt cop (Michael Shannon, the current go-to guy for playing crazies)
chasing the contents of the envelope, so it’s up to Wilee and his on-again,
off-again girlfriend (Dania Ramirez) to get the crucial document to its
rightful owner before they’re caught.
It
can’t be an accident that Gordon-Levitt’s character is named Wilee, as Premium
Rush plays exactly like a live-action Road Runner cartoon. In this case,
however, Wilee’s the prey instead of the predator. Gordon-Levitt practically
shouts “meep meep!” as he speeds through crazy traffic in Manhattan and
Chinatown. Shannon plays the coyote, absolutely devouring the scenery and
making his villain hilarious and scary in equal measure.
While
the story is far from original, director David Koepp (also a renowned
screenwriter, penning the script with John Kamps) keeps it exciting with swift
pacing and clever visual tricks. For example, any time Wilee faces a potential
crash on his bike, the camera plays out his brain’s decision-making process
like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. It’s a really cool idea that leads to
an amusing payoff.
Koepp
also skillfully plays with the movie’s timeline, rewinding the story several
times to reveal critical information from someone else’s perspective. It might
get annoying to some, but I’m always a sucker for fractured narrative trickery.
Make
no mistake – Premium Rush is disposable entertainment that’ll be nowhere near
Gordon-Levitt’s highlight reel when he starts racking up lifetime achievement
awards. But it’s more fun than it has any right to be, mostly because of two
actors in the middle of distinguished careers. I suppose we should be thankful;
it’s more than we usually get this time of year.
Premium Rush is rated
PG-13 for some violence, intense action sequences and language.
Grade:
B
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