Unstoppable

Indeed, it is.

Some people are known for their greatness. Other people are known for being related to other people. Like a pesky virus, Tony Scott will never be able to fully shed himself of the reality of being director Ridley Scott’s brother, but that doesn’t mean that the man is any less talented. In a time when wizards are flying and Mark Zuckerbergs are creating Facebook, it’s easy to miss “Unstoppable,” Tony Scott and Denzel Washington’s fourth collaboration. But if you do happen to catch the flick, you won’t be disappointed.

As is popular with big Hollywood films now-a-days, the movie is “based on true events.” The premise is simple enough: there’s a runaway train headed toward a heavily populated area, and it’s Denzel Washington and the guy from Star Trek’s (Chris Pine, I know his name) job to stop it. Throughout the film, things happen, situations occur, and events take place. And, to make matters worse, everything that can go wrong does.

But, then again, is the audience ever uncertain of whether or not Denzel will be able to stop the runaway train? The simple act of having Denzel trying to do something in a Tony Scott film lets even the most ignorant moviegoer know that he will succeed. I can imagine the writers coming up with something like this:

“Now, in this scene, the man asks the lady, ‘How are you planning on stopping this thing?’ To that, the lady responds, ‘Denzel.’ Problem solved.”

Regardless, the film is successful in maintaining the tension, and like some sort of musical instrument, is careful to play hard, but not so much that the strings pop. Indeed, the tension is taut, and there were audible gasps emanating from some of the audience members in my theater. Which is to say, “Unstoppable” is not for the faint of heart. As a general rule of thumb, anytime you have a train full of children undergo any sort of dangerous situation, the tension is hard to bear.

The characters are realistic and the dialog is bearable, but sometimes, it seems as though the actors lack that humanity that this type of movie necessitates. Because, despite the fact that the driving force is a ten-thousand ton train, lack of a human element would equate to expecting to make a movie out of bringing your camcorder to a roller coaster ride.

However, the sheer spectacle more than makes up for the lackluster performances from some of the more expendable characters, and you find yourself wondering just how everything is going to be resolved. In that, the film forces to invest your emotions and nerves, which, for this type of film, serves the  purpose.

When all is said and done, the film isn’t emotionally draining. The resolution will make you feel that everything is fine in the world, as it must be, because it is a Denzel Washington movie. And like a casual date on a Friday night, your time will be well-spent, but you never have to think about it ever again.

Well played, Tony Scott, well played. It seems like Denzel is to you what Russel Crowe is to your brother: a gold mine.