Movielogr
Unstoppable (2010)
Directed by Tony Scott
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by noahphex, jenerator, sleestakk
Overview
A runaway train, transporting deadly, toxic chemicals, is barreling down on Stanton, Pennsylvania, and proves to be unstoppable until a veteran engineer and young conductor risk their lives to try and stop it with a switch engine.
Rated PG-13 | Length 98 minutes
Actors
Denzel Washington | Chris Pine | Rosario Dawson | Kevin Dunn | Lew Temple | Kevin Corrigan | Ethan Suplee | Kevin Chapman | Jessy Schram | Elizabeth Mathis | Meagan Tandy | David Warshofsky | Andy Umberger | T.J. Miller | Dylan Bruce | Jeff Hochendoner | Ryan Ahern | Christopher Lee Philips | Kevin McClatchy | Toni Saladna | Patrick McDade | Jeff Wincott | Rick Chambers | Bud Davis | Bill Laing | Scott A. Martin | Richard Pelzman | Lissa Brennan | Heather Morgan Leigh | Barry Ben Sr. | Carla Bianco | Keith Michael Gregory | L. Derek Leonidoff | Aisha Hinds | David Flick | Rebecca Harris | Joshua Elijah Reese | Jason McCune | Adrienne Wehr | Tom Stoviak | Joe Coyle | Dihlon McManne | Charles Van Eman | Matthew J. Cates | Warren Sweeney | Chase Ellison | Stephen Monroe Taylor | Jarrod DiGiorgi | Mike Clark
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/06/2011 | TV | DVD | Rented | 5 stars |
| (Average) 5 stars |
Viewing Notes
I’ll give Tony Scott this, he knows how to ramp up the fake tension via hokey, bullshit means that probably plays well with the uneducated masses. And I don’t mean that as an insult to the average moviegoer.
I’m not a big Tony Scott fan, though I will say Unstoppable was better than I thought it was going to be (not too hard, since I was expecting total shit).
Still, the obvious stupidity on display kills it for me. A movie where a town being evacuated means the evacuation route is right next to the tracks for the runaway train; and where clearing an area because the runaway train may crash causing a huge catastrophe means law enforcement stage themselves about 100 feet away, are not good movies in this day and age.
That’s the fake tension. Cram a bunch of shit into the frame, crowd it with people and things going on, and whammo, drama!
While the camera work here wasn’t nearly as frenetic as, say, Domino, it’s still crazy, with TONS of shots from moving helicopters.
The other way a Tony Scott film produces fake tension is through editing. I don’t think there was a single shot that was longer than five seconds. Seriously.
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