You can't refer to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as simply the kid
from 3rd Rock from the Sun.
JGL has grown into one of the finest young actors working in Hollywood today.
While he's displayed strong dramatic chops, he's recently become an unlikely
action hero thanks to roles in Inception
and The Dark Knight Rises. Gordon-Levitt
doesn't have the imposing stature or the impressive physique of an Expendable,
but his youthful looks and wiry frame serve him well in Premium Rush.
JGL is Wilee, like the coyote, as one character notes.
However, he has more in common with the roadrunner as he zips around New York
City on a fixed frame bicycle with no gears or brakes. His mottos in life are: "Brakes are death" and "Can't stop. Don’t want to…" Wilee
is a former law school student who traded in his suit and tie to work as a bike
messenger. He didn't do it for the money because he only makes eighty dollars
on a good day. He's an adrenaline junkie and he loves the thrill of dodging the
ever-perilous streets of NYC. Wilee's recklessness is part of the reason he was
dumped by his beautiful co-worker Vanessa (Dania Ramirez).
Premium Rush opens
in media res with Wilee flying through the air in slow motion before painfully
crashing onto the asphalt. The narrative jumps back and forth chronologically
as quickly as the bicyclists bob and weave through traffic. Wilee is hired by
Vanessa's roommate, Nima (Jamie Chung), to deliver an envelope to Chinatown. That
seems simple enough, except the envelope contains a marker worth $50,000. The
money is supposed to buy safe passage for Nima's son and elderly mother from
China to America. Instead, a crooked NYPD detective, Bobby Monday (Michael
Shannon), wants the cash to pay off his sizable gambling debts. He has a
weakness for Pai Gow, of all things. To gum up the works further, Wilee has to
contend with a cocky rival named Manny (Wolé Parks) and a determined bike cop
(Christopher Place), who resembles the cartoon coyote in terms of misfortune
and haplessness.
Premium Rush comes
to us from writer/director David Koepp, who co-wrote the screenplay with John
Kamps (Zathura). Koepp is a veteran
of summer blockbusters and had a hand in everything from Jurassic Park to Spider-Man.
His directorial efforts have been less ambitious with his last movie being the
rom-com Ghost Town. Premium Rush is a relatively low-budget
action pic with a silly concept ripped right out of the 80's. Indeed, the film
is a throwback to Quicksilver and BMX Bandits. The camaraderie shared by
bike messengers is emphasized and builds to a climax where everyone rallies to
Wilee's aid. The screenplay is light on substance and heavy on style. Koepp
utilizes GPS maps to detail the route. He also uses something nicknamed,
"Bike-O-Vision," which is Wilee's version of Spider-Sense. Time
freezes at an intersection as Wilee lays out each possible scenario. Koepp
shoots on location with CGI used only to enhance practical effects. JGL didn't
emerge unscathed as evidenced by an outtake in which the actor required 30
stitches in his arm after crashing into the rear windshield of a cab.
The chase sequences themselves are exciting. There's a race
through Central Park and a reference to The
French Connection. Wilee also performs some wicked stunts during a daring
escape from a police impound lot.
Gordon-Levitt anchors the movie and Dania Ramirez exudes a
sweaty sexiness as she pumps her pedals across town. However, the best
performance belongs to Michael Shannon in all his wide-eyed, menacing glory. It's
the type of villainous turn you'd expect from Christopher Walken or Willem
Dafoe. Film geeks will hear Shannon name drop Forrest J. Ackerman as an alias.
Premium Rush moves
at a breakneck speed and doesn't aspire to be anything more than 90 minutes of
pure fun.
Rating: *** (*****)
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