Unstoppable

by Scott Henderson | January 4, 2011 16:09 | Edited January 4, 2011 16:12

Entertaining, fast moving and stylishly made, but gets derailed by predictability.

"Wow, I can't believe how crazy that was," exclaims one spectator as news helicopters capture an unmanned, runaway freight train careening through one of many attempts to bring it to a halt. Welcome to Tony Scott's latest trope-laden, action blockbuster, where exposition passes as everyday conversation and vehicular catastrophe comes with MTV style editing.

Scott regular Denzel Washington teams up with Chris Pine (Star Trek) as the blue collar train yard workers who ignore orders from the suits to cease and desist pursuit of said locomotive. Washington plays Frank Barnes, the veteran train driver, days from forced retirement, while Pine is his rookie sidekick, Will Colson, only in the job because of family connections. Both men have women problems: Washington is a widower with two daughters paying their way through college by working at Hooters, while Pine is separated from his wife and child. Sharing is caring, and as the disaster unfolds, the men bond. Guiding these unlikely heroes in their pursuit is Rosario Dawson as Connie, the not-so-fat controller, and Kevin Corrigan as a safety inspector who picked the right day to show up at the yard.

The 70mph runaway train is hauling dangerous cargo in the form of toxic liquids through suburban neighbourhoods and towards another train full of kids, not to mention the fuel dump bend ahead that needs to be taken at 25mph. Will Washington and Pine be able to catch it in time, or will the suits have their way and forcibly derail the train with its combustible load? Do you really need to ask?

For all its predictability, Scott is an old hand at such action formula, and Unstoppable certainly is nail-biting - if only for the furious editing, swooping cameras, crash zooms and thunderous soundtrack. It's a shame that it's impossible to escape the sense of autopilot that pervades.