A movie about a bicycle courier? Whatever were they thinking?
Well, whatever that was, works. And works quite well it does too. Granted, in a story that is quite unbelievable, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a New York City bike courier, who peddles around Manhattan delivering packages and messages faster than Lance Armstrong in a Ferrari. One day, he picks up a package that attracts the interest of a dirty cop that sees him chased around the Big Apple. But what's in that envelope he must deliver and why the hell is a crooked cop doing everything in his power to get it off him?
First thing you notice about Premium Rush is how super stylistic it is. From the very opening minutes, this is a visual delight. As Wilee (JGL) weaves his way in and out of crazy midtown traffic you get literally a first person view at times of the craziness. Helped along by a number of wonderful slow motion sequences where time slows down and our bike courier makes decisions on which way to go and how to avoid getting killed. These sequences, which are peppered throughout the entire movie, are really original for the best part (although at times, they remind you of Sherlock Holmes) and are combined with quite catastrophic consequences, unless he selects the right outcome.
And keeping with the visuals, there is an immense sense of speed here and at times, you really feel like you’re strapped onto Levitt. A number of the chase scenes are real edge of your seat stuff, and unfortunately, this is also the main problem with Premium Rush. Quite a large majority of the movie is spent on bikes. Nothing wrong with that to a point, but after a while it feels quite repetitive, especially the chase scenes. It might have helped to have a bit more “on foot” stuff, as the bike stuff does get boring by the grand finale. And while it pedals its way back in the closing minutes with some more breakneck biking, you really start thinking that you never want to see another bicycle again. It might be a small criticism for some, as it is spectacular, but still and all, too much of a good thing comes to mind.
Gordon-Levitt, is superb here. The guy is a great actor, no denying that and it’s really quite hard to pick fault with what he does. His supporting cast are also really very good especially Dania Ramierz, who plays the love interest. But its Michael Shannon who is simply too convincing here. His portrayal of a dirty cop is incredibly intense and at times nearly terrifying. It really is that good. You’ll almost cower behind your seat. Its a superb performance.
Overall, Premium Rush isn’t quite the rush you’d imagine, primarily because theres too much of a good thing going on with far too much biking. I know what you’re saying. What do you expect from a movie about bike couriers? Fair point, but audiences can get bored at looking at nearly the same thing for 90 odd minutes.Still though, Premium Rush has a fabulous look to and the way the narrative is presented is quite clever and thoroughly engaging. Shortcomings aside, Premium Rush offers up a decent slice of entertainment and is certainly worth a watch.
