Premium Rush Review

I wanted to review this movie because a lot of people are probably not familiar with it, but it’s very entertaining, and was another surprise for me when I saw it.

Story- Wiley is a bike messenger in Manhattan, who loves nothing more than the adrenaline rush he gets as he speeds through the streets with no breaks (literally). One day he takes a pickup for a package that contains an extremely important ticket, and corrupt cop Bobby Monday (his situation is explained through a sub plot) needs desperately to get said ticket. The girl who gives Wiley the ticket needs it delivered to get something she needs, but can’t deliver it herself so that’s why she relies on someone else to do it. It’s a literal race against time for each of the characters to get what they want, some for more sinister reasons than others.

A few viewings after I thought about it, and the motivation for the antagonist Bobby isn’t as strong as it could’ve been, mostly just to feed his gambling addiction, but in a movie like this it’s not like that is the paramount driving point. They also add in a comic relief bike cop who just really does not have the best day, failing many times to catch up to Wiley. For it only being an hour and a half, the story progresses at a surprisingly efficient pace, and it all takes place in the span of one day. There is also a very cool stunt-centric scene where Wiley is getting his bike back, made even more impressive by the fact someone actually did these, there was no CGI or anything to achieve the stunts.

Cinematography/Props- The movie is set in modern day New York, so nothing too fancy in terms of props. Lots of cabs of course. The bikes take center stage, it would’ve been cool to see the riders have additions to their bike to add a bit more character since they are on their bikes for a good portion of the movie. The cinematography is well done, especially when they show the perspective of Wiley as time slows and he plots his move around traffic since his bike doesn’t have breaks. They show the multiple outcomes of his moves, and it’s interesting to see since it shows his thought process. They also show a top down map perspective of Wiley’s different routes he needs to take. The chase scenes are just as well shot, thankfully not utilizing shaky cam for “added tension”, which is relieving. The sense of speed is conveyed translates very well, with the slow New York traffic serving only as obstacles to the speed of the riders.

Acting- Joseph Gordon Levitt is really good for his character Wiley. He’s got the right amount of charisma as well as sarcasm when he needs it, and presents the level of determination his character has when he experiences the thrill of riding through the streets very well. Dania Ramirez plays his love interest Vanessa, and she delivers a decent performance as well. Wole Parks plays his competition, Manny. This guy is a real jerk and plays it well. These two are at odds and always try to one up each other in the movie. Michael Shannon plays corrupt cop Bobby. It seems like he plays a similar style of character in a few different movies, but that isn’t a negative thing as he is a talented actor.

Directing- David Koepp wrote and directed this movie, and he was also a writer on Jurassic Park and Panic Room, both very good movies. I did not know this before I looked it up for this review, but it adds credibility in my book. I know it isn’t all the directing, but the different shots in the movie as mentioned under cinematography (and some I didn’t mention) are unique and cool to experience. The use of flashbacks serve as plot devices to show how people got in the situation they’re in, and they come at a time just as you get a little more information about the given situation.

Soundtrack- The soundtrack is very fast paced in cooperation with the action happening onscreen. Several notable songs are present while the music tailored for the movie is more subtle but detectable.

Final Verdict- B+. While it’s not the most complex movie ever, it’s a fun action movie with some cool chase scenes that build tension in anticipation for what will happen next. The climax was unexpected, but unique to an already solid movie.

#JosephGordonLevitt #Action #Adventure #Comedy