They used to make train movies all the time in the old days, even for B pictures, because audiences were most accepting of back projection. They don’t so much now – too expensive - so it’s a pleasure to see the genre back in action. This is based on a true story – the rather convoluted set up about how the train became runaway all actually happened.
It might have been a better movie if Tony Scott’s handling had lent towards the accuracy angle i.e. this actually happened, ordinary people thrust into an extraordinary situation. But instead of allowing suspense to build and characters to breathe it’s been given the Michael Bay treatment – hyperactive editing, swooping camera work, frenetic commentating (on Fox news, who seem very efficient here).
There’s lousy character work: dud back story, Denzel Washington’s daughters who work at Hooters, Chris Pine’s wife has taken out a restraining order but she’s going to learn the error of her ways.
Look, it still works – the action pumps along, it looks gorgeous, there are some great stunts and Tony Scott’s films generally have good casts – I just think it could have been better had they taken an approach more in line with the realism of the material.
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