Weekly Review -- Off the track

Unstoppable (2010) -- Take an engaging true story, frenetically glorious visuals, meticulous direction and creative editing. Mix and shake the ingredients well. What do you get? Why, Unstoppable, Tony Scott's new action bonanza, which is huge on thrills but, unfortunately, short on characterization and screenplay nuances.

After an unmanned train carrying a cargo of hazardous chemicals is accidentally sent zipping through Pennsylvania, it is up to a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and rookie conductor (Chris Pine) to stop it, before it derails and destroys a town. Along the way, they encounter reluctant support from a frazzled station master (Rosario Dawson) and resistance from corporate headquarters, all the while devising techniques to prevent the derailment...

Unstoppable is a curio of a movie, its good and bad aspects sharply divided. The good part is the representation of not only the relatable protagonists, but also of the steel beast creating the chaos. With its sense of impending catastrophe, the movie brings to mind The Cassandra Crossing and its atmosphere of doom and gloom. The train on the loose is quite the monstrosity, playing with our expectations and posing an almost ghostly threat, not unlike the ominous truck from Duel. The moments involving the heroic protagonists and ordinary townsfolk being affected by the possibility of a horrific accident feel authentic and surprisingly warm, as though we were watching a documentary that is taking an organically sympathetic turn, without auto-tuning and cheapening emotions for the audience.

The bad part is an aspect that should be a crucial factor for a film which bases its premise on unpredictability, and that is the screenplay. While it presents a believable context -- this narrative, after all, deals with a real-life incident -- the script is missing a richness that could have deepened its initial perspective of the characters and circumstances. To name an example, I would have liked to know more about Frank's relationship to his job and about Will's background, both of which were hinted at in a couple of places, but never fully explored. I would also love to have seen more situations linked to the train set loose, which would have elevated the level of human drama that already exists in the piece. The script follows a straight line at all times, opting not to take a chance on its story and not to -- pun intended -- veer off course. In a film where the stakes are this high, a bit of risk might have served the purpose of raising them to a degree of an intimate chronicle, which would have been more riveting than holding back and staying with generic action.

The cast is well chosen and mostly better than the film. The exchanges between legendary Washington and up-and-comer Pine reflect the proceedings in a whimsical way. The two actors share great chemistry, making me wish yet again that more attention had been paid to the writing. The only weak link in the cast is Dawson, whose performance gets stronger as the film moves forward, but still leaves me thinking that someone older would have fared better in the role.

Unstoppable presents an actual tale of heroism that works well as an action film, but is missing some ingredients to make it truly absorbing as a dramatic saga. It is a fun movie to watch as far as the style and cast go, but it barely scratches the surface of its own potential. Watch it to appease your thrill-seeking self.

6/10