Unstoppable - a movie review

i have to admit my bias: i do love denzel. not in that drooly way that most in my gender love him (although that smile is a heart-flutterer).i just love his on-screen presence and the easy way he's absorbed into a role. if you're familiar with his work, you know his characters and scripts are often very denzel-y and 'Unstoppable' certainly followed suit. unfortunately, it seems this dramatic, semi-action flick flew under the box office radar. i actually didn't plan on watching it myself but the glowing reviews pushed me into the theatre - and i was not disappointed. who knew, Hollywood? you don't need complex plot twists or a convoluted storyline to make a good movie. you don't even need sex, violence or over-the-top CGI. 'Unstoppable' used a simple formula: everyday characters, a natural dialogue and a straightforward plot, and they told their story in under two hours - another rare feat in today's movie theatres.

while watching 'Unstoppable', i was immediately drawn to the antagonist of the movie which in this case was Triple 7 - the freight train. a perfect storm of human error, bad luck and poor decisions created this seemingly indestructible villain. no supernatural causes, no insane person in the conductor seat. just an empty train with its throttle down and physics pushing it ever-forward.

but like a classic movie villain, Triple 7 is emotionless, unrelenting, and driven by a single, destructive purpose. stopping the unstoppable train unites a group of strangers in an effort to save the towns it's bearing down upon. and these regular-joe heroes are nothing super-special either - they're just unselfish people who are good at their jobs and perhaps have an extra ounce of bravery within.

its easy to get lost in a movie when there's little need to suspend your disbelief. 'Unstoppable' is a simple but strong film that has you muttering encouragement to the heroes throughout the whole edge-of-your-seat experience. two throttles up for this movie.