{2jtab: Movie Review}

Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not have the best of days in David Koepp’s Premium Rush.  We do, though.  It's a solid, forward-thinking action flick that tries a bit too hard to be more than what it is: a high octane B-movie without need for brakes.  With Koepp (writer of hits like Mission Impossible, Spider-Man and Jurassic Park) at its helm, expectations for genius might be at an all-time high.  Lower those, folks.  The film is better appreciated as a tight single-minded action flick like Speed or Die Hard or Nick of Time instead of some late-in-the-year blockbuster.

Speed demon Wilee (Gordon-Levitt) is an ex-law student turned bike messenger.  His lightweight bike has been modified (one gear, no brakes) and his maneuvering through the streets of New York has earned him the title of fastest bike messenger in all of New York City.  On-again, off-again girlfriend and fellow bike messenger Vanessa, (Dania Ramiez) doesn’t understand his willingness to risk life and limb for his deliveries but there’s no stopping him.

Like every good B-movie, it’s the last job that does him in.  And at the end of his shift, the final assignment - pick up a small envelope and deliver it across town in just under 90 minutes – brings him closer to the edge than he’d ever expect.  It won’t be easy, though.  Especially when he picks up the wrong envelope at the wrong time and a local detective, an over-the-top psycho named Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), steals every scene away from you.

We are already used to Koepp as the writer.  Throughout Premium Rush, the spirited dialogue remains wiry and piston-like and, as is the usual, better performed with a snap to the mouth and little thought behind it.  Koepp (Secret Window) as the director is a bit more economical this time around with zippy shots of bikes journeying where cars fear to tread.  Unlike the pacing of his earlier films Stir of Echoes or The Trigger Effect, Koepp keeps the momentum fresh with quick looks at the planned route and suddenly – BOOM - we’re off for a day at the (bike) races.

The on-screen action – which also features a rival bike messenger named Manny (Wole Parks) and a pissed-off bicycle cop (Christopher Place) - is slick but it must be stressed that the film gets most of its satisfaction from the sheer value of its own adrenaline.  The gimmick of riding along inside the bike messenger’s brain is a rocket-like thrill ride but it doesn’t mask the very essence of the film as anything but a B-movie.  Its limitations become clear when Koepp tries to stretch the film with suspicious and sweaty character information concerning a roommate, Nima (Jamie Chung) and a rationale for a serious bad guy (Shannon) with serious debts.

Premium Rush is lean and mean.  Ignore what the genre-hopping Koepp wants it to be and appreciate it for what it is: simple fun with the need for speed.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, intense action sequences and language.
Runtime: 91 mins.
Director: David Koepp
Writer: David Koepp, John Kamps
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Dania Ramirez; Kym Perfetto; Ashley Austin Morris
Genre: Action | Thriller
Tagline: Premium Rush
Memorable Movie Quote: "I like to ride. Fixed gear. No brakes. Can't stop. Don't want to, either."
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: August 24, 2012
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 21, 2012

Synopsis: In Manhattan, a bike messenger (Gordon-Levitt) picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop (Shannon), who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - December 21, 2012
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English; English SDH; French; Spanish; Portuguese; Indonesian; Korean; Mandarin (Traditional)
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); UV digital copy
Region Encoding: A and B

Sony Pictures gives Premium Rush a beautiful 1080p AVC-encoded transfer that is as close to perfection as a picture can be. Colors are vibrantly rich and dazzling and almost every color shines thanks to a color palette that doesn’t quit.  Black levels are executed well and shadows deep and inky without bleeding through.  The presentation might be HD smooth but there is a nice film-like layer of grain throughout the movie.  The level of detail in every scene is impeccable and skin tones are warm and natural.  You’ll even notice Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s razor burn.  The blistering city-focused sound is presented in a dynamic 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that throws out sound in front, behind, to the sides, and everywhere all at once.  Dialogue is front and center and dynamically crisp.  Overall, this is another solid release from Sony.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

There are few and they aren’t very good.  While the blu-ray release does come with a UV Digital Copy download voucher of the film, the two featurettes are barely over 20 minutes in length.  In one featurette director David Koepp and screenwriter John Kamps discuss the film and, in another, the chase and action scenes are discussed briefly.  The film is enjoyable but the featurettes are a tad disappointing.

• The Starting Line (9 min)
• Behind the Wheels (13 min)

{2jtab: Trailer}

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