Alright, hear me out first before we chastise me for this pick. Now I am certain you all watched the trailer and thought to yourself, “bike parkouring and uber-obnoxious fixed gear riding bikers,” and I am with you 100% on that thought. I went in wanting to just rip this movie apart and generally savage the entire premise cause, you know, bike parkouring. But, with low expectations, I was presently surprised that Premium Rush delivered a fun and enjoyable ride.
It really doesn’t hurt that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the star of this film and he is just so affable as a leading man. Charismatic, energetic and frankly awesome to watch on screen in just about any movie, he makes Premium Rush worth seeing along with some of the supporting casts and well done chase scenes. It’s a goofy ride through the streets of New York while the messengers weave in and out of traffic, causing far more property damage than is even necessary for a bike messenger service. Insurance costs must be insane for that business.
Anyways, the movie is just plain fun, made enjoyable by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the delightful villainy of Michael Shannon as a crooked cop who is relentless in his pursuit of the package that JGL carries. Pure popcorn entertainment without having to rack your brain and just enjoy a goofy bike film. The action sequences of the bike riding is amazing at some points as it utilizes a lot of real bike riding with some crafty digital effects. It all makes for a good movie and frankly a surprise film this year.
Here is an excerpt along with a link to my original review. Enjoy!
That’s the best part of Premium Rush in my opinion. The chase scenes are done with minimal digital effects and they feel fast and frantic, often putting the audience in the seat of the biker. Sure you get a few groan worth moments of bike battling, but in the end it’s a great chase movie with inventive bike races and chases. Sure the bike parkouring parts are a bit, “really?!” inducing, but there is a lot of flair to the visuals which helps the film and it’s stripped down characters and story.
Click here for original review.
