Premium Rush / Rated PG-13 for crime violence and bruising.
It appears PR never got any PR. Prior to the opening day, 8/24, I had never witnessed a single preview for this film at the theaters or a TV ad of any kind. It’s as if Columbia Studios gave up on this thriller before the thrills started thrilling. PR was directed by David Koepp. DK doesn’t have a lot of directing experience but is involved with lots of screenplays with major movie director’s including Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds (2005), Spider Man (2002), and the latest Indiana Jones film.
PR is about the 1500+ bike riders who race around NYC delivering anything they can carry that will fit in a bag and needs to be someplace in a hurry. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt is the hero delivery boy. JGL was in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun and has a very big role in the current Batman movie and any future ones that may be made.
The storyline concerns a delivery that must happen by 7PM. The story is all about the period from about 3:30PM until 7PM. Then there are about 10 minutes of credits. Don’t leave too soon. You’ll want to see the cab that JGL hit while performing a scene. Apparently he decided to travel on ahead for a few feet (sans bike) to see if anyone was in the back seat of the cab. He must have been hoping someone would recognize he was a big star and ask for an autograph. Of course he’d have to sign with his single uninjured arm.
His “big” delivery is of course a mysterious piece of paper everyone wants. Mainly a bad cop with a gambling habit, hoping to get out of his big debt by paying it off, if he can only get his hands on that mysterious piece of paper from JGL. The story follows a series of scenes through NYC that are harrowing and scary to behold. Beautifully staged stunts, incredible crashes, high speed mania and thrills galore keep the 90 minute running time cycling without let up. While the storyline is not riveting it is at least interesting enough to add a little filler to the chase sequences.
A real life reality show called Triple Rush is now being shot in NYC and I confess I have never seen an episode. I believe it is on the OBSCURE Cable Channel but its not on my service. PR uses the riders from this show to stage many of the stunts for the film.
JGL also is a rider who can visualize possible outcomes of the many paths he is forced to choose when rushing through massive traffic problems. You get to see many of these choices played out on screen in a grisly and often darkly humorous way. You also will learn a lot about the NYC layout.
JGL is staying busy. Now that his arm injury has healed he will be in the big budget sci-fi film, due out at the end of September, Looper with Bruce Willis. Still trying to earn a living JGL is also in the upcoming Steven Spielberg epic Lincoln as Robert Todd Lincoln in mid November. In 2013 he is scheduled to appear in over 900 more films prior to his early retirement at age 33 so he can ride in the 2014 Tour de France.
Rated 2.8 out of 4.0 Schwinns