Review of Unstoppable (2010) by Stuart K — 10 Mar 2013

The final film by Tony Scott before his tragic death in 2012, and that gives this one an added sense of poignancy, even though it's a by-the-numbers thriller which is loosely based on a true incident that happened in 2001.

But, it's a very enjoyable film, and it's the simplest of stories, but it's a very exciting one and it comes out very well on film too, with some good editing and glossy camerawork on show.

In Pennsylvania, an incident by railway worker Dewey (Ethan Suplee) see's that a train, sitting idle powers up to full speed, carrying half a mile worth of trucks containing hazardous chemicals. Aware of the situation, yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) orders them to try and stop that train at any costs, even if it is heading for a heavily populated area.

Meanwhile, further down the line, engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and newly employed train conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) hear of what's happening, and Frank comes up with a plan to try and stop the train, even after all other attempts have failed, and they're told not to by train company VP Oscar Galvin (Kevin Dunn).

It's a very suspenseful film, and there's some good staged pieces along the way, and it's well made too, and it's a great piece of popcorn entertainment, and a fitting end to Tony Scott's career, it's a shame we won't see his brand of films again.