Movie Review: Premium Rush

For this week’s movie review, Daniel “Pinto” Gunderson went to view the movie Premium Rush.

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Facebook)


If you’ve seen the trailer for the movie Premium Rush, you notice that it is a movie about bike riders. It is not some heart-felt kind of riding a bike across America or mountain bike, extreme sport bike riding.

It is about New York City bike messengers. It is a new concept that has never been touched and that alone peeked my interest in seeing this film.

The movie starts out with Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) getting asked to deliver a package for his ex-girlfriend’s, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), roommate Nima (Jamie Chung). Before he can even start on to his destination, he runs into NYPD officer Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon).

Monday needs the package because it contains a voucher good enough for $50,000. This will help pay off Monday’s large gambling bet he has acquired. Wilee won’t give it to him because his job requires him to deliver the package once it goes in his bag.

What ensues is a large chase through the streets of New York City that involves not only officer Monday and Wilee, but Wilee’s ex, a co-worker and a NYPD bike cop.

Fun Fact: During filming, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had a bike accident that required him to receive 31 stitches.

What I Liked:
The concept is something that I have never seen. To make a movie about bike messengers has to be something that when thrown out there, was laughed at. However, they stuck with the idea and figured out a way to make it entertaining enough for a full-length movie.

The physical toll on Gordon-Levitt, and every other actor for that matter, had to be a big price to pay for this movie. There is very little dialogue in this movie and a lot of physical action. Many scenes require showing Gordon-Levitt pedaling his bike as hard and fast as he can.

This is not a concept that can be duplicated, nor should it try to be. Mainstream, it won’t attract a large audience, but to those who have no idea what it would be like to be a bike messenger in a city like NYC, this is definitely an intriguing flick.

What I Didn’t Like:
It was such a fast paced movie, but it seemed to drag on for much longer than it needed to. I thought halfway through the movie that the end was near. However, they threw in a plot twist that made it drag on a little longer.

You’re trying to make sure the patrons that go to these movies get something out of what they paid for, however sometimes the movie benefits from not dragging on. At about the middle of the movie, Wilee returns the package back to Nima because he is sick of being chased.

With how committed Wilee is to this package and his job, I thought this would’ve been a stretch after all he had endured to just give up like that. I think instead of that, they should’ve provided more of a back story for Wilee so you can feel more of connection with his character.

GO = Go See It!
It is a fun movie, fast paced and different from other action-thriller movies. An adrenaline rush on two wheels, you get an interesting view of a job that is unique to that part of the country. You’re not going to find many bike messengers west of NYC I would assume.

Gordon-Levitt has been putting in his time when it comes to films and this is the second of four movies this year he has starred in, the first he is the main character. A guy who was known for his portrayal of the teenager from 3rd Rock from the Sun, Gordon-Levitt has really evolved as an actor.

I would say you can take a date, take a group or go by yourself. It surprisingly is a good film to go sit down for an hour and a half and enjoy.

Next Up: Lawless

Daniel “Pinto” Gunderson is the producer of the Mike McFeely Show, which is heard every weekday on 790 KFGO from 2-5 p.m. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter @pintoKFGO.

   

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