Premium Rush (2012)
Cast includes: Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), Dania Ramirez (American Reunion), Wolé Parks (Taking Change), Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter), Aasiv Mandvi (The Daily Show)
Writer/Director: David Koepp (Spider-Man, Ghost Town)
Genre: Action | Thriller (91 minutes)
“When your number’s up, your number’s up.” At least that’s how it looks at 6:29, as Wilee goes flying through the air in slow motion after a high-impact traffic accident. But let’s rewind. At 5:00, we see New York City bike messenger Wilee flying like the wind through rush hour traffic. “I can’t work in an office,” Wilee tells us in a voice over. Sure, things have changed since the Internet, “but when this thing needs to be at that place by a certain time, you need one of us.” When speed counts, Wilee calculates the route and every single move. “Fixed gear. Steel frame. No breaks…. Can’t stop. Don’t want to.” At 5:00, Wilee makes a drop off and is supposed to make a pickup. But Manny’s scooped it. (As we’ll soon learn, Manny is also trying to scoop Wilee’s girlfriend.)
“I’m light,” Wilee tells his dispatcher after Manny snatches his pickup. “You’re in luck. 116th Street & Broadway… going to 147 Doyer Street in Chinatown… it’s a premium rush.” 116th Street… that’s Columbia, and Wilee knows his way around the campus. Wiley’s law degree isn’t doing him much good these days, but Wilee reminds us again he’s “not cut out for sitting behind a desk.” 5:33. Nima is on edge when she gives Wilee the envelope. “It has to be there no later than 7:00. Give it to no one but Sister Chen.” But as Wilee heads off the campus, he’s stopped. “Hey messenger guy. I need that envelope.” “The thing is, once it goes in the bag, it’s gotta stay in the bag.” But this creep isn’t backing off. “Who are you?” Wilee wants to know. “I’m the guy you don’t fuck with.” That’s all Wilee needs to hear. As he narrowly escapes, he yells, “Have a nice day, Douche Bag.” Soon there’s a gray car on Wilee’s tail, and it turns out to be the same creep. Wilee’s cycling skills will be tested again and again if he’s to escape Douche Bag. Things go from bad to worse when Wilee learns that Douche Bag is a cop… a dirty cop. Maybe the contents of the envelope will hold a clue… but when he checks it out, it’s just a ticket with a happy face on it.
In flashbacks, we learn why Douche Bag is so desperate to get that envelope and why Nima is so desperate to get it to Sister Chen by 7:00. As the minutes tick by, Wilee’s going to need more than just great riding to make the deadline. He’s going to need some luck and the help of his bike messenger family. Filmed mostly on the streets of New York, it’s an exciting whirlwind tour of the city. Premium Rush isn’t a memorable or important film, but it’s very well done and entertaining. The narrative is well developed with some nice plot details and clever dialog. It’s suspenseful without giving us a lot of graphic violence… good chase scenes, good stunt work, nice effects and good music. It’s everything a summer movie should be. “No gears. No breaks.”
3 popped kernels
A bike messenger rides like hell to deliver a premium rush envelope, while a dirty cop pulls out the stops to divert it
Popcorn Profile
Rated: PG-13
Audience: Young adults
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Neutral
Tempo: Pure adrenalin rush
Visual Style: Computer effects
Character Development: Not that kind of film
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure entertainment
