JOSEPH Gordon-Levitt is a rising star, obviously, after his role in The Dark Knight Rises. In Premium Rush, he plays Wilee, a hotshot among New York’s bicycle messengers. Imagine that — they still exist, even with the Internet.
In what is a routine but “premium rush” delivery, Wilee’s article of an envelope finds him in a thrilling chase — on bicycle — with a policeman (Michael Shannon).
The play on the phrase “premium rush” is nice — one for a rushed delivery, another for a megathrill.
The thrills come in the bicycle antics Wilee and his fellow messengers — dodging crazy taxis and other bad drivers, and traffic jams of both cars and people — go through as part of their jobs.
I don’t know if Gordon-Levitt, 31, did his own stunts, but I’ve read that he prefers to do so. The bicycle has no brakes, and has just one speed.
The last movie I remember about the bicycle messengers is the 1986 Quicksilver, starring Kevin Bacon. As I said, it’s amazing American cities still employ them.
But Quicksilver, to me, has a watchable, if cliched story. It’s about Jack Casey (Bacon), once a hotshot stock broker, who loses it all. So he ends up at a speed delivery firm in San Francisco which relies on bicycles. Casey loses his nerve after the stock crash but his friends help his regain his self-respect.
In Premium Rush, it’s action with such a lame story — an envelope containing illicit material.
Watch Premium Rush for a thrilling bicycle ride.
Better yet, watch the television docu-reality series called Triple Rush, about bike messengers in NY. Many of the stunt doubles and characters appear in this movie.
OPENS TODAY
PREMIUM RUSH
Directed by David Koepp
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Jamie Chung
Duration 91 minutes
Rating PG-13
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