This race-against-time thriller finds bicycle messenger Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) entrusted with a mysterious envelope from Columbia University in uptown Manhattan that he must deliver downtown to Chinatown. Wilee is having problems with his girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez)—also a bike courier—who is being pursued by his rival (Wolé Parks). And his lightweight bike only sports one gear and no brakes. But that's nothing compared to menacing Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), a sneering New York detective with a gambling problem, who really wants that envelope. Director David Koepp wins points for the terrific action visuals (96% of the speeding chase sequences are reportedly real, with no CGI trickery; among the peddling daredevils is Scottish street cyclist Danny MacAskill, whose YouTube videos attract millions of views). Unfortunately, Premium Rush loses momentum during expositional flashbacks to reveal the contents of that envelope and why it is valuable to so many people, and Jamie Chung's portrayal of Nima—a desperate Chinese exchange student who barely speaks English and has a history with Vanessa—is cartoonish, whikle the character is an unrealistic plot device. A triumph of stunt work over storytelling, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Behind the Wheels” segment on stunts (13 min.), “The Starting Line” behind-the-scenes featurette with director David Koepp and star Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a so-so thriller.] (S. Granger)
Premium Rush
Sony, 91 min., PG-13, DVD: $30.99, Blu-ray: $35.99, Dec. 21 Volume 28, Issue 1
Premium Rush
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