Our hero is Wilee (think Acme’s favourite cartoon customer), whose name would only be more appropriate if it were Road Runner. He is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“The Dark Knight Rises”), in his most physically demanding role to date. Akin to most bike messengers, the enthusiastic Wilee carries out his duties for the heart-racing rush of it and certainly not for the pay. He is among the most reliable in the NYC courier business, always delivering on time, often diving into the side of moving traffic to do so. So determined is he that he stubbornly refuses to have brakes on his bike — if only the film followed suit.
His reputation catches the attention of secretive law student Nima (Jamie Chung, “Sucker Punch"), who has in her possession a ticket that must be delivered to a Chinatown back alley by 7:00pm, not one second late. With time to spare, Wilee collects the item and casually sets off towards the posting address at the other side of town. Little does Wilee know, he’s just ridden into a whole mess of danger: a dirty, conniving, money-grubbing cop by the name of Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter”) is dead-set on snatching that mysterious ticket from Wilee’s satchel, by any means necessary.
An early chase scene is thrilling: in a bustling downtown road in the midst of the rush hour, Wilee skillfully, speedily outrides the grasp of Bobby, who closely pursues the cunning courier in his unmarked police car. Soon on Wilee’s trail too is a nameless cop on a bike (stuntman Christopher Place) appalled by Wilee’s flagrant disregard for the rules of the road during a run-in with Bobby. Aiding Wilee in his increasingly perilous delivery are two co-workers: ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Dania Ramirez, “American Reunion”) and rival Manny (Wolé Parks, “As the World Turns”). But what is that ticket for, and why does Bobby want it so desperately?
Perhaps such questions should have remained unanswered until late into the story. “Premium Rush” is at its least entertaining when it is explaining, specifically in lengthy flashbacks unveiling the origins and purpose of the ticket, along with Bobby’s pitiful, potentially fatal fall in the underground gambling circuit. Such sombre, almost melancholic scenes jar against the breezy, breakneck verve boasted throughout the rest of the film, even if they do offer some handy plot details and backstory.
But no matter: there’s always a high-stakes urban hunt lying in wait right around the corner, as expertly staged and fearlessly performed by a professional stunt crew with the occasional aid of some computerised jiggery pokery. Verbal responses are aplenty: we “ooh” as Wilee catapults his bike over a metal fence; we “ahh" as he speeds down the wrong lane and narrowly maneuvers his way through vehicles hurtling towards him; and we “eek” as the front of a taxi cab collides with his back wheel.
As Wilee, Gordon-Levitt is immensely likable, delivering a leading performance that is winningly cocky and breathlessly animated. We watched the “Transporter” films for the car chases, for the fistfights and for Jason Statham; we watch “Premium Rush” for the bicycle chases and for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As our villain, the reliably sinister Michael Shannon is deliciously seedy, bringing to his character a manic determination performed mostly through piercing eyes and a permanent scowl. The two actors’ interaction is fun to watch as they play off each other like Tom and Jerry, or indeed Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
This is Koepp’s first action picture (not counting his screenplays for “Spider-Man” and “Jurassic Park”); his previous two directorial efforts were supernatural rom-com “Ghost Town” and the overlooked and underappreciated Stephen King adaptation “Secret Window.” He lends much creativity to the proceedings: a digital map of the city regularly outlines Wilee’s progress, and there are times when we witness his thought process as he encounters obstacles to be dodged, leapt over or sometimes crashed into. Koepp keeps the action moving, mostly moving, in turn creating an exciting, if formulaic chase movie in which we really do feel the heat of the chase.
7/10
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