Premium Rush is a fairly straightforward movie about a bicycle messenger in New York City who has to deliver a letter while on the run from some others who want it. The movie is told in a non-linear fashion, often filling in the gaps from the past after the story is established. I found almost the entire movie to be thrilling because they never let things slow down, and the stakes are high. There are a lot of little subplots that are addressed along the way, and I never had a hard time following what was going on. I enjoyed the stylized way they illustrated the decision-making process that these messengers have to make in a matter of seconds. It all worked to put you in the mind of the hero. I also appreciated that they addressed the competitive nature of the job, and how it takes a certain personality to enjoy this kind of work. There were still some cheesy elements to the characters, particularly the "no brakes" stuff, but it didn't hurt the film for me.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is perfect in the lead role. He has a light-hearted and carefree nature, but also is convincing when he starts to get annoyed and takes things seriously. The true joy of Premium Rush, however, is the delightfully unhinged performance from Michael Shannon. His impatience and mounting frustration are great, and he does it all with a solid New York accent that plays against his usual type. The plot does spin its wheels at times, because the people are literally going in circles. I never lost interest in the story, though. There is a driving momentum to everything that happens, because you can always sense the ticking clock counting down to the delivery deadline. I had a big problem with the final climactic moment, though. That felt horribly out-of-place with the rest of the story, and out-of-character for many of the people we'd met up to that point. I was chuckling at the absurdity of it, and trying not to let it affect my opinion of the film as a whole. I still enjoyed Premium Rush, but it could have been a bit better.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is perfect in the lead role. He has a light-hearted and carefree nature, but also is convincing when he starts to get annoyed and takes things seriously. The true joy of Premium Rush, however, is the delightfully unhinged performance from Michael Shannon. His impatience and mounting frustration are great, and he does it all with a solid New York accent that plays against his usual type. The plot does spin its wheels at times, because the people are literally going in circles. I never lost interest in the story, though. There is a driving momentum to everything that happens, because you can always sense the ticking clock counting down to the delivery deadline. I had a big problem with the final climactic moment, though. That felt horribly out-of-place with the rest of the story, and out-of-character for many of the people we'd met up to that point. I was chuckling at the absurdity of it, and trying not to let it affect my opinion of the film as a whole. I still enjoyed Premium Rush, but it could have been a bit better.