Unstoppable

♫ She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes, she’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes... ♫ This doesn’t really sum everything up, but Scott’s “playing with trains" is a perfect example of suspense from start to finish. And does it matter that he achieves this using a thousand and one movie clichés? No it doesn’t because in any case you have no time to realize this before the final credits come up. (23/12/2010)

It’s nice that the realistic story and believable actions of the characters prevent this Tony Scott movie from being full of lapses in logic. In comparison with Speed, for example, it’s more of a dramatic thriller than an action flick, even though Scott’s traditionally spectacular and energetic visuals suggest otherwise. Moreover, the director shows some brilliant work in escalating the tension, which is the best feature of the movie. Even so, without terrorists, ticking bombs or at least a more sophisticated (explosive?) ending that would play with the toxic cargo on the train, the film remains somehow incomplete. (30/03/2011)

Dynamic, thrilling at times, and, surprisingly, without a ton of clichés (which I would expect from a film like this). One would expect another epileptic fit from Tony Scott, but this time he delivers something completely different. A fast and relatively simple action film, where there's no time even to go to the toilet. I think that the director created exactly what he intended: a top-notch film within its genre. (24/12/2010)

It has a clear beginning and ending. The plot is simple, but it was used perfectly. The scenes feel real and I'm glad for the lack of unnecessarily unwieldy actions. Chris Pine and Denzel Washington are a great duo. And for a movie that takes place only on a train, I really enjoyed it. Most of the credit for that goes to Tony Scott, of course. 4 stars. (06/02/2012)

A straightforward action treat, dripping with adrenalin, especially toward the end. I even sort of subliminally guessed how it would all end, and sometimes a shocked “Jeezus" or “Wow" dropped out of my (and not just my) wide open mouth. Scott does incredible work with the entire dynamics and has a talent for action that few can equal, and also I’m really pleased that the trains and the surroundings were all real. No greenscreen sequences. No shortage of clichés here, but Denzel and Chris Pine endured this with flying colors and the movie could be taken to be a harmless return to grassroots. Otherwise, this was one of the most thrilling movies recently. (23/01/2011)