Premium Rush-Unhinged Reviews

"Premium Rush" is a interesting movie that gives a little sneak peek into the possible day of a New York bicycle courier.  Joseph stars as Wilee, a balls to the wall-no braking courier that gets an envelope that puts him right in danger's lane.  Wilee must avoid potholes, cars with open doors, traffic lights and corrupt police to deliver his time sensitive message.  Now this isn't an easy task, especially when Bobby Monday is hot on his wheels trying to intercept his message.  Even though the odds aren't in Wilee's favor, he does what any NY bicycle courier would do.  Pedal Faster! 

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The film starts off showcasing Wilee's spectacular knowledge and skill of bicycling, as he whips through NY traffic with lighting speed.  Anyone that's been to New York knows that it's hard enough just to walk through town without getting hit by a car, but Wilee whizzes by like it's child's play.  Along his day he receives a message that could potentially get him killed, but he has no idea what's in the envelope.  All he knows is that he must jump over fences and mentally visualize his course without being taken out by the city or Bobby Monday.  Bobby Monday is a corrupt cop with some serious issues that wants what's inside Wilee's envelope and will do almost anything to get it.  

  This movie really did a great job of showing some of the perils that couriers can face zipping here and there on their bicycles.  Broken ribs, tickets and even death seem to be common place for couriers traversing an overcrowded city.  With watching this film it becomes apparent that most bicycle couriers do it for the love of being outside and enjoying their passion to ride.  Now, I wouldn't recommend quitting your day job and delivering letters for a living, but as a side job it wouldn't be a bad idea if you know how to cycle.  Another point the movie displayed is the camaraderie that bike couriers have, as they showed several messengers wetting their tongue at a local watering hole.  

  "Premium Rush" definitely isn't "Loopers" or "Inception", but one can imagine it was a fun film for Levitt as he got the chance to spend the day outside riding a bike.  He also had the chance to work with Dania Ramirez, a hot little number that plays Vanessa,his love interest in the film.  She is his ground in the movie, as he only knows one direction "Forward" and one speed "Fast".  Vanessa is also a courier and does her best to support her Premium smoocher, Wilee, as he tries to unscrew his precarious predicament.  Vanessa rides him hard, but she's definitely one he can depend on in the clutch.   

  A standout feature for the movie is the way they slow down the action and allow you to see what Wilee's thought process is as he plots his course through the city.  This visualization process is what kicks the movie up a notch and allows them to put Premium on the title.  It reminds you of the effect in Sherlock Holmes when Downey is visualizing how he's going to beat his opponent in a pit fight.  Even without this visual enhancement, "Premium Rush" would have still been an interesting short film, but that little extra effect was enough to get it put on the Big Screen.  This movie is also shot in a flash forward, flash back time format that breaks up the chase and gives insight into the characters of the film.  

"Premium Rush" is a great weekend rental when you want some action, but don't feel like going to the movies.  Enjoy!

If you enjoyed reading this review and/or like the film, please comment or retweet below.  Thanks in advance.

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