Monday 17 September 2012

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Year:2012
Country of origin:USA
Director:David Koepp
Genre:Empty-headed actioner
Starring:Joseph Gordon-Levitt,  Dania Ramirez, Wolé Parks, Michael Shannon
Rating:3/5
IMDB link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1547234/
Tagline:Ride Like Hell
Favourite line:" I like to ride. Fixed gear. No brakes. Can't stop. Don't want to, either."

Speed on a bike?

The plot:
A New York bicycle courier, Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is tasked with taking an envelope from one end of the city to the other.
Picking up the envelope, on the way out of the building he is accosted by a man demanding he hand over the item. Refusing, Wilee dashes off on his bike, and is immediately embroiled in a high speed chase through the busy city streets.
With the threat to his life gradually escalating, Wilee begins to wonder precisely what is in the envelope, and frets that it may be drug related.
But when the threats begin to include those closest to him, Wilee resolves to find out the truth, no matter the peril he may face.

It’s a straight down the line, boil in the bag thriller, then, with the thrills and spills coming in the form of the biking sequences.
Handled with genuine flair, the sequences of bikes marauding through the chaotic streets of New York are genuinely exciting, with multiple camera angles used to give a real feel of being on board, right there mixed up in the action.
But there are things to infuriate, not least the main character, Wilee.
I mean, he’s called Wilee, for one.
“Hi, my name’s Wilee.”
“Oh, piss right off, then.”
Secondly, his principle character trait is one of thrill-seeker. The bike he rides has no gears and, crucially, no brakes, so he has to trick his way through the streets, using his feet to slide and skid the bike around, endangering himself, sure, but more importantly endangering everybody around him. Running through red lights, skidding around pedestrians on the pavement – this is before the altercation with the main villain, so precedes the jeopardy. He’s just doing it ‘cos he likes it – he comes across as an arrogant, self-obsessed bell-end, with no regard for any human being other than himself.
I actively disliked him, and wished for nothing more than a bloody tarmac smeared end for the cocksure little frig-tard.
Michael Shannon, as chief villain Bobby, delivers the most eye-catching performance, though Gordon-Levitt does his job well enough (it was the character I disliked, not the acting) and the rest of the small ensemble are proficient enough, too.
Bit flighty, this, in every sense of the word, and it won’t live long in the memory, but if you want a spot of empty-headed adrenalinsed action, you’d find worse.
Or just stay home and watch Speed, instead.
It’s much better.

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