Premium Rush

If you like films from the 80's or films about bicycles or films about bike messengers then Premium Rush is a film for you (no punctuation, can't stop, don't want to). Now, if you don't give a damn about any of that and you hope there's a good story pushing this movie along, stop reading right now and go to my next blog entry because while Premium Rush is heavy on the "rush", it's feather light on the story. Actually the story borders on the "give me a damn break" side of things but I'll get into that later. This movie makes it official though, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, that little, odd looking kid from the show 3rd Rock From the Sun is now officially a star. Why is that you ask? What makes me say that you ponder? It's real simple, his face is in practically every scene of Premium Rush. Basically, it's his vanity project and only "stars" get those (see Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, Tom Hanks...I could go on and on but you get the gist). And much to his credit, when Joseph is not on the screen, this movie lags.

The movie lags because Joseph's character Wilee is hardly ever off his bike, a one gear, no brake, no coasting, two wheeled beast and that means the action is fast paced. It's when the movie slows down to walking speed (which means very little Wilee to watch dodge cars and people and the police) is when this movie falls apart. And you would think with such a convoluted plot that there would be some meat on this bone, alas you would be incorrect my movie going friend. The story comes down to this, Wilee and his girlfriend Vanessa, played by the amazingly alluring Dania Ramirez are fighting. Why? Simple, Vanessa and her roommate Nima, played by the equally beautiful Jamie Chung are having a falling out. Vanessa has to relocate and Wilee, ever the gentleman offers to let her stay with him and of course Vanessa takes umbrage to that. Wille feels somewhat responsible though since he introduced the young ladies to each other. Nima works at Columbia University (along with a couple of other gigs) and is stashing money away. On the other side of town there's this cop Bobby Monday, played by the talented (and I guess beautiful, you know...to his loved ones) Michael Shannon with a serious gambling problem (still with me?).

I know, I know, you're asking "Dude, what the hell does all of that have to do with bike messaging?" My response, not a whole hell of a lot but wait, there's more. Bobby is so deep in debt to the Chinese mob that he's on the verge of being killed, until a little bird tells him about this magic ticket worth fifty grand. He's told if he gets that ticket all his debts will be paid. Well wouldn't you know it, the ticket belongs to Nima and it needs to go from pretty much one end of Manhattan to the other and it has to be there by 7pm. It can only be handed to Sister Chen and no one else. Now just can Nima get to make such a delivery, maybe the threepeat champion best bike messenger in the city, Wilee. Now why is this tick worth fifty grand, you ask? It's the price of admission for someone on the other side of the world to ride to America. Needless to say, the story did not only underwhelm me but it flat out disappointed me.

So, in summation, if you like those films from the 80's or films about bicycles or you have just been fascinated by bike messengers then you are the demographic the producers were aiming for. If you don't fall into ANY of those catagories, and you don't love Joseph Gordon-Levitt then skip Premium Rush and stand in line for something else and I'll see you at the theater.