Unstoppable - 3 smiles

You know by now that I like action movies, even the awful ones. So it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed this movie starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Directed by Tony Scott, “Unstoppable” pits man against machine as our stars race the clock to stop a runaway train. And Scott is in top form. He keeps the exposition to a minimum and frequently films the train from in front and below, which enhances its menace. In addition, the sound effects make the train sound like an angry beast as it roars past. Washington and Pine are confident and credible as reluctant partners whose circumstances force them to be heroes.

“Unstoppable” is based on an incident that happened in May 2001 in which an unmanned train became a runaway, covering 66 miles in Ohio in less than two hours before being stopped in a manner similar (although not as dramatic) to what is depicted in the movie. Many of the specifics – how the train ended up without an engineer, how the police reacted and what the railway operators did to minimize injuries and damage – reflect what really happened. The characters, however, are fictionalized. Because Scott keeps the tension high, you’re on the edge of your seat even though you know the unstoppable train is going to stop. So even if you’re not an adrenalin junkie like me, see “Unstoppable.” You won’t be disappointed. 11/13/10