Release Date: August 24, 2012

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: David Koepp

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Rodriguez, Michael Shannon

Our Rating: A

This past Friday I went to see Premium Rush, a film directed by David Koepp and produced by Mari-Jo Winkler and Gavin Polone. The movie was fast paced and fun with just the right amount of humor thrown into the mix. I give it a definite thumbs-up.

Premium Rush is basically about a bike messenger in New York City named Wilee (pronounced Why-Lee and portrayed by Joseph Gordon Levitt) who is told to deliver a mysterious envelope that Robert Monday (Michael Shannon), a corrupt NYPD detective,  is willing to kill for. Wilee is chased around Manhattan along with his ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Dania Rodriguez) as they try their hardest to deliver the envelope. The problem with Wilee? His bike has no gears and no brakes.

One incredibly noteworthy part of the film was the acting, which was executed nearly perfectly by the entire cast. Granted, there was one part that I noticed that while on her bike, Dania Rodriguez messes up on the delivery of a line, but that doesn’t describe the whole picture. Manny (Wole Parks), Wilee’s rival, is a smug, egotistical, self-obsessed moron convinced that he has to be better than Wilee at everything, including his bike, which is shiny, clean, and has brakes and about 6 or 7 gears. Wilee himself is sarcastic and funny, preferring to be the humble and putting all others before himself. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of the character is very convincing and real.

I personally admire the director, David Koepp, for his choice in Director of Photography, Mitchell Amundsen. Amundsen brought a whole new level of adrenaline to the art of chase scenes, adding quick turns, bumpy POV shots, and the hazards of being on a flippin’ BICYCLE in the middle of Manhattan. There were also these specific points in a high speed chase where Wilee is confronted by a puzzle and time seems to slow down as he works out in his head which path is safest to follow for himself and those around him.

To basically sum it up, this movie was unique and good in its own right. I personally like it. But don’t take my word for it. If you want to really see whether or not Premium Rush is good, go watch it yourself. I’m just stating facts.