Movie Fest 2012 - Day Two Reviews

Premium Rush

Man of the moment Joseph Gordon-Levitt play Wilee in Premium Rush, a law school drop out and a no fear, adrenalin fuelled bike messenger on the busy New York streets. I expected high speed high jinks and wasn’t disappointed. Weaving in and out of real time New York traffic at break neck speed is not for the faint hearted but is brilliantly shot here. 

The Sherlock Holmes type premonitions of the dangers of each alternate route provide thrills, serious spills and some genuine laugh out loud moments. Premium Rush, for all it’s adrenalin pumping is firmly based in the farcical. The script and storyline so cheesy that it’s never less than tongue in cheek. All in all, tonnes of fun in perpetual motion, leave your rational thinking at the door and enjoy. 

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Hit & Run (Mystery Movie)

Dax Shepard (Zach Braff’s less funny Bro from another Mo) writes and directs this offbeat comedy about a career criminal coming out of witness protection to save his relationship and the mayhem that ensues. Kristen Bell as Shepard’s on screen girlfriend, up to this point oblivious to his past is mind numbingly annoying. Bradley Cooper plays Alex the antagonist and the reason Shepard had to enter witness protection, when he hears … is back in LA, the chase is on. 

Although billed as a comedy, Hit & Run raises very few laughs and caused more than a few walk outs. The supporting cast only adding to the ridiculous story, Tom Arnold as the beleaguered Marshall assigned to guard Charlie, attempts to provide comic relief with his ineptitude but it just falls short. This is more an self indulgent project between friends than a movie worth your eurobux. If the trailer looks good to you (the funniest scene is included), I’d say wait for it on DVD. 

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Looper

The most hotly anticipated film of the weekend (if not this year) is another Joseph Gordon-Levitt offering. This time based in the not too distant future where time travel has been both invented and outlawed. The criminal underworld though continue to use it to dispose of their enemies, sending them back in time to be assassinated by Loopers and disposed of before they ever existed. The CGI here is a triumph, JGL is a young Bruce Willis and his face has been extensively altered to play the part. Trying to keep up with changes to the time/space continuum and its consequences gives is brain freeze inducing at the best of times but unfortunately Looper is riddled with gaping plot holes that make it that much more difficult to flow.  Heads up, following tweet sized chats with Rian Johnson, Writer/Director (!), several of the plot holes have been cleared up. Seriously impressed with this development and it definitely adds to my enjoyment of the movie. 

Pierce Gagnon (not shown in the trailer) is one of the best child actors I’ve seen, eerily so and I’d wonder if there won’t be an Oscar nod for him. Looper is an original concept with undertones of Terminator. See it soon before the hype goes into overdrive. 

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