Premium Rush
The easiest way to sum up “Premium Rush” is this: it’s “Speed” on bikes. Nothing is going to blow up, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Wilee, a New York bike messenger, does have to get an important package to its destination in time or else a mother and child won’t be reunited.
That’s basically all there is to the story. The rest is watching Wilee weave in and out of traffic, and out of reach of a corrupt cop played by Michael Shannon (who really hams it up, Pacino-style), who needs the package for his own benefit. That’s a thrilling sight, however; admittedly, co-writer/director David Koepp (“Panic Room,” “Secret Window,” “Spider-Man”) sticks to formula in the story, but the way he shoots the cycling action is exciting, especially when you consider that Levitt (never one to back away from an acting challenge) did most of the riding himself. It’s an impressive accomplishment, and an energized thriller, even if it’s pure popcorn silliness.
