Premium Rush (2012)

In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.

Director:

David Koepp

Writers:

David Koepp, John Kamps

Stars:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Ramirez, Sean Kennedy

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Wilee
Dania Ramirez	...	Vanessa
Sean Kennedy	...	Marco
Kym Perfetto	...	Polo (as Kymberly Perfetto)
Anthony Chisholm	...	Tito
Ashley Austin Morris	...	Receptionist
Wolé Parks	...	Manny
Kevin Bolger	...	Squid
Aasif Mandvi	...	Raj
Lauren Ashley Carter	...	Phoebe
Charles Borland	...	Campus Guard
Michael Shannon	...	Bobby Monday
Aaron Tveit	...	Kyle (Student)
Jamie Chung	...	Nima
Christopher Place	...	Bike Cop

Storyline

Wilee is one of 1,500 bike couriers in Manhattan who rides on the edge by having a bike with no brakes. On this day, Wilee has a delivery that is so valuable that a corrupt NYC Detective, who needs the money, begins to chase Wilee throughout the city to get it before the envelope is delivered.

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Plot Keywords:

envelope | delivery | new york city | phone book | shot to death | 

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Taglines:

Ride Like Hell

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action sequences and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

24 August 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Acil Teslimat

Filming Locations:

Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$6,300,000 (USA) (24 August 2012)

Gross:

$20,275,446 (USA) (19 October 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pariah

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bobby Monday's alias Forrest J Ackerman is a tribute to Forey Ackerman, noted science fiction and horror movie fan and memorabilia collector (he coined the term "sci fi" in 1959). He's had cameos in 48 movies and represented Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Hugo Gernsback (after whom the "Hugo" award is named) as their literary agent.

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Goofs

When the bicycle cop gets doored by the taxi, the door has been visibly modified for the stunt. The window frame has been removed to allow the stuntman to pass over it. In a later shot, the door is back to normal, with the bicycle stuck through the window frame.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Wilee: I can't work in an office. I don't like wearing suits. I like to ride. Fixed gear, steel frame, no brakes. The bike cannot coast. The pedals never stop turning. Can't stop. Don't want to either. There are 1,500 bike messengers on the streets of New York City. You can e-mail it, FedEx it, fax it, scan it, but when none of that shit works and this thing has to be at that place by this time, you need us.

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Crazy Credits

In the credits, footage of the aftermath of an actual bike accident 'Joseph Gordon-Levitt' (qv) had on the streets of New York City during filming is shown, including Gordon-Levitt showing off his injury.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Premium Rush (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Baba O'Riley"
Written by Pete Townshend
Performed by The Who
Courtesy of Geffen Records and Polydor Records LTD. (U.K.)
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Adrenaline Rush

The life of bike courier in New York may not be a safe or highly revered line of work, but it offers exhilaration and some sense of divergence from the manic business culture of the city. For Wiley (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) riding is breathing, masterful at his job, dismantling breaks as job risks and never backing away from driving over a red light. For his co-worker and former girl Vanessa (Dania Ramirez) the courier service is just a temporary employ, as she aims to finish college and start another line of work. This day is not like others, as friend Polo (Kym Perfetto) hires Wiley to deliver a special package within 2 hours. The fastest wheels on Manhattan suddenly finds himself in conflict with Marco (Sean Kennedy), a corrupt NYPD cop...

An adrenaline ride, which somehow manages to stay on track despite a pot of plot holes script. With the throes of disregard for narrative logic, not helped by pseudo-twists introduced in the misguided form of flashbacks, "Premium Rush" sells itself aptly supplying the bare necessities of an action flick. Somewhere, despite the script flaws, chases across New York streets have seldom been as enrapturing and fit for the most rapacious action aficionados. The whole premise makes the movie, albeit the concept of a courier making an on-time delivery may not seem novelty. Thankfully "Premium Rush" doesn't pretend and delivers exactly what is promised - a simple story full of fast action and with enough charm, comedy and suspense to survive the whole 90 minutes. The main tension is built fro the bone crunching frailty of being a biker on the vicious streets of the taxi controlled city with the unventured capabilities such a mode of transportation offers. David Koepp simultaneously brings in enough breathing room in between chase sequences that interest never wavers, always intense, but never repetitive.