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, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez

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:

bicycle messenger | manhattan new york city | car bicycle accident | shot in the back of the head | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Racing against the clock.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bad cop Bobby Monday several times uses an alias of Forrest J. Ackerman, an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and principle writer and editor of the fan magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland and father of science fiction fandom. Ackerman died in 2008.

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Goofs

When Detective Monday hits the thug back after his tooth was dislodged, blood on his face disappears and reappears between shots.

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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 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

Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
Written by Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar and Frank Iero
Performed by My Chemical Romance
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

A Fun Thrill Ride

I've been looking forward to Premium Rush for a while, so it was a little disheartening to see so many negative comments about the film. That was before I looked at RT and saw the nearly 80% fresh. I am inclined to agree. While it does have some holes in it, Rush is a fun film filled with many edge of your seat moments. Seeing our biker hero Wilee zip in and out of traffic in NYC is a thrill ride that rarely lets up.

The plot is simplistic enough to carry the film. Wilee is a bike courier in New York who lives his life on the edge. His "fixie" modified bike, with no gears or breaks, guides him at high speeds as he almost constantly avoids injury and even death. On this particular day, Wilee gets an envelope to deliver that turns out to be quite valuable, enough for a corrupt NYC Detective to chase him throughout the city trying to get it. But this is all just set up for some of the best high speed action on screen in a while.

I suppose a lot has to be owed to the unique take on cycling in the city. It creates for some interesting and hairy situations, as well as some slick effects work, that aids in the adrenaline rush, which almost never seems to let up. Certainly there are some slow down moments for exposition, but they are few as the main focus here is the dangerous riding for our couriers. The actors aid in delivering entertaining performances, including Joseph Gordon Levitt as Wilee, who brings the kind of energy and talent that you'd expect from the actor. However, Michael Shannon is the true star here as the main antagonist, who does come off as both threatening and slimy. He seems to have fun in the role, and that translates to a good time every time he's on screen. The rest of the cast is decent, if unexceptional. This includes Dania Ramirez of Heroes fame who doesn't seem to have much to go on besides the girlfriend role.

What you will most certainly see this for is the action in the film, and it is definitely pretty crazy. I'd be interested in seeing a behind the scenes of the film, because there is a near constant edge of your seat feeling to what is taking place on screen. The best thing about it is that it doesn't feel unnatural. Sure, it's obviously not entirely realistic, but it never feels fake either. In my book, this kind of unique action and adventure in a film, along with a breathless pace, makes the film a worthwhile end of summer catch.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

24 August 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Premium Rush

Filming Locations:

Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,030,164, 26 August 2012

Gross USA:

$20,275,446

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,083,599

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Pariah

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1