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PREMIUM RUSHMovie Reviews
Action thriller about a bike messenger who becomes involved in a life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan during rush hour. Cast:Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Ramirez, Michael Shannon, Jamie Chung, Lauren Ashley Carter, Aasif Mandvi, Aaron TveitDirector:David KoeppRelease Date:August 24, 2012DVD Release:December 21, 2012From:Columbia PicturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 31 min
Premium Rush played to good reviews. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...an expert and spellbinding adventure. I'm very weary of routine chase movies. There's nothing routine about 'Premium Rush.' " • And Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...an escapist blast." More Reviews Below...
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD "...a vivid, crowd-pleasing B movie.... So appealing is Joseph Gordon-Levitt that I suspended my disapproval of his character and just went with the nonstop flow."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 972 words, 08/24/12
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's Michael Shannon who doesn't just steal the film, he towers over it.... He is far more than a great heavy, but he is, nevertheless, a great heavy."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 826 words, 08/23/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "I can't say that it's more than a well-done formula flick. At this point, it's just one more movie-as-ride. But this one, at least, lives up to its title."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 08/24/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "The bike messenger as action hero: Hollywood has been trying to pull off that trick since 1986's 'Quicksilver'.... Too bad I didn't believe a minute of it."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 147 words, 08/31/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "The contrived tale is filled with plot holes, but the story takes a back seat to the chase-filled, daredevil action. David Koepp deftly directs the harrowing sequences..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 467 words, 08/24/12
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an expert and spellbinding adventure. I'm very weary of routine chase movies. There's nothing routine about 'Premium Rush.' "(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 08/24/12
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it blasts your breath away... [but] it isn't mindless mayhem... David Koepp's film has a brain; it celebrates muscular kinesis -- just not of the superhero variety..."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 08/23/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "...consistently suspenseful... speeds along crisply, providing just enough exposition to lend a few pounds of emotional weight without bogging down the breakneck pace."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 743 words, 08/24/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...it's the telling and not the tale -- along with Mr. Gordon-Levitt's innate appeal, Mr. Shannon's volatile menace and a certain je ne say what -- that makes the movie pop."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 08/24/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...clocking in at a tight 90 minutes and set on a bike without brakes, this loose-limbed action-drama is a swift, sweaty ode to the city's subcultures... the film delivers."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 08/24/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "The action is inventive, extensive and exciting... But it is the way in which the big screen is turned into a kind of giant cellphone map app that is the real kick."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 08/24/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...sloppy... combines careening images with turgid storytelling.... This is supposed to be a life-and-death chase movie, not two friends messing around."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 08/24/12
Frank Lovece, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...mostly delivers, with its adrenaline-junkie bicycle messenger chased all over Manhattan by a crooked cop.... it has a tone as all-over-the-map as the story..."(See all of Frank Lovece's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 320 words, 08/24/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a chase picture that's just a chase picture -- and a dandy one. There's little in the way of fancy subtexts or allegorical overtones, and no shocking final twist..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 08/24/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an expert and spellbinding adventure. I'm very weary of routine chase movies. There's nothing routine about 'Premium Rush.' "(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 08/24/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "I don't care a tinker's damn about bikes, but I do have an abiding fondness for compact and coherent action movies, and this is surely one."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/29/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sit back and enjoy it as a jolt of pure adrenaline.... and if people get a bicycle safety message out of it, consider it a bonus."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 08/24/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...a shame.... like too many of his Hollywood peers, Koepp is a professional technician brimming with competence, yet bereft of unique talent."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 08/24/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a stripped-down action thriller.... we got lucky: watching Gordon-Levitt and Shannon go at it is the most fun I've had at the megaplex all year."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 08/23/12
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...breezy and entertaining, if imperfect... delivers what it promises.... A rush is about making the most of the present, not creating lasting memories."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 08/24/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a silly, serpentine Manhattan chase pic... can't decide if it's a serious, ticking-clock thriller or an antic, stunt-driven cartoon."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 08/24/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "David Koepp mixes sharp dialogue, a hip tone and top-flight actors to create a nail-biting, seat-squirming thriller.... It's an escapist blast."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 521 words, 08/24/12
Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "It's just a few sticks of dynamite and a 10-ton anvil short of going full Looney Tunes, and is all the worse for that restraint.... It's silly right down to its tire tread..."(See all of Barbara VanDenburgh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 08/24/12
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...has a lot of energy -- too much, it's kind of exhausting.... The story needs room to breathe. For whatever reasons, Koepp doesn't give it any."(See all of Mark Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 08/24/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...boasts some throwback touches: It was shot on good old celluloid, and an early chase scene under an elevated train evokes 'The French Connection'..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 423 words, 08/24/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Nothing about it is particularly subtle, but it's good popcorn-movie fun as we race breathlessly through the city with Joseph Gordon-Levitt..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 08/24/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...rather routine... the film doesn't reach too high, and it keeps you involved so long as it keeps moving, which is most of the time."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 08/24/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...continually spins its wheels... By the end, 'Premium Rush' has pedaled so far backward that it's on the highway to the danger zone..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 08/24/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "It's a dangerous job and these Gen Y daredevils love doing it.... this is a tightly constructed crisis solved only by velocity, and seldom caught spinning its wheels."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 451 words, 08/23/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...entertaining.... the ever-present promise of asphalt disaster mixed with Shannon's rants and Koepp's revelations keep things moving forward at a speedy pace."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 08/24/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: POOR(cg) "...slight, dull... tries to disguise the slightness of this material by playing with the film's chronology and stamping the ticking minutes on the screen..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 378 words, 08/24/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "I don't care a tinker's damn about bikes, but I do have an abiding fondness for compact and coherent action movies, and this is surely one."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/29/12
Mack Rawden, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...consistently chooses pace of action over depth of character and the chaos of dodging traffic over the satisfaction of fully fleshing out a plot.... above-average..."(See all of Mack Rawden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 08/23/12
Nick Johnston, Boston Phoenix: WEAK(cg) "...for a film that claims to be propulsive, its 85 minutes drag on, dithering in and out of boring subplots that add up to little."(See all of Nick Johnston's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 08/30/12
Scott Tobias, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...hugely entertaining.... a nonstop chase, full of blown schemes, slipped traps, and madcap humor, in the spirit of a Roadrunner cartoon."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 08/23/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: WEAK(cg) "Wilee's agility and acuity, as well as his milieu, allow for a blandly trendy look... The nonplot at its center is decorated with an assortment of non-issues..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 963 words, 08/24/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: GOOD(cg) "...consists of one kind of heart-pounding pursuit or another.... The movie tends to get muddled and laggy when the characters hop off their two-wheelers to actually talk..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 08/23/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...perpetually exciting, solidly executed... proves how invigorating genre filmmaking can be in the hands of a savvy, perpetually inventive director."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 521 words, 08/23/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a stripped-down action thriller.... we got lucky: watching Gordon-Levitt and Shannon go at it is the most fun I've had at the megaplex all year."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 08/23/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT(cg) "Smart stuff ricochets from every angle... It's all so fast and frenetic and cheerworthy in the moment that you might not realize how much it will stick with you afterward."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 09/14/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...it's the telling and not the tale -- along with Mr. Gordon-Levitt's innate appeal, Mr. Shannon's volatile menace and a certain je ne say what -- that makes the movie pop."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 08/24/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: VERY GOOD "New York actually looks like New York, with a largely Asian-, Hispanic-, and African-American cast.... And that's really New York they're all careering through..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 08/24/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "The action is inventive, extensive and exciting... But it is the way in which the big screen is turned into a kind of giant cellphone map app that is the real kick."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 08/24/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Andrew Barker, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...lovably ridiculous... a welcome throwback.... they just don't make dumb movies like they used to.... deftly straddles the line between stupid and clever for the entirety..."(See all of Andrew Barker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 625 words, 08/23/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...supplies just enough dramatic rationale... A quick pace and always-enjoyable lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt will please moviegoers..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 08/23/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "The action is inventive, extensive and exciting... But it is the way in which the big screen is turned into a kind of giant cellphone map app that is the real kick."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 08/24/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "Unabashedly simple and conventional in its narrative, the movie benefits from strong production values, technical properties, and stunts."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 08/23/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...it's the telling and not the tale -- along with Mr. Gordon-Levitt's innate appeal, Mr. Shannon's volatile menace and a certain je ne say what -- that makes the movie pop."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 08/24/12
17.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Premium Rush's reviews are separated by an average 17.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Premium Rush (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Premium Rush's reviews cover 69.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 22,571 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 525 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 13.1 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Premium Rush's reviews on average broke 13.1 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Premium Rush's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Premium Rush (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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