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UNSTOPPABLE (2010)Movie Reviews
Action thriller about two locomotive operators who team up to stop a runaway train filled with explosives that threatens to wipe out a city. Cast:Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario DawsonDirector:Tony ScottRelease Date:November 12, 2010DVD Release:February 15, 2011From:20th Century FoxRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 38 min.
Unstoppable (2010) played to very good reviews. • Joe Williams wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...a sensational no-frills thriller... the script is loaded with outrageous cliches — which work like a gold pocket watch." • And Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...something close to the action movie in its ideal form, which can be summed up thusly: Train out of control! Must stop train!" More Reviews Below...
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Tony Scott is the right man for the job.... The exchange of substance for speed may not appeal to all, but if you're on board you'll find it hard to disembark."(See all of Keith Staskiewicz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 11/12/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a choo-choo that takes off like a crazy-ass rocket. Your head will spin. Your palms will sweat. Your nerves will fry. What more do you want from a train movie?"(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 255 words, 11/11/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...an unexpectedly rich world of chugging, rushing trains... largely forgettable, and its pleasures are transitory... [but] director Tony Scott sure keeps that machine going."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 927 words, 11/12/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a lean, efficient action flick.... With its limited scope and minimal distractions, this probably isn't a trip you'll remember in the long run."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 339 words, 11/12/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "A runaway train drama that never slows down, it fashions familiarity into a virtue and shows why old-school professionalism never goes out of style."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 831 words, 11/12/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Unmanned freight train's loose. Must be stopped. Veteran train engineer Denzel Washington and newbie Chris Pine are on the job. Questions?"(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 11/12/10
Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...let's go get that train! Oh, do you need to be told this is a Tony Scott film? ...like a mashup of classic commercials for Ford pickup trucks, Bud Lite, and Hooters..."(See all of Brian Miller's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 11/10/10
Unattributed, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...the human side of the movie sputters, with barely functional back-stories and power-jostling dialogue that attach a patina of human drama to the locomotive action."(See all of Unattributed's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 11/12/10
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...something close to the action movie in its ideal form, which can be summed up thusly: Train out of control! Must stop train!"(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 11/12/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Once it gets rolling, it doesn't pause for breath.... we're off, hurtling straight forward on uncut cinematic adrenaline."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 11/12/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "There's a train... And nobody's driving it... And Denzel and Chris Pine are the only two guys who can chase it down and stop it. That's all there is... And that's enough."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 11/12/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an aggressively average action movie. It force-feeds us the obligatory perilous moments, predictable dialogue and faux tensions in an unrelenting fashion."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 453 words, 11/12/10
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "The stunts are metal-crushingly spectacular and refreshingly physical, and Scott doles them out sparingly enough..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 336 words, 11/12/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sensational no-frills thriller with a confident star at the helm.... the script is loaded with outrageous cliches -- which work like a gold pocket watch."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 313 words, 11/12/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: MODERATE(cg) "...isn't unwatchable, but it is a letdown after 'Speed' and some of the 'Speed'-on-a-(fill in the blank with a vehicle) flicks that followed."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 11/11/10
Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...let's go get that train! Oh, do you need to be told this is a Tony Scott film? ...like a mashup of classic commercials for Ford pickup trucks, Bud Lite, and Hooters..."(See all of Brian Miller's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 11/10/10
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a surprisingly taut and entertaining train thriller which takes some of those old ideas and breathes modern life into them."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 928 words, 11/11/10
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the actors are on their game -- and that includes Rosario Dawson... director Tony Scott finds a rhythm that delivers suspense from nose to caboose."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 165 words, 11/11/10
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...has the fundamental elements of a good meat-and-potatoes thriller... the film slowly, skillfully builds tension on a steady escalation of mishaps."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 11/11/10
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Eventually racing at upward of 80 mph, 777 loses its initial designation as a 'coaster,' but Denzel? In 'Unstoppable,' he's coasting."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 11/11/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "But wait! A reliable old-hand Hollywood star and a hungry new up-and-comer will save us all! Though there will be some explosions for your entertainment!"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 885 words, 11/12/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...the premise sounds familiar... But you've got to see this new one to appreciate how full, fresh, smart, terse, funny, genuinely thrilling and ultimately original it is."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 998 words, 11/12/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...an unexpectedly rich world of chugging, rushing trains... largely forgettable, and its pleasures are transitory... [but] director Tony Scott sure keeps that machine going."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 927 words, 11/12/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "A runaway train drama that never slows down, it fashions familiarity into a virtue and shows why old-school professionalism never goes out of style."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 831 words, 11/12/10
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: FAIR "...pays only the most cursory attention to old-fashioned stuff like plot and characters, and who needs those when you've got 'a missile the size of the Chrysler Building'...?"(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 963 words, 11/10/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...refreshingly lucid... gripping... Scott and screenwriter Bomback prove surprisingly effective at delivering a well-rounded experience..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,010 words, 11/07/10
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "The best blue collar action movie in who knows how long... has a lean and pure simplicity to it that is satisfying in and of itself.... carries an unexpected weight..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,136 words, 11/07/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "A runaway train drama that never slows down, it fashions familiarity into a virtue and shows why old-school professionalism never goes out of style."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 831 words, 11/12/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...an unexpectedly rich world of chugging, rushing trains... largely forgettable, and its pleasures are transitory... [but] director Tony Scott sure keeps that machine going."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 927 words, 11/12/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...the premise sounds familiar... But you've got to see this new one to appreciate how full, fresh, smart, terse, funny, genuinely thrilling and ultimately original it is."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 998 words, 11/12/10
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Unstoppable (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.4 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.
Unstoppable (2010) (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Unstoppable (2010)'s reviews cover 84.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,352 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 573 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 12.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Unstoppable (2010)'s reviews on average broke 12.8 hours before 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 Unstoppable (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Unstoppable (2010) (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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