Almost Perfect Action-Thriller

Rating: 8/10 (19 January 2019)

19 January 2010. This greatly edited, action-packed, well-paced and smart thriller has Keanu Reeves and a early in her career Sandra Bullock with her down to earth humor and a nasty Dennis Hopper in this thrill a minute superride and explosions. While rather bereft of intellectual philosophizing, this action-thriller keeps its cool and avoids the over the top, crazy antics sufficiently to make this movie almost believable (except for perhaps an impossible freeway-bus ride that from the way it was shot truly impossible). This movie comes close to the typical stereotypical characters but in some way the director underplayed such characters slightly...the convict, the tourist, the scared passenger all seem to be one-dimensional, yet were never flaunted for exploitation. This movie remains timeless, gripping, captivating in this tight script points and the special effect explosions spectacular yet aesthetically within real world boundaries. The balance of drama, insight, with dollops of humor are nicely blended together to make a rounded movie that can connect with the average viewer. Even the chase scenes were carefully crafted to be acceptably powerful, though once or twice it became close to artificially set designed. Overall, this action-thriller remains an artful and compelling action-thriller that sets a high standard of its genre.