Premium Rush

Bicycle messengers are a breed apart, particularly when plying their trade in the Big Apple! The stunt riding we see in this action flick is probably not much different from their daily death-defying duties. In this one, a messenger must get across town in a short time, so we ride along as he zips through traffic, across parks, and through stores, all the while trying to elude some guy in a silver sedan who is determined to intercept him.

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Inception") is the Energizer Bunny, hired at 5:30 PM to deliver a "Premium Rush" envelope to Chinatown by 7:00 PM; he was requested by name. This film runs 91 minutes so we watch this in "real" time.
• Dania Ramirez ("American Reunion") is his undecided girlfriend whose roommate kicks her out. She too is a bike messenger.
• Wolé Parks (lots of TV) is the gleeful competitor, not only for our hero's acclaim in the bike messenger community, but also for that lovely girlfriend.
• Jamie Chung ("Sucker Punch") is an inscrutable Asian whose hard-earned money is at stake. She hired our hero.
• Michael Shannon ("Take Shelter") is a relentless NYPD cop with a gambling problem.
• Christopher Place (stunts in films like "The Lucky One," "Safe," and "The Dark Knight Rises") is the dauntless NYPD bike cop who gives our hero a run for his money. This guy is so dedicated we can't help but (sorta) root for him.

There are very few interludes where we can take a breather: We see countless accidents where a cyclist goes head over heels through the air after being hit by taxis, car doors, garbage cans, bikes and other hazards of the trade. We come to fear that scary cop in the sedan as he pursues our hero. We very much appreciate the goose-bump moment near the end when the bike messengers rally their forces, and naturally everyone likes a happy ending.

This PG-13 outing has very little profanity, no blowie uppie stuff, a couple of gunshots, some violence and oodles of vehicular (mostly bicycle) may- hem. I enjoyed it.

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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2131665433/
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