- Studio: First Look International
- Release Date: Jul 18, 2008
- Critic Score
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88One hell of a thriller. It's not often that I feel true suspense and dread building within me, but they were building during long stretches of this expertly constructed film.
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88This is one train that you shouldn't miss.
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83Though Anderson's storytelling gets murky at times, it's still a fine showcase for his versatility, adding to an impressive, under-the-radar résumé that includes the underrated science-fiction comedy "Happy Accidents" and the first-rate horror film "Session 9."
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80A vigorous, fast-paced tale that entwines plot with character and psychology set against an incredibly exotic backdrop.
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80Anderson and his very fine cast keep things chugging along at a breathless pace, complete with a midfilm reversal of fortune nearly as unexpected as "Psycho's" shower scene. All aboard!
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80Mortimer gives a terrifically keyed-up performance that is nicely complemented by the wholesomely chipper Harrelson, who seems to be drawing inspiration from Fred MacMurray's gallery of Disney dads.
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80An engagingly up-to-date melodrama steeped in local color and steered by a treacherous sense of morality.
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All in all, the film is an excellent, if modest, alternative for moviegoers who have been blockbustered into submission this summer.
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78With top-notch performances (especially that of Mortimer) and the gray of the Siberian wilderness providing an apt backdrop for the movie's gray zones of morality, Transsiberian is on a great track.
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75Unlike so many Hollywood thrillers, which too often rely on implausible or telegraphed twists, Transsiberian is carefully structured and designed to make sense when you replay the events in your head.
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75Brad Anderson's Transsiberian is a genuine sleeper that jump-starts an almost extinct genre.
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75Manages to pull off a couple of startling surprises.
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75In the riveting Transsiberian, a train of that name adds international intrigue to the mix.
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75The execution is masterful and even as you see the building blocks of the climax being put into place, it's a delight to watch them fit JUST SO.
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70Mortimer delivers as a mentally disintegrating wife, but it's Harrelson who provides the most fun, playing against type as the down-home Roy.
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70Until it fizzles in an anticlimactic train crash, it is extremely entertaining.
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Who doesn't have a sweet tooth for intrigue on a train?
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60Since Alfred Hitchcock set the standard for strangers-on-a-train thrillers, Anderson has a lot to live up to. He falls short of creating a new classic, but he does manage to keep us on edge for most of the movie.
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58It's a little sloppy and full of convenient coincidences, but at its best roils with edgy character tensions.
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50Unfortunately, there's never a moment where you can't see Anderson and his co-writer, Will Conroy, yanking on the strings.
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Just as nasty as the titular mode of transport is the script's wanton declaration of theme and a cynical and fashionable belief in moral grayness that may complement the frosty setting but nonetheless feels easy.
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 18
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Mixed: 1 out of 18
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Negative: 2 out of 18
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