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Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 213 Ratings

  • Starring: Chris Pine, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson
  • Summary: An unmanned runaway train is carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. An engineer and his conductor find themselves in a race against time. (Firm Films)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 34
  2. Negative: 1 out of 34
  1. Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    Dec 14, 2010
    100
    Who knew that Unstoppable would be sensational? Talk about well-kept- and welcome-surprises. Tony Scott's latest thriller turns out to be pure cinema in the classic sense of the term. It's a motion picture about motion, an action symphony that gives new meaning to the notion of a one-track mind.
  2. Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    Dec 14, 2010
    80
    Some days a runaway train movie just hits the spot.
  3. Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    Dec 14, 2010
    60
    Tony Scott almost wins us over with this fun thrill ride.
  4. Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    Dec 14, 2010
    30
    It's manic and wearyingly predictable, and as soon as it begins, you know exactly how it's going to end: with a hard, fast crash (and the requisite yakkety epilogue).

See all 34 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 72
  2. Negative: 10 out of 72
  1. Denzel is lower key until the role calls for action. Every character is perfectly cast and the movie is well edited to avoid the usual long soapy scenes. The lead character is definitely the train, but I bet that was so when a similar incident happened. It was edge of the seat action. Held our attention and kept us engaged. Great fun - everything it should be. Expand
  2. In Tony Scott's third straight feature starring Denzel Washington, he takes a look at an incident that occurred 3 years prior in Ohio. The event was nowhere near the magnitude seen in Unstoppable, but it defiantly put lives at risk, and put people to the test. The story follows an incident with a runaway train and the two men who risk everything to save lives from it's dangerous cargo. Washington is terrific as always, thriving in these unsung hero roles. Chris Pine, the virtual newcomer who plays the rookie, on his first day of work, is also really good and shows the potential for a strong film career. While it's not going to surprise or shock anyone, Unstoppable was fast paced, visually impactful, and very entertaining. Expand
  3. I'm sure that many people have watched this movie based solely on its surprisingly high scores on critic aggregate sites, and now I can count myself among their ranks. Of course, my expectations going in were still low enough that there was no real danger of being disappointed. I knew to expect shallow action, and that's exactly what it delivered, with a side of the good old blue collar workers as protagonists/white collar workers as antagonists dynamic thrown in for good measure. There was no more than token interest given to developing the characters, instead pretty much every scene was designed to increase the tension and excitement, and the movie was definitely both tense and exciting as a result. (http://diversionary-tactics.blogspot.com) Expand
  4. j30
    4
    Predictable and cheesy acting. Almost feels like a bad 80's movie. The movie, moreover, had it's moments of suspense.

See all 72 User Reviews

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