"Premium Rush" (bike messenger thriller movie) opens August 24

[mstone]

@krazygl00 28379 wrote:

If we truly believe we have a right to use the road we should avoid a posture of apology and adopt one of assertiveness and confidence in our rights.

This. I’ll start apologizing for cyclist behavior when any conversation with someone who drives begins with an apology for motorist behavior. E.g., AAA would never issue a press release without a header like “We know a lot of people drive cars like a-holes, and we know that cars kill like 20 people every day in this country, but we don’t approve of that and we speak for that subset of drivers that follow the law and are careful and considerate.” Can you even imagine that happening?

Apologizing for other people isn’t going to change the perceptions of haters, it only validates their prejudices.

[PotomacCyclist]

I’m not apologizing for anyone’s behavior. I’m actively condemning what I saw on that movie trailer, assuming that is real-life footage. Those are criminal acts in the video, and not benign ones either. (I consider rolling through a stop sign on a completely empty street with no other bikes, cars, pedestrians within 50 ft. a benign infraction.) One of the cyclists in the video ran right into a kid. Another one caused a car driver to screech the tires to stop. And all of this is caused by intentionally reckless behavior. And celebrated in the movie, I’m assuming. (I won’t watch the movie so I can only go by what I see in the trailer.)

I don’t have a tribal mentality about cyclists vs. the world when it comes to intentionally dangerous, reckless and yes, violent behavior. That is always wrong, no matter who carries out such actions. Sure, there are plenty of reckless drivers. I call them out when and where I can, respectfully, on non-cycling websites and forums, where it has more effect. (Preaching to the choir here doesn’t really do much, though I still point out reckless car driver behavior here on appropriate threads.) Intentionally risking the lives of others on the public roads and sidewalks is just plain wrong.

In addition, the power of images and video is undeniable. While that movie is unlikely to change the world in either direction, it does have an overall negative effect for other cyclists, whether you wish to believe it or not. Are most people able to distinguish between the cyclists in that movie and the majority of cyclists who don’t engage in such reckless behavior. I like to think so, but there’s probably a significant minority who can’t distinguish or who don’t care to distinguish. It only takes one aggressive car driver to cause problems for cyclists. And it really doesn’t take much to rile up some of the anti-bike people out there. Again, this is not an apology for anyone. But movies like that do not help. Fortunately, I don’t think too many people are aware of it. I had never heard of it until this thread.

[mstone]

Whether the movie has any effect, I don’t know. Whether agonizing over someone else’s asshat behavior in an video has any effect, I’m fairly sure of.

And I don’t get the “where it does some good” comment; is there reason to believe the asshats who made the movie are forum members?

[PotomacCyclist]

The movie got a good review from the Associated Press, 3 out of 4 stars:

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Review-Shannon-rides-away-with-Premium-Rush-3809828.php

FYI: There are some spoilers in the review.

Summary: A fun movie with several exciting bike chase sequences. The story isn’t too deep, but that was to be expected.

I may end up watching the movie after all.

[NicDiesel]

It’s hard for me to see a film with JGL and Michael Shannon being a total disaster. That said, I doubt JGL can rock the wheels of steel like Bacon did in “Quicksilver”.

[Riley Casey]

I went to see Premium Rush over the weekend. Predictable, maudlin, formulaic and thoroughly enjoyable. All except the bike race through Central Park. Fixie versus carbon fiber road bike. Say a mile and a half plus a few blocks in the city traffic at start and finish. Result – fixie wins by ten yards. Only in the movies. :rolleyes:
Sheesh!

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Riley Casey 30314 wrote:

Result – fixie wins by ten yards. Only in the movies. :rolleyes:
Sheesh!

There’s a tall man on a pink fixie here who may beg to differ…

[PotomacCyclist]

Two years later and I finally saw the movie. Not a deep story. Sort of like an old Jackie Chan movie, except with bikes. About half the movie consists of bike chase scenes. So I’d agree with the review above. Formulaic and a bit cheesy, but very entertaining. They do show a lot of crazy behavior, but the villain in the car driver seat is just as wild and over the top.

The scene in the police impound garage was hilarious and fun to watch. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I thought it was just going to be scene after scene of riding in busy NYC traffic.

Fun escapist action tale that doesn’t require a lot of deep thinking. Good popcorn movie.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Riley Casey 30314 wrote:

I went to see Premium Rush over the weekend. Predictable, maudlin, formulaic and thoroughly enjoyable. All except the bike race through Central Park. Fixie versus carbon fiber road bike. Say a mile and a half plus a few blocks in the city traffic at start and finish. Result – fixie wins by ten yards. Only in the movies. :rolleyes:
Sheesh!

You’re not accounting for the power of JGL. That adds at least 50 watts.

[vvill]

I still haven’t seen it, but kind of want to. If it’s say, on Netflix for free.

[dcv]

that movie almost made me not want to ride fixed

[ShawnoftheDread]

Because you felt so inadequate?

[TwoWheelsDC]

I do find myself envious of his mad skidz…

[dkel]

@vvill 99764 wrote:

I still haven’t seen it, but kind of want to. If it’s say, on Netflix for free.

I got it out of the library on DVD for free. Breaking Away is on Amazon Instant Video, and is currently free to Amazon Prime members (and its a better movie).

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I liked how they showed what’s his name visualize paths through intersections in split second real time. I thought that was actually spot on in terms of how I analyze for preferred lines, bail outs, etc. when I ride in traffic.

[Author]

Posts