Nigh-‘Unstoppable’

Denzel Washington collaborates with Tony Scott again on another movie that involves a train, after last year’s hostage flick “The Taking of Pelham 123.” The action-drama “Unstoppable” is likewise decently made, but it’s also something that isn’t entirely exciting or involving. Inspired by actual events, the film recreates situations from a fateful day in 2001, when a freight train carrying tons of hazardous materials sped away from its careless operator. Actors Washington and Chris Pine play the engineer and conductor, respectively, who risk life and limb to prevent a catastrophe. The initially uncomfortable co-workers aid the clear-thinking dispatcher played by Rosario Dawson. Well-defined and humanizing portrayals keep this film interesting, despite its requisite and procedural drama that focuses on the main characters’ unstable bonds with their relatives. It still somewhat uplifts, corny and unexciting moments notwithstanding.