Unstoppable (2010)
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Two men must race against time to stop a runaway freight train carrying toxic chemicals.
The story
A botched switching operation at a railroad yard in northern Pennsylvania results in a freight train, pulled by locomotive 777, heading south at full throttle. The train carries several cars containing phenol, a highly toxic and flammable chemical. As the train gains speed, the yardmaster coordinates with local authorities to block road crossings while trying to find a way to stop the runaway. Meanwhile, a veteran engineer and a rookie conductor on a nearby train must decide whether to risk their lives to intercept the runaway train before it reaches a heavily populated town.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a switching error, a freight train carrying toxic phenol begins racing south at full throttle. While officials struggle to manage the crisis, a veteran engineer named Frank and a rookie named Will attempt to intercept the train using their own locomotive. They successfully couple their train to the runaway, but the mechanical strain causes their brakes to fail. In a desperate move, they coordinate with a man in a truck to reach the locomotive. Will manages to jump onto the engine and bring it to a halt. The film concludes with the men being commended for their actions, Frank retiring with full benefits, and Will reuniting with his family.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Mark Bomback · writer
- Cast and characters
- Denzel Washington; Chris Pine; Rosario Dawson
- Genres
- disaster; action; thriller
- Themes
- heroism; professionalism; consequences of negligence
- Tone and mood
- tense; urgent
- Setting
- Northern Pennsylvania and surrounding areas during the modern era.
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; train; disaster
- Source material / true-story basis
- CSX 8888 incident
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, being described as a high-octane, well-made action movie that captures the intensity of the real-life incident.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: percentage · review count: 195; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Satellite Award · Best Sound Editing · 2010 · Won; Academy Awards · Best Sound Editing · 2011 · Nominated; Critics' Choice Movie Awards · Best Action Movie · 2011 · Nominated; Teen Choice Award · Choice Movie – Action · 2011 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was the last movie directed by Tony Scott before his death in 2012.; The film was the most expensive ever shot in Western Pennsylvania until The Dark Knight Rises.; The real-life bridge and elevated curve in the climactic scene is the B & O Railroad Viaduct.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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