Unstoppable is one of the most edge of your seat movies ever made. The entire film concentrates it energy on a runaway train and the efforts to stop it before it wrecks havoc on a populated area.

As directed by Tony Scott Unstoppable moves like the freight train it conveys. Fast edits that keep continuity in check are mixed with dialogue from several characters, all of whom work for the train gang, that helps advance the narrative. The leads, Denzel Washington (Frank) and Chris Pine (Will) are old dog and new dog, forced together in a training session aboard a train. The nuts and bolts of train employees unions and procedure are diversions of the script. Likewise the inner story of the Frank and Bill are occasionally brought to fore but then it’s back to the action. We don’t really care the Frank’s daughters work at Hooters or that Bill’s wife has a restraining order against him, we just want them to trade cool one-liners as they take on cinema’s ultimate villain, a speeding train longer than the height of the Chrysler Building.

Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, and Kevin Corrigan are among the supporting cast. At one time or another they’re called upon to explain the physical impossibility of what’s about to happen. In some manner, Untoppable would seem to be a companion to Scott’s recent remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, after all both involve train track schematics and constant shots of people talking on microphones and walkie-talkies.

But Unstoppable is a much better film than Pelham. You want Frank and Bill to achieve their goal, even if you could care less if they get job promotions or their wife lifts the restraining order. Unstoppable may not pass Speed for white-knuckle filmmaking, but it’s the tightest film in theaters now.

- Michael Bergeron