Runaway Train

Saw Runaway Train, a strange sort of action film about two convicts who escape from prison in Alaska and jump on a train whose conductor (by bizarre coincidence) has a heart attack. Now, trapped on an out-of-control train, the convicts must do what they can to survive. This film works a hell of a lot better than it should. The premise alone is fairly far-fetched. All of the characters are supposed to be super-macho tough-guys so all of the acting is broad as hell and usually delivered through bared teeth. It's also fairly racist (black characters do not come off looking good.) But somehow it all comes together for a couple of amazing scenes.

The film contains a couple of great, swooning, evocative scenes of the train endlessly speeding through the Alaskan wilds. These scenes are a chilly reprieve from the goofy, self-serious acting. We follow the train in a far-off helicopter shot, as it speeds along, silent and dangerous, the cause of so much trouble at the main office and maybe (somehow, impossibly) also the ticket to freedom for the two convicts. This doesn't 100% make up for all of the surrounding bullshit, but this is a fascinating, fascinating mess.

One of the convicts is this beautiful animal type, always raving about how it's him, against the world. He would settle down and hold a steady job if he possibly could but he, man, he is just too free. This is a trope I kind of hate, but I dig it here. Maybe I'm just in the right mood. I kept trying to draw some parallel between the convict and the train, both uncontrollable, both probably doomed.

This is not my favorite film, but I'll be recommending it to people. I've never heard of it before but it's got some great (and some really dumb) stuff inside of it. Such an interesting film.