It appears PR never got any PR. Prior to the August 24 opening day I had never witnessed a single preview for this film at the theaters, or a TV ad of any kind. It’s as if Columbia Studios gave up on this thriller before the thrills started thrilling. PR was directed by David Koepp. DK doesn’t have a lot of directing experience, but is involved with lots of screenplays; partnering with major movie directors of films including Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds (2005), Spider Man (2002), and the latest Indiana Jones film.
PR is about the 1,500+ bike riders who race around NYC delivering anything they can carry that will fit in a bag. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt is the hero delivery boy. JGL was in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun and has a very big role in the current Batman movie – and probably any future ones that may be made.
The storyline concerns a delivery that must happen by 7 p.m. The story is about the period from 3:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Then there are about 10 minutes of credits. Don’t leave too soon. You’ll want to see the cab that JGL hit while performing a scene. Apparently he decided to travel a few feet ahead (sans bike) to see if anyone was in the back seat of the cab. He must have been hoping someone would recognize he was a big star and ask for an autograph. Of course he’d have to sign with his uninjured arm.
His “big” delivery is, of course, a mysterious piece of paper everyone wants. A bad cop with a gambling habit hopes to get out of his big debt by getting his hands on that mysterious piece of paper from JGL. The story follows a series of scenes through NYC that are harrowing and scary. Beautifully staged stunts, incredible crashes, high speed mania and thrills galore keep the 90 minute run time cycling forward. While the storyline is not riveting, it is interesting enough to add a little filler to the chase sequences.
Riders from the reality show Triple Rush performed many of the stunts in this film. I believe it is on an OBSCURE Cable Channel that my cable service doesn’t provide.
JGL is also a rider who can visualize possible outcomes of the many traffic-ridden paths he is forced to choose. You get to see many of these choices played out on screen in a grisly, and often darkly humorous, way. You also will learn a lot about the layout of NYC.
JGL is staying busy. Now that his arm injury has healed he will be in the big budget sci-fi film Looper, due out at the end of September. Still trying to earn a living, JGL is also in the upcoming Steven Spielberg epic Lincoln as Robert Todd Lincoln in mid November. In 2013 he is scheduled to appear in over 900 more films, prior to his early retirement at age 33, so he can ride in the 2014 Tour de France.
Rated 2.8 out of 4.0 Schwinns