(mild spoilers follow)
The story follows a daredevil courier named Wiley, who's assigned to a special delivery: a "premium rush" (hence the title). All goes smoothly until he's stopped by an NYPD detective who, it turns out, has a really bad gambling problem, and wants the package desperately. Wiley refuses, of course, as this courier service is a secure service, and so the chase begins. Later, when Wiley loses the detective for a moment, a hapless bicycle cop catches him breaking road rules, and will stop at nothing to catch him. Along the way we meet some courier colleagues of Wiley's, among them overconfident rival Manny and ex-girlfriend Vanessa, who help him deliver the package. Throughout the film we go backward and forward in time, obtaining a new piece of the puzzle, building up suspense and excitement all the way.
The story is pretty much what you'd expect from a popcorn thriller like
this--though I couldn't guess at the contents of the envelope until I
was given sufficient clues, so it's not predictable, and the coincidences aren't that
far-fetched. Aside from a chaotic, claustrophobic flashback that occurs after Wiley gets into an accident, the camera work is well done: we feel the same rush as the couriers do when they ride. Special effects, thankfully, are sparing, used only to enhance the experience of navigating the bustling streets of NYC on two wheels and for slo-mo. And like the NPR reviewer said, the setting actually feels like New York: from the gridlocked traffic to the rude pedestrians to the slightly grimy look and feel of the objects surrounding them. The cast is also quite diverse, giving a far more accurate representation of NYC residents. Characterization was also well-done here. There is a villain to hate, and some of the cop characters come off as a little doofy, NYC road users as assholish. But this is being told from a courier's point of view (mostly). Wiley, our hero, is certainly likeable enough (thanks in part to JGL's charm), though not without his flaws. He preaches the gospel of Brakeless Fixie, and almost as overconfident as his rival, breaking dozens of road rules over the course of the movie. We get a real sense of who the characters are simply from the way they act and talk to one another: a sign of really good screenwriting. The little backstory that we need to know is woven seamlessly into clipped cell phone conversations. And as far as the couriers go--I believe it. Tough, daring, aggressive, and they don't take shit from anybody--including the cops.
This movie is largely harmless in the category of stereotyping and oppression: nobody likes cops anyway; many cyclists are assholes (especially in NYC, I'm sure); there's sufficient diversity of race and gender; and members of the lower classes are whom we root for. However, I did have a problem with how aggressive Manny and Wiley were in, um, expressing their affection for Vanessa, and even more so by the dispatcher's blatant sexual harassment. Vanessa's a tough chick, and I was hopping she'd punch him out, any of them out--but she just pushes them away or brushes it off as a joke. She says in the movie that she wants to quit couriering so she can have a "steady job"; but maybe she's just sick of all the harassment.
Overall, the movie works as a great commercial for bicycle couriers--or, at least, urban cycling: exciting, well-constructed, and suspenseful. General Score: 4 stars out of 5. Oppression Score: 3 (mainly for the sexual harassment thing). Highly recommended if you just want to watch a fun popcorn flick and forget the world for two hours.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going out for a bike ride.
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