I recall reviews about this movie where one critic was so furiously saying: "This is one of the worst train movies!", and another critic shouted: "How unethical this end was!". Ok, to tell you the truth, they weren't completely wrong!
Undoubtedly, that climactic sequence looks confused move, since the train's heist is nothing but sudden third act's plot, not the whole movie, and not related to what seemed as the basic conflict, the subway's burner, which ends strangely earlier. So, with the misleading title, you have to feel disappointed or at least muddled, repining: "this is not a train movie", and it is, but you're the last to know!
And yes, some of the bosses are megalomaniac idiots, or psychos anyway, but still making the money train's manager as the story's villain wasn't that right or believable, especially with his behaviors near the end. Sure that movie needed another villain.
Speaking about the end, it wasn't as simple as what this kind of fun action movies used to present, being for many people as unethical. But it's originally a story about the relationship between 2, totally incompatible, brothers where one wins eventually love, and the other wins well.. money.. dirty money, just to assure the difference between them both as one good cop and one forever hustler, who their arguments are endless. Nevertheless, having endless argument about that "dirty money" situation in the last shot was a bit odd, and based on the above; it mirrored more disparagement from the 2 scriptwriters' side, not a serious effort to make such an unfamiliar controversial ending.
Plus, I hated the sex scene, why to degrade your actors like this? Turning humans into cheap merchandises is just woeful. And with lots and lots of profanity too, it's like not art anymore, however a degradation commerce!
(Joseph Ruben) is the man who can make attractive visual work yet mostly with not attractive scripts. He's a very good director, however surely not the best when it comes to feeling anything wrong with the writing that he deals with. So, the direction of his movies was always smarter than their scripts.. and that's a tragedy!
Save this and that, it's a fair action with fine cast. Definitely this is better than (Wesley Snipes) & (Woody Harrelson)'s last movie (White Men Can't Jump) which's not up to this one's lovely time, let alone being one of the silliest movies ever. (Harrelson) did it so well as a childish loser. (Snipes) was charismatic and performed some of the most memorable fights. Despite how (Robert Blake)'s character was badly stereotypical, and his performance was scary in the wrong place, part of me loved how he played that nasty captain as a deranged version of (Napoléon); if only that was in a serious movie! All the elements, including the cinematography, the editing, and most of all the music, was solid maybe more than the main story.
Another side of the movie's misfortune is that it came in the year of 1995 where movies by the names of (Die Hard with a Vengeance), (Bad Boys), (Assassins), (Heat), (Se7en), and (Braveheart) were produced. Tough I know. Especially with the more successful results from the box office, the critics, or both.
At any rate, it's mishmash of Hollywood stuff, and neglectful script; in terms of writing and morality. So try to enjoy the Hollywood stuff. Otherwise, you'll be so furious like those critics.
Undoubtedly, that climactic sequence looks confused move, since the train's heist is nothing but sudden third act's plot, not the whole movie, and not related to what seemed as the basic conflict, the subway's burner, which ends strangely earlier. So, with the misleading title, you have to feel disappointed or at least muddled, repining: "this is not a train movie", and it is, but you're the last to know!
And yes, some of the bosses are megalomaniac idiots, or psychos anyway, but still making the money train's manager as the story's villain wasn't that right or believable, especially with his behaviors near the end. Sure that movie needed another villain.
Speaking about the end, it wasn't as simple as what this kind of fun action movies used to present, being for many people as unethical. But it's originally a story about the relationship between 2, totally incompatible, brothers where one wins eventually love, and the other wins well.. money.. dirty money, just to assure the difference between them both as one good cop and one forever hustler, who their arguments are endless. Nevertheless, having endless argument about that "dirty money" situation in the last shot was a bit odd, and based on the above; it mirrored more disparagement from the 2 scriptwriters' side, not a serious effort to make such an unfamiliar controversial ending.
Plus, I hated the sex scene, why to degrade your actors like this? Turning humans into cheap merchandises is just woeful. And with lots and lots of profanity too, it's like not art anymore, however a degradation commerce!
(Joseph Ruben) is the man who can make attractive visual work yet mostly with not attractive scripts. He's a very good director, however surely not the best when it comes to feeling anything wrong with the writing that he deals with. So, the direction of his movies was always smarter than their scripts.. and that's a tragedy!
Save this and that, it's a fair action with fine cast. Definitely this is better than (Wesley Snipes) & (Woody Harrelson)'s last movie (White Men Can't Jump) which's not up to this one's lovely time, let alone being one of the silliest movies ever. (Harrelson) did it so well as a childish loser. (Snipes) was charismatic and performed some of the most memorable fights. Despite how (Robert Blake)'s character was badly stereotypical, and his performance was scary in the wrong place, part of me loved how he played that nasty captain as a deranged version of (Napoléon); if only that was in a serious movie! All the elements, including the cinematography, the editing, and most of all the music, was solid maybe more than the main story.
Another side of the movie's misfortune is that it came in the year of 1995 where movies by the names of (Die Hard with a Vengeance), (Bad Boys), (Assassins), (Heat), (Se7en), and (Braveheart) were produced. Tough I know. Especially with the more successful results from the box office, the critics, or both.
At any rate, it's mishmash of Hollywood stuff, and neglectful script; in terms of writing and morality. So try to enjoy the Hollywood stuff. Otherwise, you'll be so furious like those critics.