Premium Rush

A Manhattan bicycle messenger with superhuman reflexes and no brakes (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) undertakes a delivery for the ex-roommate of his ex-girlfriend (Dania Ramirez)—but whatever he’s carrying is also sought by a menacing stranger (Michael Shannon), who turns out to be a dirty cop with a gambling problem and poor impulse control. Director David Koepp (who co-wrote with John Kamps) takes an outlandish and far-fetched premise, gussies it up with slow-mo, freeze-frames and a time-shifting narrative flow, and turns it into a lightning-paced, hyper-adrenalized entertainment. Koepp and Kamps add a Looney Tunes in-joke—the hero’s nickname is Wilee and he works for Road Runner Messenger Service—but they never explain why he (or anyone) would want to be identified with that hapless, incompetent coyote.