Assalto Sobre Trilhos

Why everyone is so mad about this movie! It's not that bad! I'm sure, the actors and the director Joseph Ruben (He's one of my favorite ones) do a good job, especially Jennifer Lopez (She's so hot!). Well, of course that film had to borrow a lot from Andrei Konchalovsky's masterpiece Runaway Train, but anyway, that's a good action thriller.

Personally speaking, I don't quite know what to make of this picture. I saw it again on late night cable the other night and I was laughing hysterically throughout. Wesley and Woody play two brothers (!) who work as transit cops. Woody's a gambling junkie with a huge debt on his back while Wesley plays the straight man who's getting a little tired of constantly having to bail his brother out. Desperate, Woody plans to hijack the Money Train that rides along to each station, collecting the night's collections. Folks, believe me when I tell you that it actually gets more ridiculous. Add to the mix a pyromaniac token booth bandit, a pre-lobotomy Jennifer Lopez, Robert Blake in a performance so hammy that you can almost smell the bacon coming from your tv, action sequences that are unabashedly ridiculous and you have yourself... Money Train. My favorite moment comes when Robert Blake, after having been informed of the possibility of civilian casualties if the hijacked Money Train continues to speed ahead on the local line, responds with the now-classic line, "That's what we live with." I was laughing so hard that tears were squirting out of my eyes. This movie is utterly ridiculous yet strangely riveting. Wesley Snipes plays his usual cocky, confident self and it seems to me that he won't accept a role these days unless he gets to kick someone in the face. Woody Harrelson looks like he smoked one too many blunts in this one. I actually prefer his character here over Wesley's and that's not saying much. Jennifer Lopez looks damn good but I can't help but think how stupid she is in real life. I really don't know where else to go with this review other than to recommend watching it. You might like it but not because it's quality stuff but because it'll cheer you up, it's so bad. Actual rating ** out of ***** but on the laugh-o-meter I'll give it a full **** out of *****.

The movie doesn't have much of a plot but it's still a pretty entertaining movie. Which features great performances from the cast. It's nice for a Saturday night at the movies.

3(***)out of 4(****)stars

Reading the reviews below this seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it kind of film. Regardless of whether you 'get' the story and the rapport between Harrelson and Snipes, you can't overlook that this is a well made film.

I've only seen it twice, once when it first came out on video, and again in the past week. I didn't think it was that remarkable when it first came out, but when I watched it the second time around, I found it highly entertaining and well executed. Granted, it's not the best film ever but I don't think it's deserving of a lot of the bad reviews given here.

As a film it succeeds, and if you've never seen it before, it's worth checking out.

I am not a huge fan of thrillers, but once in a while there are some that surprise me. I just prefer thrillers that aren't that violent or gory and I had low expectations for ''Money Train''. Thankfully, I was wrong. While the movie is far from a must-see, it was an ok and enjoyable time-passer.

The leads (played by Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes) are two foster brothers that work as transit cops. While Snipes' character has a good life, Harrelson's life is a mess. Then, as a sort of personal revenge, he decides to steal the money train (that carries the New York subway's workers' salaries). But when something goes wrong will his brother save him? See the film.

The bottom line is that the movie is fun. Along with the two leads also Jennifer Lopez (in one of her first movies and one of her best) and veteran Robert Blake (few years before he retired) give nice support. The actors' performances are ok and the story is not great, but decent.