Everyday working man Denzel Washington becomes an extraordinary hero when he attempts to avert a disaster.

No need for a horde of men with guns chasing away bad guys to get a non-stop thriller on the big screen. Just give director Tony Scott a runaway train, and he will create a heart-stopping action film that is guaranteed to pump up your adrenaline in no time.

What do you get when British filmmaker Tony Scott, long known for his mastery of fast-paced yet upbeat action films, collaborates with two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington?

The answer is a film with tons of action that is simultaneously a chilling thriller.

Need proof? Take a look at Scott and Washington’s previous collaborations, which include box office hits like Crimson Tide, Déjà Vu and The Taking of Pelham 123.

Scott and Washington have both earned raves in their fields. Scott’s first feature debut was 1983’s modern vampire story The Hunger. That was followed by the blockbuster Top Gun, which also successfully propelled its leading actor, Tom Cruise, into stardom. Scott’s directing credits also include True Romance, starring Christian Slater and Roseanna Arquette, and Enemy of the State with Will Smith.

Washington has gained a reputation as a brilliant actor through many of the characters he has played: a runaway slave in the critically acclaimed Glory, a gulf war soldier in The Manchurian Candidate, a hard-nosed negotiator in the Inside Man and a man who protects a sacred book in The Book of Eli. He earned Oscars for his roles as a homophobic lawyer in Philadelphia and a rogue police detective in Training Day.

For their latest film, Scott and Washington worked hand in hand for the fifth time, taking viewers on a gripping ride in a story about an unmanned train called Unstoppable.

Once again Scott has no intention of slowing the pace as the film demonstrates Scott’s talent in blending action, drama and emotion.

Inspired by a real event, Unstoppable tells the story of veteran train engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and young conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine, following his role as Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek) as they try to beat the clock to stop a runaway train from causing a massive disaster.

The day begins as usual for the many workers at a railway yard in Wilkins, Pennsylvania. The morning shift is dragging themselves into work, drinking coffee and bantering with their colleagues.

It is the first day for Will the rookie, who grew up in a family of railroaders, and who just completed four months of training.

Will is teamed up with Frank, a strong yet dedicated railroader who has experienced far more than his 20 years in the train business belies.

But Will isn’t all there as he is struggling after separating from his wife and son.

Frank is also dealing with some complications in his life, trying to maintain a close relationship with his two daughters while dealing with aging and the economic downturn.

Right when Frank and Will are involved in a serious conversation, their calm morning suddenly turns to terror when they are informed that there is a runaway train, the 777, heading their way at full speed.

The 777 is carrying toxic chemicals, and could threaten other trains and the people living in a densely populated area of the city.

The train could also crash into a train full of schoolchildren.

Frank and Will must put aside their personal issues and differences and focus on how to avoid a collision and stop the train.

Frank and Will are guided and supported through a radio manned by yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson). She is a confident and tough woman who wants to be successful in the man’s world of the train yard.

While your usual action film has a villain, the antagonist of Unstoppable is the unstoppable train itself, since it can potentially kill people and destroy towns and everything in its way. It takes a monumental effort to stop the train.

It is the train that turns out to be the real star of the film as it steals every breath-taking scene.

Scott is the right man when it comes to combining visual expertise with drama. He develops the characters within fast-paced action sequences.

He tries to get to the core of Frank and Will’s characters while keeping the tension on track. If Unstoppable was a book, it would definitely be a hard-to-put-down page-turner.

Verdict: Fasten your seatbelts, as you will be taken on a relentlessly captivating non-stop ride.

Unstoppable, 98 minutes, 20th Century Fox

Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Jessy Schram, Kevin Dunn, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Corrigan

Director: Tony Scott

Writer: Mark Bomback

Producers: Alex Young, Eric McLeod, Julie Yorn, Mimi Rogers, Tony Scott

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