Imagine the complexity of disaster and how it would affect everyday life. It more than certainly would turn things upside down. When the situation is grave, common men tap into their inner courage to step to the forefront and be very brave. That is the root of the movie “Unstoppable.” This film, the latest from director Tony Scott, whose credits include “Top Gun,” “Days of Thunder” and “Enemy of the State,” stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson as the people who are tasked with trying to stop a runaway locomotive. The train is set to derail in a heavily populated area and harm lots of innocent lives.

The best characters in cinema are the ones who are real and believable. These characters are very much so and it’s refreshing that they are, because that’s when you root for them. Chris Pine has proven himself to be a great actor (especially as Captain Kirk, sorry for working Star Trek into this review) and has great chemistry with Washington as the two railroad workers that go through this together, incidentally, on Pine’s character’s first day on the job.

The action sequences are first rate, and so breathtaking and non-stop that you probably had about a dozen or so “oh crap!” moments throughout the film, one right after the other.

This film is inspired by a similar situation that occurred in Ohio back in 2001, except that lots of dramatic license was taken here, obviously. Still, however, the writer, Mark Bomback, kept the action within reason and kept it away from impossibility. Two major pluses on the script side.

All told, this is a great film that will give you 98 minutes of pulse pounding entertainment. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

As the legend of the Phoenix goes, the mythic bird rises from the ashes. It’s not hard when you see the film “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” to think of the character of Gordon Gekko in this regard.

Joining Michael Douglas in reprising his role from the 1987 film “Wall Street” is Shia LeBeouf of “Transformers” fame and Carey Mulligan as Gekko’s daughter, Winnie. Rounding out the supporting cast is a list of well known actors, Frank Langella, Eli Wallach and Susan Sarandon, to name a few.

The basic plot is Gordon is released from prison after the events of the first film. He is alone. Her daughter is in love with LeBeouf’s character, Jake Moore, an investment broker on Wall Street. As is standard custom, I will not spoil any of the plot here and get down to my analysis.

Oliver Stone still knows how to bring it as a director. His pacing here is top notch given the frantic pace of what goes on in a typical day of trading on the street. It captivates one self as you’re watching.

However, I have a problem with a major plot point. This would be the whole father/daughter relationship as depicted. It felt very flat and very soft. This, of course, is part of a triangle involving the two and Jake Moore. It’s a story of love, betrayal and trust.

There is a cameo by Charlie Sheen in this film, but it felt very out of place and haphazard.

Speaking of which, I think that this sequel would have had a much better story had they did a rematch between Bud Fox and Gordon Gekko. It’s the natural story that has to be told. I feel like the filmmakers missed a golden opportunity to make a much more intriguing film.

In the end, I can’t go above 2 stars for this film. It’s a valiant effort, but there were some things missing here that kept it from being a classic.