Premium Rush provides its audience with exactly what they want: a fast-paced, high-speed, action-filled thriller from start to finish. Nothing more, nothing less.

Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a reckless bike courier who gave up a potential career in law because he “can’t sit in an office,” is the best in the business. However, when Nima (Jamie Chung), his girlfriend’s roommate, hires him to deliver an envelope, he soon realizes that this is no ordinary delivery.

Wilee is chased all over the streets of Manhattan by Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), a crooked cop who needs Nima’s mysterious envelope to repay a debt to the Chinese snakehead. The chase scenes define the movie. Wilee performs impressive acrobatics on his bike, weaving in and out of heavy New York traffic, risking his life the whole time to avoid Monday, who is at a dreadful disadvantage in his bulky car.

While Gordon-Levitt plays his role well, using his natural charm to portray Wilee’s confidence and recklessness with ease, Shannon steals the show, portraying Monday’s borderline psychopathic behavior flawlessly, complete with a nervous laugh and twitchy movements.

Unfortunately, the movie’s subplots, such as Wilee’s relationship with his girlfriend (Dania Ramirez) and competition with a fellow bike messenger (Wolé Parks), are nothing more than filler, adding little substance to the movie and halting the quick pace which keeps the movie entertaining and high energy.

Director David Koepp successfully transforms a run of the mill action movie into a creative, suspenseful adventure with no brakes, just like Wilee’s bike.