Stop! That! Train!, a new comedy starring RuPaul and a host of drag queens, has been hailed as a contender for the best movie of the year, despite its almost too-silly premise. The film, directed by Adam Shankman and written by Christina Friel and Connor Wright, is a spoof disaster movie that critics say stands on the shoulders of giants like Airplane! (1980) and Scary Movie.
Plot and Premise
The story follows lowly Stank Train workers DeeDee (Jujubee) and Tess (Ginger Minj), who lament their recent redundancy. A last-minute snafu on the high-end luxury trainline, the Glamazonian Express, requires two replacements, and they are soon shoved into uniforms and on board. Once there, they encounter their train school enemy Amber (Brooke Lynn Hytes) and her posse (Marcia Marcia Marcia and Symone), who rule first class, while the others serve passengers in economy.
Chaos ensues when the train loses its brakes and is on a one-way track straight into the heart of a stormaganza. The cast scrambles to save the day, packing in as much innuendo as possible in classic Drag Race style. RuPaul plays the President of the USA, wracked with train PTSD, while Judy Gagwell (a drag icon) delivers lines that, according to the review, would not be out of place in real politics: 'There's a saying in politics, the only thing worse than a train crash is a flattened exploded toddler.'
Cast and Performances
The cast includes RuPaul, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Symone, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Missi Pyle. Guest stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays an uptight businessman uninterested in the beauty of childbirth, Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays a washed-out actress no one knows, and Missi Pyle appears as a drunkard desperate for a bang. According to the review, all put in an A-star effort.
However, the reviewer noted that by the 45-minute mark, they were checking their watch. The film's 1 hour and 30 minute runtime stretched the reveal of Judy Gagwell's train PTSD and DeeDee and Tess' journey of self-empowerment.
Verdict and Impact
The review concludes that while the movie may not justify a feature-length film, it guarantees a hoot, whether viewers want to or not. In another universe, it could have been a snappy one-episode special. Not all jokes landed, and some were repeated too many times, but the film is praised as a hit for those seeking a movie where drag queens try and almost fail to stop a train. The reviewer states: 'Condragulations! It's a hit.'
Stop! That! Train! is out in UK cinemas now with a 15 age rating.
