Terror on a Train (1953)

There really aren't any twists and turns or other surprises, 25 August 2017

A terrorist plants a bomb on a train carrying military explosives. Officials call in an ex-Army bomb disposal expert, Peter Lyncort (Glenn Ford), to help with the situation. The first hurdle is locating the bomb. The train is carry several cars, each loaded with ten or so mines. Lyncort's got his work cut out for him just finding the device. To make matters worse, the bomb is outfitted with a timing detonator. If he can't find it in time – BOOM!

Overall, Terror on a Train was a disappointing experience. My rating would seem to indicate that I found the movie about average, but that rating is a little misleading. The plot here is horribly dull. There really aren't any twists and turns or other surprises to make things interesting. It's all presented in an incredibly linear fashion. There's a bomb, there's a bomb disposal expert, Lyncort looks for the bomb – that's about it. All the extra plot bits involving Lyncort's wife are so unnecessary to the film. These scenes felt like little more than padding. And at less than 75 minutes in length, you must not have much of a plot if you need filler. 

What I liked and what elevated Terror on a Train's rating from being below average was the English countryside slice-of-life. I love this stuff. Sure, it felt like more filler, but it was enjoyable filler. The policeman making tea in the evacuated pub, the senile old man wanting to see the train, the old woman being evacuated from the hospital, the interesting 1950s era locations – that's what I enjoyed.

5/10