Not every gag lands, but Stop! That! Train! is at its best when it leans into the sheer silliness of its premise and lets its performers play to their individual strengths.
More like Airplane! or High Anxiety than Hurricane Bianca, the new RuPaul picture Stop! That! Train! is set to join the greatest hits of Adam Shankman’s filmography. Part disaster movie, part comedy, with a little musical theatre thrown in, it’s a rapid-fire spoof that delivers more than expected.
When two down-on-their-luck train stewardesses, Tess and DeeDee (Ginger Minj and Jujubee), are let go from their jobs at Stank Rail, they take a chance and try to fulfil their dreams of joining the luxurious Glamazonian Express crew, boarding one of their high-speed trains set for Celebration, Florida. When on board, not only do they have to deal with the highly strung clientele (replete with celebrity cameos) and a trio of bitchy first-class hostesses (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes and Marcia Marcia Marcia), but they suddenly have to handle the approaching ‘Stormaganza’ that threatens to derail the train. With the help of President Gagwell (RuPaul), they have to save the day, and a wild ride of comedic catastrophe ensues.
It’s a simple plot that plays out as you’d expect, leaving all the room needed for bits, gags and cutaways to be piled on in healthy measure. The beauty of a film set on a train is that any number of celebrities and pop culture icons can be packed into one film without question, and recurring jokes make much more sense. Both premise and script work well to make Stop! That! Train! surprisingly well balanced (relatively).
There is a fear that a film like this would bleed a particular humour entirely dry, running with the same gags for the whole 95-minute run. Delightfully, however, it remains faultlessly funny, switching between visual gags, innuendo and deadpan humour that catches you off guard. It repeats itself knowingly, understanding you’ll laugh at the sheer disbelief of trying it again.
It helps, too, that the ensemble cast is made up of funny talent with excellent delivery. Everyone understands the assignment. Jujubee and Ginger Minj are effortlessly strong as the protagonist duo, both playing characters who are a little dense in an endearing way, a quality the film mines effectively for laughs. RuPaul is a particular draw, with many of the film’s best jokes reserved for President Gagwell, alongside, inevitably, some of its most ridiculous. Matt Rogers also shines as Gagwell’s Press Secretary, fully committing to the film’s escalating absurdism.
Not every gag lands, but Stop! That! Train! is at its best when it leans into the sheer silliness of its premise and lets its performers play to their individual strengths. The final quarter feels a little drawn out, but it is easy enough to forgive, given its role in tying up the film’s increasingly chaotic threads and bringing its various characters and running jokes to a close. The result is a knowingly ridiculous comedy that often succeeds simply because its cast is clearly having so much fun.
The film commits wholeheartedly to every terrible pun, increasingly absurd prop and ridiculous celebrity cameo, with enough confidence to make each shameless gag work. By the time the train finally reaches its destination, Stop! That! Train! has earned its place as a gleefully stupid, surprisingly sharp and consistently entertaining ride.
Stop! That! Train! is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
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