The General (1926)
This movie and it’s characters waste no time. It is basically constant action and reaction - repeat. This made me think of how it compare to modern action movies. Most apparent in how neither Johnnie or his chasers never stop to breathe or thinks things over - or talk for that matter. Instant reaction to stuff being thrown on the tracks and so on. In a way that was quite refreshing to see and it weirdly made the whole chase more believable. On the other hand, it also got a bit repetetive with all the gags that just relentlessly kept coming.
The technical marvels are hard to beat. Not just for the time but in general. The image is super clear and the practical effects are barely effects - they just did it live.
But as an actual movie to watch almost 100 years later, there is not much more here than being amused and amazed by the action and gags.
Rating: 3.5