Stop That Train is a Dragalicous and Hilarious Ode to Disaster Film Genre

In the 70’s, disaster films were all the rage and ginormous box office hits. Who can forget Shelley Winters swimming for her life through the flooded floors in “The Poseidon Adventure” or Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt storm chasing and falling in love during “Twister?”  Not to mention cult favorite “Airplane.”  The success of the genre was largely defined by a specific formula: trapping a massive group of A-list Hollywood stars in an inescapable, high-stakes scenario. Now just imagine what that would look like in the world of drag with RuPaul as POTUS and some of our favs from RuPaul’s Drag Race to bring those worlds together in the spoofiest, most entertaining film of the summer.

Directed by the legendary Adam Shankman, “Stop!That!Train!” is a campy, disaster-comedy following besties Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (JuJuBee) as train stewardesses who sneak onto the luxurious Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic super-storm threatens to derail the runaway train, all the divas must team up with the elitist first-class crew and U.S. President Judy Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the passengers.

The production numbers are to die for and the easter egg nods to all of your favorite disaster flicks will have you howling in the same way fans of the Scary Movie franchise line up to see the Wayans’ take of horror/thrillers to laugh out loud one more time.  One of my favorite lines is when Ru is attempting to get a handle on the whereabouts and dangerous legalities associated with the train and she says, “Give it to me straight…now give it to me gay.” Moments like the door thermometer that ends with the labeling – LEA MICHELLE 2020, Missi Pyle as oversexed passenger tying her cherry stems in a know, Latrice Royale responding to “…can you read me” dryly responding “…girl, where do I start,” are the type of dialogue quips that will make you gag and giggle simultaneously.

This film and it’s stars never take themselves too seriously. It’s fluffy, frolicky fun that provides laughter during a time in our history where queer and trans rights are consistently under attack.  We all need a good laugh right about now and Stop!That!Train! is more than happy to oblige.