Friendship, new love, government bureaucracy, women fighting to be heard in the workplace, and one long raunchy “getting railed” joke, “Stop! That! Train!” is a raucous, silly, good time for people who just want to laugh.
A Strong Main Cast and Easy Laughs
It’s giving “Soul Plane” or “Airplane!” for the gays, it’s giving parody of a parody, it’s giving “we know exactly who our audience is.” A film so goofy that you can’t help but chuckle. The amount of visual gags, puns, inside jokes was enough to keep you engaged as an audience member, fully taking you on this insane ride. The film’s official synopsis:
“Stop! That! Train!” follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Judy Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day in this wild ride of camp and comedy.
and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
Perhaps because they’ve known each other so long, but Jujubee and Ginger Minj really sell DeeDee and Tess’ friendship from the minute we see them on screen. They’re just two earnest gals with big dreams of traveling all over as train stewardesses. Comedy ensues when their train line, Stank Rail, closes down and they pivot (with help from Latrice Royale’s Barbra) to Glamazonian Express.
Bleecker Street and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
DeeDee and Tess have the type of friendship that’s perfect for a parody, because it’s set up to fail almost immediately. With foils like Amber, Ayshleiygh, and Alli (Brooke Lynn Hytes, Symone, and Marty Lauter a.k.a. Marcia Marcia Marcia) pulling them in different directions, it was a showcase in improv comedy layered with a genuinely funny script (written by Christina Friel and Connor Wright). The “Mean Girls”-esque trio were a delight from start to finish. Their little performance numbers in such a tight, enclosed space was rather impressive and each queen got to show off a bit of their signature styles within the characters.
TRAIN! Courtesy of Bleecker Street and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
All Aboard the Celeb Express
The overall plot of “Stop! That! Train!” is predictably stupid, but in a hilarious way that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. At no point was there ever a moment where you’re bored. There was tension between the two besties growing apart, the random scorpion on board that created chaos, the STORMAGANZA bearing down on the train, and Donna Dusk (Rachel Bloom) just trying to save lives while continuously being read by her co-workers. That’s not even including RuPaul’s President Judy Gagwell’s mini-arc about overcoming her tragic past (of killing a small child with a train accidentally) and helping everyone on Glamazonian Express to survive.
If none of that entices you, then watch for the endless parade of celebrity cameos (most of whom have been a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and the long-running joke of no one knowing who Sarah Michelle Gellar is. Seriously, this could be a drinking game; take a shot every time you recognize a famous person.
and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
The film was ripe with appearances from Charo, Joel McHale, Jerry O’Connell, Nicole Sullivan, Nicole Richie, Chris Parnell, Natasha Leggero, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lisa Rinna, Raven-Symoné, and so many more. You’d be dead drunk by the time the credits roll. Bonus points if you can point out the random drag queens outside of the main cast that appeared; cheers to Monét X Change and Angeria Paris VanMicheals!
What Worked and What Didn’t
and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
Some of the best moments came from scenes inside President Gagwell’s Oval Office, in particular, the tracking shot where the President’s Press Secretary (played by Matt Rogers) kept handing things to RuPaul, while others in the background just stacked more and more items in her arms to the point where shit was just falling all over the place. I don’t know how RuPaul didn’t break in that moment, but the blooper reel at the end showed just how insane this shot was to get.
One of the ickiest parts of the film featured one of our faves, Missi Pyle, as a relentlessly horny divorcee who it appears had sex with Parnell’s unconscious Conductor Davenport (sidenote: I love the nod to the infamous Davenport drag family here). Now obviously we shouldn’t take anything in this film or universe seriously, but seeing implied nonconsensual sex in film played for laughs makes the back of my neck itch and I’d be remiss if I didn’t call it out at least.
Final Thoughts
and World of Wonder
Credit: World of Wonder / Bleecker Street
That being said, “Stop! That! Train!” is a fun time that is practically tailor made for the queers who enjoy watching “Drag Race” at their local gay bar. Now will the straights go for this? Who knows! It’s not made for their consumption, to be honest. This is a goofy parody set in a very specific universe and the girls who get it, get it. And anyone else watching should just enjoy the bonkers ride that it is.
Rating:
INTERVIEWS:
WATCH: Adam Shankman, Ginger Minj and Jujubee on RuPaul’s STOP! THAT! TRAIN!
WATCH: Brooke Lynn Hytes, Symone and Marcia Marcia Marcia Talk STOP! THAT! TRAIN!
WATCH: Rachel Bloom & Latrice Royale Talk STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, Camp Comedy and Pride
I am a published writer, full-time editor, an events and entertainment reporter and mother of one. Comic books, drag queens, women’s basketball, queer films and TV shows are my bread and butter.
