Synopsis:
Ex-con Jensen Ames (Statham) is forced by the
warden of a notorious prison (Allen) to compete
in our post-industrial world's most popular
sport: a car race in which inmates must
brutalize and kill one another on the road to
victory.
The Freak's Rating:
B+ : Some things are amazing to me in life.
I'm curious what exactly that blue stuff is in
toilet cleaning tablets. I wonder why a
comedy has never won Best Picture. I don't
understand why our country still clings to
reality television. The latest curiosity
though, is why in the world filmgoers haven't
embraced Jason Statham as the next great action
star. Though he may be appreciated by
directors and Hollywood execs alike, Statham
hasn't had a box office marvel yet.
Having starred in 1998's Lock Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels as his debut, Statham was
instantly recognized for his potential in film
by all those who saw it. Next he starred
in 2000's Snatch, a hilarious British/Irish
comedy. Jumping into a slew of action
pictures, including: The Transporter, The
Italian Job, Transporter 2 and Crank, Statham
was solidifying his place as a solid action star
in the eyes of those who saw his work.
Recently Statham starred in The Bank Job (review
coming soon) and was solid once again as the
male lead who whoops ass when necessary.
Having seen it on Blu Ray the night before Death
Race, I was pumped.
The storyline is as intriguing as need be for an
action picture, with writing that doesn't get
too cheesy (though toeing the line the entire
way). Directing is done quite well and the
production value is extremely high. I
can't imagine the stunt budget for this film not
being one of the biggest in film history.
Director Paul WS Anderson (director of Mortal
Kombat, Alien Vs Predator and Resident Evil)
does a great job of getting every angle
necessary during action sequences and should
give his editor a pat on the back for putting it
all together. The only lack of editing is
where a few jerky camera transitions should have
been replaced with interior steadycam shots to
keep the action easy to follow.
Action sequences are fantastical in their
production and the star of the film, with
awe-inducing moments throughout the film.
Luckily for us, there are a total of four races
and action off the track thrown in for good
measure. The film plays like a two hour
racing videogame with all the violence one could
want.
Death Race's casting director should be given a
bronze star. Though Joan Allen as a warden
who wears entirely too much makeup is over the
top in every scene, Ian McShane (of Deadwood) is
perfectly cast as coach. He brings a
rawness to the role that makes it three
dimensional. Statham is perfect as the
hero and Tyrese Gibson does a great job as the
villain. Supporting cast suffers only from
the bumbling gearhead in the shop, forgivable
through the brilliance of others.
Death Race should be Statham's coming out party
to those who may have missed him to this point.
Any red-blooded American male will love this
picture much in the same way as Wanted.
I imagine I'm being lined up, much like gym
class in high school, picking out a team to star
in an action movie. Statham is my number
one pick, no question. Death Race hammers
the gas when the light hits green and doesn't
stop until it crosses the finish line. Hot
chicks, insane violence, armored cars, machine
guns and Nitrous Oxide...what isn't to like?
Brian's Rating:
B : Ever seen Running Man? This is
basically it, but updated to the modern level of
cinematography and special effects. Good action
films thrive on special effects, and this is no
exception.
The movie is entertaining throughout, with
non-stop action, and bad ass characters.
Statham is an excellent action hero casting
decision. Makes me wish he was cast into
"Wanted". As it is, I like "Wanted" a bit more
for '08 action films even without Statham in it.
Action films can be forgiven a paper thin plot,
but this has a few too many holes to breach the
"A" category. I enjoyed watching it, but unlike
something in the school of "Face Off", I
probably won't be itching for a repeat.
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