Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez
Running Time: 105 minutes (plus trailers)
Doesn’t the title sort of say it all? There’s a race. People die. That’s about all. This movie is a remake of the 1975 cult action film Death Race 2000, a cheesy, over the top classic featuring gratuitous amounts of fake blood and random inexplicable full frontal nudity. That film starred David Carradine and a pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone. Sadly, the best part of the original (the intentional killing of pedestrians in order to score points) is missing from the updated version, but it never the less delivers on no holds barred brainless action.
Following the collapse of the US economy in 2012 (an ominous prophecy, perhaps?), the prison systems are run by private companies who use the inmates as drivers in the aptly named ‘Death Race’, a gory competition that is broadcast directly into the homes of the bloodthirsty public. Jason Statham stars as Jensen Ames, an ex-race car driver who is sent to prison after being framed for the murder of his wife. Soon after he arrives, he is convinced by the menacing Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) to compete in the race for a chance to win his freedom. Ironically, director Paul W.S. Anderson, best known for his video games adaptations (Resident Evil, Alien vs. Predator, Mortal Combat) has made a film that is basically a video game in itself, complete with levels, bosses and un-lockable weapons.
The movie is a giant piece of trash; violent, vulgar and pointless, and, as much as the film connoisseur in me hates to admit it, it was freaking awesome. There are enormous logical problems, most obviously the shipping in of female prisoners to act as navigators (is it just me or does it seem like a bad idea to put scantily dressed women in a confined space with vicious felons who have been living in an all male prison?) Regardless, the action is truly spectacular, and the credit has to go to Anderson, who despite being generally hated by the film community (c’mon, Mortal Combat: The Movie?) has crafted an intense, visual impressive piece of popcorn entertainment that is exciting and gorily funny. The actors, while unlikely to win any academy awards for their roles, do exactly what is expected of them: the men are tough and muscular, the women look like swimsuit models and all the unlikeable characters are either crushed, impaled or blown up. The dialogue and plot aren’t exactly inspiring, but let’s face it; you don’t go into a film called Death Race wanting lengthy monologues and an intricate storyline. And what the movie lacks in substance it makes up for in great action sequences, badass characters and a ton of explosions. Good times.
Rating: 8/10
I also want to give a quick mention to a film I saw recently: a documentary called Man on Wire. It tells the story of a young mans dream to walk from one tower of the New York World Trade Centre to the other…suspended 500 metres off the ground. Mixing dramatic re-enactments and home video footage from the 70’s, it seems more like a heist movie than a documentary, as the man and his friends attempt to break into the towers after dark to complete their illegal and highly dangerous task. This movie is truly fantastic; emotionally gripping and often very funny, and has received rave reviews. I realise that documentaries may not interest many people, but anyone who is interested should do their best to see this remarkable film, which is playing in limited release. Running Time: 90 minutes (plus trailers)
