(Crown)Your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off! (Death Race (DVD))

Member Name: thedevilinme

Product:	Death Race (DVD)
Date:	08/04/09 (205 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tongue-in-cheek action for the holidays

Disadvantages: Graphic so not for kids

Times are good for Jason Statham, comfortably Britain's biggest action star. The ex Olympic diver (Barcelona 92) and fashion model (French Connection) has that ability to appeal to both women and men in the action genre, a rare alliance, his menacing gravel voice and sexy balding head making many girls (and some boys) go weak at the knees, his movies all over the top ten charts and making big bucks, Transporter 3 sitting third in the US Billboard, 'Crank 2: High Voltage' out this week. The female readers will be pleased to know he's cut and buff for this one, getting into great fighting shape with six months training with an ex-Navy SEAL, who was the fitness guy on the Spartans of 300 set. Coupled with his genuine if rather balletic martial arts skills he always convinces in the action scenes and so the boys on board, enough mean aloofness mixed with ironic British humour to garner that cult following.

This is a lose remake of the camp 70s classic 'Death Race 2000, David Carradine, who starred in the original, the voice of Frankenstein in the opening scene in tribute here. Where as that version was about racing across America and knocking innocent people over at high speed to score points this is confined to prison on politically correct grounds-one would suspect-the extermination of lifers over ailing octogenarians on oxygen tanks somewhat more acceptable to modern day audiences. This version works Just as well and I'm all in favor of mindless violence when it has humor to temper the squelchy bits, that the reason why the Quantum of Solace didn't work for me. Statham, of course, is no James Bond but he's great fun.

-The Cast-

Jason Statham ... Jensen Ames
Joan Allen ... Warden Hennessey
Ian McShane ... Coach
Tyrese Gibson ... Machine Gun Joe Mason
Natalie Martinez ... Elizabeth Case
Max Ryan ... Pachenko
Jacob Vargas ... Gunner
Jason Clarke ... Guard Ulrich
Frederick Koehler ... Lists
Justin Mader ... Travis Colt
Robert LaSardo ... Hector Grimm
Robin Shou ... 14K

-The Plot-

Its 2012 and Americas economy has collapsed and so unemployment is rampant and crime exploding, the prisons stuffed full, so the whole American penal system now privatised and able to employ measure to make profits from the cons, not far from the reality in America today. Ex car racer Jensen Ames (Statham) is soon heading to one of them, Terminal Island, after being found unconscious by police with a knife in his hand next to his dead wife, Terminal his new home for the rest of his life. The prison island is also home to the 'Death Races', a very popular pay-per-view car race to the death, a weekly event were prisoners can earn pardons if they win five straight races in deadly purpose built cars, reigning champion Frankenstein currently on four victories after crossing the winning line in a spectacular fireball and so excitement building with the gratuitous viewing public for race five. He is called Frankenstein because he is terribly maimed after those frequent big crashes and so wears a mask, his identity never revealed. The viewers love him and the cable TV pre-sales are huge for race five. But there's a problem. Frankenstein died in the last race in that fireball and hard ass Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) needs a replacement fast before the TV punters figure he's dead, perhaps the reason why car racer Ames is coincidently stitched up for murder and now in her jail just 48 hours before the big race.

The show must go on and so after some pecking order prison rucks Ames becomes the man behind the mask, the deal being if he wins that fifth race he too will go free, but still oblivious to being stitched up by the Warder at this point. No one but his race crew must know his identity, including his biggest challenger, 'Machine Gun Joe Mason' (Tyrese Gibson), also on four race wins, the two ready to go head-to-head to earn their freedom.

The inmates make the heavily armed and shielded cars in the prison chop-shop and load the weapons 15 minutes before the off for obvious reasons, the race run over three stages over 24 hours, fans able to subscribe to the next stage as the body count rises... Each driver gets a very sexy female co-pilot from the equivalent female prison; Ames assigned the stunning Elizabeth Case (debutant Natalie Martinez), sex and death always the big seller on late night TV. But Coach (Ian McShane), Ames chief mechanic, knows no one is getting a free pardon on Terminal Island and so a plan is needed where his driver can get even with the evil witch Hennessey before she makes sure he never leaves Terminal Island alive. It's not a good idea for Ames team to be in the pit lane either, bullets and shells flying around like Ames wild accusations towards the warder as the truth dawns on him
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-The Conclusion-

Eat your heart out Tarantino, this, the Death Proof movie I wanted to see! With 38 cars and eleven classic American makes used in the film, all looking like Marty McFlys Delorean in their toughened armour, but with machine guns and rocket launchers instead of the flux capacitors under the hood, Death race is great fun and fast paced action stuff all guys and more and more girls these days will love. Your not here for anything else and it does what it says on the tin.

The premise of private prisons exploiting their inmates to make huge bucks is not that far from the truth, lags used to generate over one billion dollars last year alone, not impossible for this type of thing to happen in the U.K. soon, although we don't have enough cars for a death race. If you book an Amtrak or Greyhound Bus ticket over the phone in America you are almost certainly talking to a prison inmate, paid a pittance to make your booking. Just think of the money that saves those companies in building call-centres.

The Stath is on top form and the suitably ethnic stereotype mix of fellow race competitors and inmate groups to represent the current US prison population also provide some gruesome laughs, including two decapitations and three splatters. And to make sure you don't do this at home the films final credit delivers a waver to that effect. You just can't go wrong with this type of stuff and with plenty of money spent on it and minimum C.G.I used to give authenticity to the race scenes you will be hooked in early in with this no nonsense action movie. The locations are deliciously rusting and industrial to emphasize the rotting economy we are experiencing this millennium and with a cool soundtrack and a tongue-in-cheek narrative its time for you guys to worship the 'Stath'. This film is perfect for the lads for the Easter Holiday.

= = = Special Features = = =

-Audio commentary-

British Director Paul W Anderson and writer Jez Bolt talk about their baby.

-'Start Your Engines': The Making Of Death Race-

Straightforward behind the scenes stuff from the Canadian industrial locations.

-Behind The Wheel-

Cast and crew talk enthusiastically about the cars and the film, each of the main cars costing over 350 grand to run and maintain during filming.


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An under-rated 6.7 out of 10.0 (26,351 votes)
RuN-TiMe 98 minutes
2 for 2 nights for £6 at Blockbusters
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Summary: Statham rules!