Review: ‘Death Race’

Travis:

Seat-belt, check! Adrenaline, check! Testosterone, check! On your ready… race! This is a movie “primarily” targeted at the guys in the audience, as the trailers certainly would infer. However, that’s not to say that the ladies can’t enjoy ‘Death Race’ as well. If some nerdy research scientist were to develop the quintessential movie for the “average” guy, this is probably close to what they’d come up with. Fast cars, hot women, big guns (on the cars, too) and some bad-ass dudes kickin’ the crap out of each other… what more could you ask for?

Jason Statham plays Jensen Ames in this remake of the 1975 classic from producer Roger Corman. Ames is a former driver who is framed for killing his wife and ends up in prison, only to discover he’s being forced into driving as the legendary Frankenstein in the infamous Death Race. The Death Race is the Warden Hennessey’s (Joan Allen) baby, which pits the most violent offenders against each other in an automobile race to the death. The cars are retro-fitted with some extreme armor, massive machine guns and napalm. Each driver gets a “navigator” who happens to be a scorching hot female inmate from the sister penitentiary. The year is 2012 and the economy is kapoot, unemployment is through the roof and crime is out of control. So, the government placed the correctional facilities into the hands of major corporations who run them for profit, hence the live, pay-per-view streams of the death races that make Hennessey her green.

Ames eventually learns about the conspiracy behind the races and does what Statham does best, getting revenge and kicking ass in the process. As for the races themselves, it’s pure unadulterated masculine gear-head fun. Ames finds himself up against the likes of the Grim Reaper (Robert LaSardo), 14K (Robin Shou), Pachenko (Max Ryan) and Frankenstein’s arch-nemesis Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson). Each driver has his own pit crew and Ames’ is managed by Coach (Ian McShane). McShane is great in ‘Death Race’ and makes me miss ‘Dead Wood’. As for the story, well… there is some story despite it being an action movie. However, I’m not entirely sure director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) will be able to continue taking full story and writing credit as he does in the opening titles. Apparently, writer Adam Stone has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Anderson, stating the movie is based on a script he pitched to the filmmakers and was rejected, but they allegedly kept a copy of the script. So, see it while you can…

(3.5 out of 5 stars)

Ram Man:

I just saw “Deathrace” and I still can’t catch my breath! WOW! Roger Corman and Paul W.S. Anderson have teamed up to resurrect the 1975 cult classic “Deathrace”. The current version is missing the point system of the original (points for killing pedestrians) but does have action superstar Jason Statham (Transporter) as ex race car driver Jensen Ames, framed for his wife’s murder and sent away to prison and his only hope is to survive..not win SURVIVE the Deathrace!

The year is 2012. The country’s economy is in the toilet. unemployment and crime are through the roof. Corporations run the prisons. To stem overcrowding they institute battles to the death and televise them for profit. Then comes a whacked out women, Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) of Terminal Island prison with the hit of them all. She institutes a three part – three day race with only one goal…. live. Deathrace (goes for $250.00 on satellite PPV) like Nascar, has its celebrity convicts..Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), Grimm (Robert LaSardo) and fan fave Frankenstein. Frankenstein disfigured from numerous races is forced to wear a mask, but is the winningest racer in the prison. Machine Gun Joe has a need of a new navigator/co-pilot every race because they just can’t stay alive to see the finish line. You are probably asking yourself..Why do they do it? Three reasons: 1. Its an adrenaline filled rush. 2. If you win 5 races you are paroled. 3. we wouldn’t have a film without the race! Freedom is a powerful carrot to dangle in front of these felons, but Hennessey isn’t about to loose her cash cow. Deathrace earns millions and the people love Frankenstein. Unfortunately, Frankenstein is killed in an accident (not really), when he is about to win his fifth race and get out. You see no one ever wins 5 races…after 4 wins there is some kind of mishap or vehicle error and you lose or die, whatever Warden Hennessey prefers.

Enter Jensen Ames (Statham), framed for murdering his wife, his infant daughter taken away and put into foster care. Ames is looking at a life sentence on Terminal Island. Unknowingly handpicked by Hennessey to replace Frankenstein in the race, Ames just has to win one race and he is free! Remember Frankenstein wears a mask and he has won 4 races already. Ames agrees and he is introduced to the car crew, a racer is only as good as his pit crew. This is especially true in the Deathrace. Coach (Ian McShane)heads the crew, a freeman that can’t identify with society so he chooses to live in the prison (aka idiot). Lists and Gunner round out the team that Keeps Frankenstein on the road. The nicest thing about this race is every driver navigator (except for Machine Gun..he plays for the other team if you get my drift) is an inmates from the women’s facility on the other side of town. It’s like the Pussycat Dolls do San Quentin. So Ames must win the race, avoid being killed by the other drivers, hand out his own amount of woop ass without being double-crossed and killed by Warden Hennessey plus win over Chase (Natalie Martinez) his shifty co-pilot so he can get off the island and get his daughter back. That’s it… piece of cake!

Deathrace is packed with car crashes, explosions, and a school bus style tank from hell! There are more bullets flying than on the beach in Saving Private Ryan. There are body parts flying everywhere. You may want to bring a paper bag along with you. Depending on what type of moviegoer you are the bag will be needed. If you are a little qweezy at the sign of blood you may be carrying out your dinner in it or if you get into this film and will need the bag to catch your breath after this fast paced thrill ride!

(4 out of 5 explosions)

Jeremy:

A lot of people have hated on Paul W.S. Anderson in the past. Looking back over his filmography, the only real miss I can find is ‘Alien Vs. Predator’ (I refuse to refer to that film as ‘AVP’). Since ‘Mortal Kombat’ in ’95, Anderson has made mindless action films that are genuinely entertaining. Okay, maybe ‘Soldier’ was more brainless than exciting, but ‘Event Horizon’ is an almost great, sci-fi, horror flick, and ‘Resident Evil’ is one of the better video game adaptations out there. ‘Death Race’ is Anderson’s latest endeavor, and, like Anderson’s greatest hits, this one is balls to the wall excitement.

‘Death Race’ is a remake of Roger Corman’s 1975, cult classic ‘Death Race 2000’. In that film, bloodthirsty contestants went on a cross-country race where running down innocent pedestrians earned you points. In Anderson’s retelling, the contestants are lifers in a maximum security prison, and the cross-country race is secluded to the tracks that run throughout an island prison. Instead of one long race, the Death Race in the new film is a series of three races. If a prisoner wins five Death Races, he wins a full pardon. The whole thing is broadcast via streaming video, and it has become more popular than the Super Bowl. Like the original, each car is manufactured with custom weapons and armor, making the Death Race essentially just that, a race to the death. Most races end with only one man standing.

Jason Statham plays Jensen Ames, a steel worker who is just trying to provide for his wife and child. His wife is murdered, Ames is framed for the crime, and he is given a lifetime sentence. The Death Race’s biggest icon is a mask-wearing prisoner who goes by the name of Frankenstein. Frankenstin has won four Death Races but is killed before winning his fifth. Due to the popularity of the character, the warden of the prison and entrepreneur of the entire Death Race extravaganza, Hennessey, played by Joan Allen, decides to put the Frankenstein mask on Ames thus forcing the Frankenstein persona to live on.

‘Death Race’ is one badass film. When gauging mindless action movies, it’s worth is measured by what the film appears to be made of. Is it made of plastic or is it made of metal? ‘Death Race’ is made of metal through and through. The stunts and action scenes were mostly done using practical effects, none of that overtly fake CGI crap, and the special effect in this film look great. When cars flip up in the air or crash into a wall, they look real. When vehicles blow up, the flames and flying debris are all real. All of this adds to the genuine excitement the film generates.

Statham has unofficially taken the moniker of “this generation’s action star” with a vengeance. Everything the guy does is awesome. Unlike Dwayne Johnson, he doesn’t aspire to be anything besides a great action star. Unlike Vin Diesel, he knows how to pick the right parts to keep hold of that title.

Joan Allen is fine as the film’s ultimate villain, even though it seems she agreed to the film for a big, fat paycheck. Ian McShane, who plays Frankenstein’s pit crew chief, has taken his role in ‘Deadwood’ and turned playing that part into a lifelong career, and it never gets old. Tyrese Gibson plays Machine Gun Joe, Frankenstein’s arch rival in the Death Race. He’s good, but I couldn’t help but think how great it would have been to see Sylvester Stallone reprise the role from Corman’s original. Natalize Martinez plays Case, Frankenstein’s navigator, who doesn’t really do anything but look good. She does that very well, so there are no complaints there.

The real stars of the film, however, are the action scenes. The first two stages of the Death Race are astounding. There are bloody explosions and gory car crashes left and right. Your eyes never move away from the action, and you really want more when that third leg kicks in. The final stage isn’t as exciting as the first two. The real climax of the film comes at the end of the end of the second stage when a couple of cars must deal with Hennessey’s new “favorite toy”. I won’t spoil what that is, but it’s surprising to say the least. Even after the final stage of the competition, when the film really dealves into its climax, you don’t feel the same level of excitement you did earlier in the film. It is unfortunate, but the film tops out around the 60-minute mark and never fully recovers.

Besides that, ‘Death Race’ is exactly what it sets out to be, a no frills, bona fide rollercoaster of an action flick. Anderson is staying on top of the mindless action filmmaker heap. Statham is staying on top of the action star heap. ‘Death Race’ is pure awesomeness.

(4 out of 5 stars)

[rating: 3.75/5]