Mayhem rules in Death Race, a head-over-heels remake of the Roger Corman cult classic Death Race 2000, in which cars become lethal weapons. The strength of this new version is its total single-mindedness about vehicular homicide; it has the virtue of no cluttering subplots or simpering sentimentality. And banish all memory of the original's wild satirical comedy: Death Race is as grim as a dinner tray to the face (a reference that will be explained in a key sequence). In a slightly futuristic maximum-security prison, cons take part in brutal races around the island prison, their violent deaths watched live by millions of viewers. Jason Statham, possibly cast because of his driving dexterity in the Transporter movies, plays a man wrongly imprisoned for murder. Joan Allen provides her brittle cool as the warden, who recruits Statham to assume the masked persona of a legendary driver called Frankenstein. Tyrese Gibson is Frankie's main rival, Natalie Martinez provides the fetching eye candy, but the acting honors go to Ian McShane, as the philosophical prison mechanic. One misses the cross-country race from the original film, as the setting here is claustrophobic and the cars are largely colorless and indistinguishable from each other. Director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) continues to display the sensibility of a video-game addict, which will either be a recommendation or a turn-off, depending on your own tastes. At least it doesn't have the hypocritical moral blathering of something like the somewhat similar Condemned--who knew you could be so grateful for simple, straight-forward head-bashing? --Robert Horton
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: You wanted a monster? Well, you've got one. Comment: Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):
1. By 2012 the US Economy is completely ruined (guess it doesn't matter who you vote for)
2. Prisons are packed thanks to spiraling unemployment and crime
3. Private corporations run the prisons for profit (Serious business, as there's no money left for a bail-out)
4. Terminal Island Prison runs pay-per-view death races as a fund raiser, using inmates to drive cars tricked out with weapons and armor plating
5. There are no rules except if Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) says there are
6. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is framed for the death of his wife
7. Hennessey makes him an offer he can't refuse
8. He becomes a man in an iron mask, with a killer car (literally), a female navigator (to boost PPV ratings) and a pit crew led by scene stealing Ian McShane.
9. Lots of stunt driving, shooting of big guns and explosions follow, although you really can't tell who's shooting at whom for most of it
10. People die
Typical shoot `em up action movie involving high speed racing in armored cars and lots of bad guys, but with plot holes bigger than those left by the armor-piercing RPG Model 7's.
Statham plays his usual tough guy "Transporter" role, and Tyrese Gibson does everything but sing the Coca Cola jingle as arch rival Machine Gun Joe. They throw in a little inspirational family story to soften it up a little, and a teensy tiny little budding romance with dialogue like:
Jensen Ames: [while driving] Get on my lap.
Case: What?
Jensen Ames: Get on my lap!
Recommended for Statham fans and action movie buffs, but I can't see this one going down as a classic for all time.
Jensen Ames: [to Hennessey] You wanted a monster? Well, you've got one.
Rated: 3.5 stars
Amanda Richards, September 22, 2008
Customer Rating: Summary: it is awesome action and great race! Comment: You should see this movie. Not really boring. Most action and no stop! Its same since the transporter! Jason is great action and look very serious guy! You better watch it ! Customer Rating: Summary: An Action-Packed Thrill Ride!!! Comment: I thought Death Race was really good! There are a lot of awesome race scenes and plenty of guns shooting! Jason Statham plays a man wrongfully accused of killing his wife. The Warden wants him to race in a prison game. If you win 5 times, you go free, but the Warden tries to make it difficult for him. The guards build a huge truck stocked with guns and try to kill the racers. If you love action, you'll love DEATH RACE!!! Customer Rating: Summary: Great Fast action movie Comment: I saw this movie lastnight with my aunt and we really liked it. Jason Statham was great and very easy on the eyes too. Jason plays " Frank " who loses his wife to murder and he is charged and sent to Termenal island prison. at the prison there is a race where who ever wins five races gets out. After he get there he is told that he will be Frankinstin who had died but know one knows that. the deal is that frank has to win five races and he has already won 4. so all the new frank has to do is win one. this is an action pact movie. Customer Rating: Summary: Racing has never been THIS fun before... Comment: What do you get when you combine prisoners that have a chance to get out of prison and racing cars? DEATH RACE, the new action film with Jason Statham and Joan Allen.
Jason Statham is a fantastic actor. He's one of my favorite actors as well, he's proven himself to be not just an action star, but a fantastic one as well. Action films like Ghosts of Mars (Special Edition), The Transporter, and Crank (Widescreen Edition) were definitely fun action flicks that definitely had me on the enge of my seat the whole time. The only movie of his I didn't like was War [Blu-ray]. But The Bank Job was a movie that proved he could act other than doing just action flicks.
In Death Race, Jason Statham stars as Jensen, a factory worker who has just finished hs last day at work. He comes home to his beautiful wife and baby, whom he loves very much and would do anything for. But when a killer bursts into his house one night and kills his wife, the police confuse him for the killer, and is sent to jail. In order to get out, Hennessy, the warden of the prison gives him a chance: DEATH RACE, a deadly car race where if you want out, you have to win five races. He accepts, and enters the game, finding himself at competition against other criminals such as 14K and Machine Gun Joe. However, when he discovers that the killer is in the same prison as he, he makes him the number one target during the race!
This is a fun and guilty pleasure movie. A Great cast, some great one liners and fantastic action, you can never go wrong. The acting is good and the girl as Jensen's partner is HOT!!!!!
So if you want some fun crah-em-and-bang-em-up action, go see this!
