Summer Review #5 -- Death Race

A crash-boom-bang movie if ever there was one, this Paul W.S. Anderson remake is an apocalyptic thrill ride. Think The Running Man and Wedlock amplified -- more guns and more violence, on a full tank of gas. The story takes place in the dystopian United States of 2012, after the economy has collapsed and prisons become overpopulated. Framed convict Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) ends up on Terminus Island, a prison where sadistic warden Hennessy (Joan Allen) is the brain behind a brutal convict race watched by millions of viewers. As a condition to win his freedom and see his infant daughter again, Ames has no choice but to participate in the game that pits him against various criminals populating the place, including Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), who has revenge against another driver on his mind... The audience has certain expectations when going into a movie like this one, and these do not include Oscar-worthy acting or an intricate screenplay. One does, however, expect good and possibly innovative stunts, souped-up cars and tough-as-nails characters, and the movie works well on this level. It does boast palpable plot holes, not the least of which are the identity issue and the fact that, with the economy being non-existent and $300 being a fortune, millions of people still manage to shell out good money for entertainment. As far as the cast goes, Jason Statham is convincing as Ames, and does well in the few parts that require gritty emotion. I have always liked Statham, who I find to be that rare action star of today that can actually bring a rough believability to the silver screen. There are good supporting turns by Ian McShane and Joan Allen, both of whom bring clout and unexpected depth to otherwise forgettable roles, particularly McShane as Ames's trainer. It has to be said, though, that Allen's character spews out such a preposterous line toward the end of the movie, that I spent the rest of the movie wondering how the actor succeeded in uttering it with a straight face, but I digress. The prison residents are unsavory enough; the cinematography is appropriately gray and bleak, if a little over the top; and the stunts are worth seeing on the big screen. Death Race is a mayhem-fueled vehicle, often hindered by logic holes, but helped enormously by its star's charisma and supporting cast.

6/10