- Film Review
- Reviewed By Alan Jones
-
3 out of 5
Privatised prisons make a killing forcing inmates into pay-per-view car races to the death in director Paul WS Anderson's bluntly violent take on the future for extreme sports and reality TV. Jason Statham consolidates his action-hero credentials as ex-Nascar champion Jensen Ames, who's framed for murder to become a pawn in the machinations of sadistic warden Hennessey (Joan Allen), until he sets his own escape agenda. Though very loosely based on the cult flick Death Race 2000, this is more like The Shawshank Redemption meets the video game Twisted Metal, as the political satire of the 1975 original is dulled here by a surfeit of epic crashes, spectacular explosions and bloody revenge. It's a frenetically edited stunt collection that is serviceably packaged by Anderson - despite some gaping plot holes. Statham does his charismatic moody loner turn, but it's Ian McShane who rises above the exploitation B-movie script with A-list production values, playing a genius mechanic who provides Statham with his weapons-customised vehicle.
Plot Summary
Futuristic action thriller starring Jason Statham and Joan Allen. After being wrongly jailed for his wife's murder, a former racing driver is offered the chance to win back his freedom by taking part in the latest reality-TV craze - a motor race so violent it results in the deaths of most competitors.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Jensen Ames
- Jason Statham
- Machine Gun Joe
- Tyrese Gibson
- Coach
- Ian McShane
- Hennessey
- Joan Allen
- Case
- Natalie Martinez
- Slovo "Angel Wings" Pachenko
- Max Ryan
- Ulrich
- Jason Clarke (2)
- Lists
- Frederick Koehler
- Gunner
- Jacob Vargas
- Grimm
- Robert LaSardo
- Suzy
- Janaya Stephens
- Frankenstein
- David Carradine
Crew
- Director
- Paul Anderson (1)
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