DEATH RACE (2008)

Written & Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson
Based on an original story by: lb Melchior & Original Screenplay By Charles Griffith & Robert Thom Cinematography By: Scott Kevan
Editor: Niven Howie

 Cast: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Jacob Vargas, Natalie Martinez, Ian McShane, Frederick Koehler

Each year we are given Jason Statham in at least 2 new action films sometimes he makes up for the lackluster ones with a good movie like THE BANK JOB, but then to make the money and please the action fans we get him starring in movies like this. 

I like to think of Jason Statham as the British Bruce Willis and about every three films that he appears in he makes a good one (Crank, The Transporter) the others run from decent (This) to downright horrible (Dungeon Siege) 

 

This film while really being loosely based on the original film DEATH RACE 2000 doesn’t embarrass itself completely. It has a good cast and good action sequences. It reminds me more of THE RUNNING MAN with the falsely imprisoned man the satire of future audiences being entertained by prisoners killing each other in competitions and it being mostly about money and interestingly enough a sexy Spanish female sidekick. Both films starring foreigners. 

From this film and Paul W.S. Anderson’s career pretty much after his original films SOLDIER and EVENT HORIZON didn’t exactly light up the box office. It seems now that he prefers to either make his mark in the ongoing film series Aliens Vs. Predator or film movies that have been well established as videogames or remaking movies that he uses heavy influences from another. Now having said that, He isn’t a hack but a decent commercial director. 

 This film is good popcorn entertainment never boring but you can tell where it is going every minute. It is loud and action-filled. It’s rude and crude with nothing really original to say. It has its decadent indulgences like in the middle of the race a big bulldozer of a truck that takes out half the competition that has been presented as such a huge obstacle is taken out so fast you wonder if it was really needed in the first place. 

If you're just looking for something entertaining without thinking too much this is the film. It’s very violent but with enough eye candy to smooth that over. Even with its dank surroundings. 

The film takes place in the future where corporations run the penal colonies since the unemployment rate is at an all-time high. Which causes crime to soar and prison overcrowding. The prisons are now run death races on pay-per-view to raise revenue and take out the prison population. 

So when reigning champion Frankenstein is killed there is a replacement needed and it just so happens a new prisoner is recruited to replace him as a former race driver on the outside. He is thereafter being falsely accused of killing his wife and promised freedom if he wins the death race. He just has to survive especially against Frankenstein's rival Machine Gun Joe and a sadistic warden. 

Interesting how it almost ties into the current situation the world is finding itself in. Joan Allen is obviously slumming but unfortunately in Hollywood, as an actress gets older the harder it is to find worthwhile roles so at least if your name isn’t Meryl Streep, Glenn Close or Susan Sarandon. 

Ms. Allen relishes her role and sinks her teeth in as the main villain. This at least brings the movie up another level towards respectability. 

One must give mention to Natalie Martinez who is just so fine and who I look forward to seeing in better roles that at least really give her a part to play but at least here she is a nice part of the eye candy. 

 GRADE: C+