Movie Info

Crank

Poison in his veins. Vengeance in his heart.

I didn't know what to expect when watching Crank. I knew what was in the trailer so I thought it would be your typical action/drama/thriller with Jason Statham. I thought it would be similar to the Transporter or even Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels. I was definitely surprised when Crank was nothing like those movies.

Chev has been poisoned. He only has hours to live and the only way to slow down the poison is to keep the adrenaline in his body pumping. Otherwise, his heart slows down and he's a dead man. Now Chev ain't the nicest of men (he's a hit-man). He probably deserved to be poisoned but the movie isn't about that. The movie is about Chev exacting revenge on those who betrayed and poisoned him. So begins the ride.

The movie starts of high-paced and frantic. In fact, the entire movie is filmed as if the cameramen were on speed. Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor try to show us Chev's world as the poison courses through his body. Many of the scenes are cluttered together and they suddenly cut from one view to another. It's like the viewers are suffering Attention Deficit Disorder.

This was brilliant. With the number of jolts per second upped by the filming style, the audience experiences the adrenaline rush that Chev tries to maintain. In a cruel manner, there are times where you get some breathing room and BAM! you're off running with Chev again.

Jason Statham is truly one of the next generation's action heroes. His stunts are great and he's got that gritty attitude that you need in an action hero. Amy Smart was surprisingly good as Chev's clueless girlfriend. Just one question, why do all hitmen claim to be "programmers" or some other mundane jobs? Sigh. Anyways, there was a particularly funny (and hot) scene with Chev and Eve in Chinatown. Funny stuff.

The soundtrack was awesome for the movie. Another funny scene is where Chev is headbanging to some good old country music. I couldn't stop laughing. The music really sets the tone for some of the scenes.

As we race through the streets of LA, we witness Chev perform some crazy feats. Or do we? Are we the ones drugged? Maybe we're seeing things. The entire movie is just fun to watch and I'd watch it again for the mindless violence and escape from reality. At less than 90 minutes, it's a great movie to watch to kill some time or to really get your blood pumping.

I won't ruin the ending for you. Go watch it and see for yourself. I personally enjoyed the film, but I could see many disliking the way the movie was filmed and ultimately finding the movie to be dismal. There's no real plot, just the standard kill kill kill. I wasn't expecting much and got more than I expected.

Dragoncrypt - Monday, March 19, 2007