Death Race Reader's Review!

Trustworthy reader "Sebastian" managed to go to a screening for Paul W.S. Anderson's remake of Roger Corman's cult classic "Death Race," which stars Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez, and Jason Clarke.

Jason Statham leads the cast of an action-thriller set in the post-industrial wasteland of tomorrow, with the world’s most brutal sporting event as its backdrop. A penitentiary full of felons has inspired the jailers to create a grisly pastime ripe for lucrative kickbacks. Now, adrenalized inmates, a global audience hungry for televised violence and a spectacular arena come together to form the Death Race.

After reading the review it seems Paul W.S. Anderson might be the actual right person to helm Spy Hunter.

Here is what reader "Sebastian" tells us.

I went into Paul W. S. Anderson’s Death Race with pretty low expectations, a good rule of thumb for any of Anderson’s films. Surprisingly, however, I actually left the theater in a good mood as I felt I had actually been entertained for the past ninety minutes. In fact, had I paid ten bucks to see it, I wouldn’t have felt ripped off, another shock considering Anderson’s recent work.

Your typical dystopian not-too-distant future (although I gleaned this from the script – the film isn’t too clear about time period). So we start in the last leg of the infamous Death Race, a high-stakes race where teams of inmates are given killer cars to drive around and, well, kill each other. A masked individual named FRANKENSTEIN holds an impressive lead while MACHINE-GUN JOE, guns after him. Frank’s co-driver, HOT FEMALE CON, tries to use the last of his weapons to fight off Joe, but they’re all clogged. She ejects and, in the end, Frank wins, but his car is destroyed in the process.

Now we go to some recently closed factory where JASON STATHAM, playing the only character he ever plays, is suddenly out of work. He goes home, not the least bit downtrodden because his wife is hot and they have a newborn. They smile, make love, and swear everything will be okay. That’s when a guy with a DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC (a tattoo or scar or something) sneaks into the house, kills the wife, and frames Statham.

So JS is taken to the toughest prison in the world where he meets the WARDEN, Joan Allen playing her character from the Bourne movies on steroids. As it turns out, Statham used to be a hot shot racer and the warden wants him for the Death Race. But here’s the twist – she wants him to play someone else.

The character of Frankenstein is a hero to the inmates and the most popular racer to TV audiences. As luck would have it, the real Frank, some guy who was so horribly disfigured that he wore a mask, died recovering from wounds from his last win.

The warden offers Statham an early release if he dons the mask and wins a few races. Obviously, he agrees and meets his crew, led by a surly, streetwise IAN MCSHANE channeling Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption.

As he prepares for the race, Statham meets the other psychotic including, Frank’s nemesis Machine-Gun Joe. Meanwhile, he notices the fellow with the distinguishing characteristic is actually a prisoner and finds out that the warden just might be a little shiftier than anyone had thought.

With the odds are stacked against him, Statham dons the mask and fights to win – and stay alive – at any cost.

Off the bat, let me say that this is obviously not a high-caliber (no pun intended) film. That being sad, it is entertaining. The script by J. F. Lawton, writer of such gems as Under Siege, Blankman, and shockingly enough Pretty Woman (I can see the poster now… DEATH RACE – from the writer of Pretty Woman), is actually not bad and this not bad feeling really translates on screen.

The characters are fairly well developed and relatively engaging. Statham plays the same role in nearly every film – Death Race is no different – but he’s perfectly cast and brings his usual badass charisma to the role. Some strong supporting characters add some nice color to the story; Joan Allen really chews on the scenery but Ian McShane almost steals the show, turning in an actually decent performance. Tyrsese also holds his own, as does Statham’s hot co-driver.

So overall, the story actually has a little depth and a few nice twists, so long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief for the length of the film. But no one is going to go for the story – they’re going for the action, which is the one thing Paul W.S. Anderson is fairly good at doing.

The action won’t let you down. The races are gory and exciting with shaky camera, quick cuts, and explosions galore. It’s clear Anderson wants the audience to have fun with this – and the audience I saw it with got into it. If you go expecting decent pop-corn fare, you’ll have fun and leave fairly entertained.
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