Death Race : Movie Review


It’s the near future… Welcome to Terminal Island gentlemen. Prepare to serve your time on this hard, cold, rock of a prison complex. Meet Hennessey the ice-queen warden (Joan Allen). She’s afraid of no man – or woman, and she rules with an iron fist.

Public interest in extreme sports and reality TV has grown ever greater until the ultimate bloodsport was born – The Death Race. Extreme racing played out by the insane prisoners, in cars modified for murder.

Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is the former racing car champion that Hennessey frames for the murder of his wife simply because her previous best driver, Frankenstein, was killed. Determined not to let her ratings slip she has Ames play out the role of Frankenstein (in secret – he wears a mask to obscure his face) in order to keep the fans tuning in.

Jason Statham is predictably buffed-up for the movie and fits the role well as the tough (apparently he is also an iron worker) and fast racing driver. While Joan Allen, usually the sort to appear in high brow movies appears to be having a great time slumming it and adds a touch of class along with Ian McShane.

Scripted and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson as a re-imagining of the 1975 classic, of the same name, Death Race is a high octane, thrill ride, of fast cars, hot women – as rally style navigators, and brutal on-track killings. The violence is fairly stylised and although still probably not for the fainthearted, it’s not exactly 18 material either as it’s rated in the 15 category. Nevertheless it’s not the usual watered down fare that we are constantly forced to watch these days and for those that enjoy their action movies a little darker, it’s a real treat.

4/5

Author : Kevin Stanley