Death Race – Review
by john on Aug.24, 2009, under Reviews
Paul W.S. Anderson gets a lot of internet hate. Not quite as much as Michael Bay, but it’s up there. If you’ve not heard of him, he’s the guy responsible for the Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, and AVP movies. If you’ve seen any of those, I’m sure you just opened up another tab to sign up for the Hate Club.
This time around, Anderson gives us a remake (or maybe just a revision) of Death Race 2000. The original stared David Carradine and Sly Stallone, but here we get Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson. Obviously a step in the wrong direction, but this is a crappy action flick. Let’s get our expectations in line, shall we?
For those unfamiliar with Death Race, the plot goes like this: In the near future, America’s economy collapses. Civil unrest run rampant, filling up the for-profit prisons. So, in order to make a quick buck, the prisons set up car races with guns and broadcast it for ratings.
In the modernization, the races get power-ups placed on the track. Really, they are just manhole covers with symbols on them, but if you’ve ever seen a video game, you know them as power-ups. For example, drive over a sword and the guns get activated. A shield will activate the smoke and oil defensive weapons. The final, most powerful power-up spawns a red turtle shell in front. Truly devastating.
A few rounds of Mario Kart would provide more enjoyment, but sometimes you’re just in the mood for a crappy action flick. You know there’s better stuff out there, but it doesn’t matter. No amount of logic or reason will keep you away. Just like those 2AM Chalupa runs.
Grade: D+
