Directed by:
Paul W.S. AndersonCinematography:
Scott KevanComposer:
Paul HaslingerCast:
Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez, Max Ryan, Jacob Vargas, Jason Clarke, Robert LaSardo, Robin Shou, Janaya Stephens (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Sci-fi action adventure based on Paul Bartel's 1975 film Death Race 2000. Jason Statham stars as former racing driver Jensen Ames, who is sent to Terminal Island prison after being framed for the murder of his wife. There, he is forced by the masochistic Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) to compete in a lethal car race where the contestants must win or die. (Universal Pictures UK)
(more)Videos (4)
Reviews (10)
A computer game turned into a film without a joystick, but incredibly self-aware. Anderson surprisingly put effort into it and brilliantly succeeded, starting with computer “competition” inserts, and ending with excellently filmed action scenes. I saw the unrated version and blood was definitely not spared. So what if it's silly to the point of misery? It's not about that, and as pure action entertainment, it's a showpiece. There’s plenty of shooting and aggressive driving, and even though the whole thing sometimes feels a bit repetitive (only one track), Paul occasionally engages the imagination and beautifies the slightly emerging stereotype with some quality and proper bloody accident. The tanker crash is absolutely spectacular! ()
Paul W.S. Anderson is quite an unpredictable director, you never know whether his next project will be good or really bad. This time things have fortunately worked well and Death Race is brilliant B-movie fun that might not be as mad as Doomsday, but it holds together a lot better. Anderson has made me happy this time, but I’m still not forgiving him for AvP. ()
A well-made B-movie with musclemen racing in cars that at last I wouldn’t be afraid of trying out on Czech roads. And Statham’s musculature again rekindled my desire to make regular trips to the gym a New Year’s resolution. Otherwise Mr. Anderson performed exceedingly well, everything about him was A-grade (B-movie A-grade), but he’s going have to try harder for me to be able to forgive him for Alien vs. Predator. And who would have guessed that Joan Allen as the warden would outdo all of those navigator beauties. ()
Anderson's unacknowledged adaptation of Carmageddon and the admitted remake of Death Race 2000. If Death Race were not so bitter and humorless, it could have easily competed with this season's B-movie king, Doomsday. Here, too, B-movie is synonymous not with a lack of craft, but with genuine entertainment. Albeit dumb entertainment (but not executed in a stupid manner), but at the same time stylish, energetic and constant, though somewhat repetitive. ()
The routine direction here is really masked by frantic editing, which is not really representative of 21st century action. It's just that I enjoyed the film so much because it doesn't play so incredibly close to the vest, plus after eleven years Anderson has finally made a film that has balls. That truck scene would have given even a Wynorski film at least two stars. ()
Ads