Death Race

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Year:	2008
Country of origin:	USA / Germany / UK
Director:	Paul W.S. Anderson
Genre:	High-octane remake
Starring:	Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson
Rating:	3/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452608/
Tagline:	Get ready for a killer ride.
Favourite line:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452608/

The modern remake of a seventies exploitation classic.

The plot:
It’s the future – well, the year 2012 – and the penal system in America has been privatised for profit. One prison governor decides the best way to make money is to stream online races to the death between convicts, the cars they drive equipped with both weaponry and defensive systems.
Frankenstein, the cult hero who pulls the biggest audiences, was unfortunately killed during the last race, but the public are not aware of this.
Framing Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) for the murder of his wife, he is coerced into adopting the persona of Frankenstein for the purpose of the race with the promise that, should he win, he will be granted his freedom.
Thing is, Jensen is no mug, and doubts the governor’s word, so begins plotting an alternative escape route……

Usually one to rail against remakes, I must confess this one did appeal as the original movie, though a cult classic and very, very entertaining, is seriously handicapped by appalling production standards. A modern attempt could only improve things in that regard.
Statham plays his usual character, the muscular man of few words, shaven of head, bereft of humour, clad in an oily white vest and trousers that cling just a little too tightly.
Plot-wise, this is slightly more complex than the predecessor, though only just and, unfortunately, the scale of the race has been downplayed. Instead of racing from coast to coast of the US, instead they are merely racing around a track on the prison island.
Still fun, just less epic.
Stylistically, this is all about video-games.
The way the drivers are introduced; well, that’s straight from Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
The design and look of the track; yep, that’s Burnout: Takedown.
And the weapons / shield pads they drive over; why, that’s sci-fi racer Wipeout, my good friends.
So, history repeats itself, only in reverse. The original movie went on to inspire the cult videogame Carmageddon, now videogames are informing the remake.
Funny old world, ain’t it?
The races themselves are frenetic and action packed, and pretty well handled by directing hack Paul ‘Alien Vs. Predator’, ‘Resident Evil’ Anderson - he also did the highly entertaining Event Horizon, to give him his due – and the pace never relents, so those into high-octane entertainment should be satisfied.
Better written than the original.
Better acted than the original.
Better directed than the original.
Not as much fun, though.