A Race of Death!

''I love this game.''

Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.

Jason Statham: Jensen Ames

I wasn't sure what to expect with Death Race. On one side of the coin I was worried it may just be another vehicle action junkie driving film for Jason Statham, on the other I'd say from the trailer it looked like one hell of a rush with more action you can shake a massive stick at.
Death Race pleasingly falls into the latter and much to my surprise was very enjoyable and the time flies. For all it's seriousness it applies dark warped humour and injects proceedings with madness and action packed stunts.
This makes Fast and the Furious look like a paper bag, while Death Race pummels the shit out of bag with a heavy laden crowbar.

''Okay cocksucker. Fuck with me, and we'll see who shits on the sidewalk.''

The action packed Death Race offers us interesting characters within a prison complex, and a plot that has a simple premise. Drivers pitted against each other in a vehicle gladiatorial battle for freedom.
Old hand Actors such as Ian McShane, Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, not to mention the ultra sexy Natalie Martinez, all of them and more spice up the heavy onslaught of action packed carnage that arises.

The action and effects will have fans of this genre drooling and baying for more. I couldn't refrain from bursting out laughing throughout. Definitely some high octane shit going down. Plot wise it's hardly original, story wise it's predictable, it's highly unrealistic in places but you're hardly going to care when you have cars flying in the air flaming and heavy weaponry ripping the shit out of anything that moves.

Director Paul W.S. Anderson has taken the inspiration of Death Race 2000 and spat out this crossbreeded show of Running Man proportions with some ace heavy artillery accompanied cars.
Saying all this, and I haven't even got onto the music and Soundtrack of Death Race which is awesome. It had me banging my head in accompanying rhythm, bloody fantastic variety to say the least.

''Don't talk to the other drivers. Frank never did. Part of the mystique. Let the mask do the work.''

In conclusion, Death Race does exactly what it sets out to achieve. Which to excite, to electrify and to dazzle. It's the kind of action movie that doesn't require any thinking but the simplicity of seating back and going with the flow per say. Plus Statham gets another car movie like Transporter under his belt. A sheer colossus of a scorcher that accelerates right up till the end.

''You wanted a monster? Well, you've got one.''


7/10