Crank

This kinetically charged, ultra-violent, adrenaline rush of a picture begins with a rapid intensity and doesn’t let up until the final frame has passed. It boasts yet another cool-as-nails performance from Jason Statham, a veteran of Guy Ritchie movies and a proven action star from the Transporter films. Statham plays Chev Chelios, a hitman who awakens in his own home only to discover that he has been injected with a rare poison that will kill him in an hour’s time. Chelios learns from his doctor that as long as his heart doesn’t slow down, he might be able to delay his death long enough to get revenge on the idiots responsible. Thus begins an unrelenting chase in which our hero does every ridiculous thing possible in order to keep his energy moving at lightening speed. Granted, the premise was probably concocted by the filmmakers as a way to cram as much action into 90 minutes as is humanly possible—and the hyper pace certainly never gives the audience time to realize that the movie doesn’t really have much of a plot and acts more as a gimmick—but kudos to everyone involved for playing this baby for laughs. The film never holds back and it is for this reason, its embracement of utter absurdity, which prevents it from being a complete waste of time.

Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.
Written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.
Starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Dwight Yoakam.

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality, nudity and drug use. 87 min.

**½ so says The Fish