Death Race Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 view all 2 reviews

jmdobies
Austin, TX

Pointless Remake of 'Death Race 2000' with Jason Statham

into action flicks, forty something, a writer, Blogger, a cult film connoisseur, parent of two, psychotronic genius, Lover of quirky, unique films

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Pros

Joan Allen, Ian McShane's Performances, Things Getting Blown Up Real Good

Cons

Misses the Point of the Original

SEP

2008

Sometimes a remake is even better than the film that is being remade. Sometimes the remake completely misses the point of the original.

Death Race is a remake of 1975's Death Race 2000, and it falls squarely into the latter category.

The original Death Race, directed by Paul Bartel and starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone, was a prescient satirical action-comedy wherein participants in a cross-country car race gained extra credit for running down pedestrians. Set 25 years in the future, it anticipated the devolving American culture of reality television and empty pay-per-view spectacles by portrayning a combination of NASCAR, WWE, and The Most Dangerous Game.

The 2008 Death Race, directed by action hack Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien Vs. Predator) and starring follically-challenged British tough guy Jason Statham (The Transporter, Snatch), is set four years in the future in a very dystopian 2012. The movie depicts a bleak, gray landscape that would suggest that if you think things are bad right now, just wait, and the shite is really going to hit the fan.

Statham's character undergoes a series of misfortunes in the first act, leading to his imprisonment on a trumped-up charge. The warden (Joan Allen) offers a unique form of rehabilitation, where prisoners can gain their freedom by participating in the death race of the title. She chooses Statham to replace champion death racer "Frankenstein" (voiced by David Carradine, the original Frankie). He is trained by Ian McShane, clearly enjoying himself in the role of Statham's mentor.

That's the set-up, and suffice to say that a lot of cars crash, things get blown up, and the body count escalates as the movie goes on.

Whereas you could spend a couple of hours in an air-conditioned theater watching this mindless summer action movie, or you could rent the original, sit back, and enjoy the mayhem and social commentary.

Last edited on Sep 11, 2008