Seen on: August 22, 2008

The players: Director: Paul W.S. Anderson, Writer: Paul W.S. Anderson, Cast: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez

Facts of interest: Based on 1975's "Death Race 2000."

The plot: A man (Statham) is framed for his wife's murder and forced to participate in a brutal car race in which drivers must kill each other on the road to victory.

Our quick thoughts: For the most part, Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Death Race” offers you exactly what the trailer and TV spots promised: brutal, fast-paced car racing. That’s what you should expect if you plan to see the flick, because that’s all you get for the price of admission. Surprisingly, “Race” is not that bad of a big-screen experience. It’s utterly brainless, sure, but it’s also efficient enough to offer some of you a darn good time.

Based on Paul Bartel’s “Death Race 2000,” the film is set in the near future, when people in North America are suffering from the consequences of a collapsed economy. Crime rates are through the roof and private corporations are running most of the country’s overcrowded prisons. In an attempt to get rid of some inmates, a ruthless prison warden (Joan Allen) invents Death Race, a violent race during which prisoners must kill each other on the road to victory. The winner of the race will regain his freedom.

Jason Statham plays lead character Jensen Ames, a former NASCAR driver who ends up getting hard time after being framed for his wife’s murder. Forced to participate in Death Race, which by the way is streamed online for everybody who agrees to pay a fee, Ames must fight to stay alive until the very end if he ever wants to the return to the life outside the prison walls. But Ames is a much cleverer guy than the rest of the racers, which is why he quickly puts the pieces together and uncovers the true reason behind the deadly competition.

As long as the cars are out on the track, everything is fine and “Death Race” is rather enjoyable to watch. The film’s numerous action scenes may not break new ground, but they are well coordinated enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen. In fact, Anderson is so close to the action with his cameras, it’s hard not to be impressed with some of the stunts and visuals he and his crew managed to pull off. Watching these pimped cars engaging in an ultra-violent, explosive battle is a guilty pleasure for the most part, primarily because none of the characters is speaking too much and there’s no room for bad storytelling.

In between the stages of the race however, the movie completely breaks down. Whatever you do during your screening, please don’t use your brain and ask questions, because the script is completely devoid of logic. For instance, how does Allen’s character even reach millions of viewers who are willing to pay $250 to see the race online when in fact nobody even has enough money to feed their own family? And what’s the point of having navigators in a car when all they do is occasionally push a button point the drivers to shortcuts? I’ll stop right here because I’m sure you get the picture already.

Anyway, the plot is quite predictable and the film clearly fails to deliver suspense when no one is out on the road. Ridiculous dialogue and absurd twists dominate most of these scenes, leaving cinemagoers wondering at times if they took a wrong turn somewhere on the way to the theater. Why didn’t Anderson just stick with the silly non-stop action instead of setting up a bunch of intrigues that eventually misfire anyway? We’ll never know. 

The biggest joke in “Death Race,” however, is its disappointing ending, which clearly fails to deliver the kind of bombastic showdown you would expect in this kind of flick. What we get here before the finish line is embarrassing and far less exciting than some of the plot's earlier sequences.

A stronger point in the film is the cast. Jason Statham was born for this kind of roles, and he delivers a powerful performance as Jensen Ames. Ian McShane adds a little humor to the pic as Coach, who takes care of Ames’ Mustang and serves as a roadside assistant during the race. Also starring is Natalie Martinez, who doesn’t get to say much but mostly looks hot. As for Joan Allen, she’s just terrible. I don’t know what she was thinking in the first place when she signed up for this, but I just didn’t buy her performance.

Freaky quote: “I am offering you your freedom. All you have to do is walk off that track alive. And win, of course." – Joan Allen

The final word: I may have complained a lot about the movie up to this point, but “Death Race” is not a disastrous failure. You will likely get your money’s worth if you walk into the movie expecting nothing more than you’ve seen in the previews, but in case you start looking for more than just a bunch of car stunts, tons of explosions and violent kills, all hope is lost. “Death Race” is entertaining enough as long as the engines are running. If only they ran for the films’ entire 90 minutes.       

Article by Franck Tabouring