Crank Kicks Some Serious Ass!

September 2, 2006
by Alex Billington

Before you see Crank, there's only one thing you need to do - chug a Redbull! This non-stop action film tosses out adrenaline-filled scene-after-scene complete with brutal violence, rampant sex, and high-speed car chases. John Woo's time is over, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are the new kings of action today! Using plenty of new techniques, including not only high-definition cameras, but incredibly unique visual editing and high-intensity cinematography, they've put together a new standard for action films. Lionsgate should be happy to know that they've put out one of the greatest action films of 2006.

The story of Crank is simple: hit man Chev Chelios (played by Jason Statham) wakes up drugged with a poison that kills him unless he can keep his heart pumping fast enough. What better way to keep your heart pumping fast than driving at high speeds all over Los Angeles, getting into fights with nearly everyone, injecting synthetic adrenaline, or making love to your girlfriend. All of this on top of trying to track down his private doctor for an antidote and find the guy who poisoned him and all of his cronies.

Crank truly resembles a real rollercoaster experience. A slightly slow boring start as the chain slowly lifts you up the hill. In a matter of minutes you reach the top where it drops you off into a never-ending joyride of flips, corkscrews, and more. Then you finally reach the end where the brakes jolt you to a stop and you crawl along the track back into the station. Everyone in the audience hops in the same car together and rides this thing to completion. There won't be a single person who isn't laughing with tears or as fueled as Jason Statham every minute as he pumps himself full of adrenaline. The story runs a great start to finish, fulfilling every wish and desire of the angered Statham. As unstructured as the plot may be, there is no need for anything detailed, because this simple story is all that's needed to create an enjoyable action flick.

Many of the new techniques that co-directors Neveldine and Taylor have implemented positively enhance the experience. For some of the beginning, they momentarily freeze-frame, over-contrast the image, and elongate the audio (usually a shriek) - all to help emphasize the energy and hype for Statham's character as he builds up his own heart rate. In addition, filming with the high-definition cameras allowed them to try wild cinematography techniques that, although ineffective in most other films, succeeded in exemplifying the energy and speed of the story in Crank.

Last Word:
One of the best action films of this year. It's not meant to make anyone think over how their life could change at the drop of some Chinese drug, it's a movie made to entertain through the action and comedy that we all love - and it does just that. Statham kicks some ass in more ways than one and delivers a non-stop fueled feature, one of his best performances next to Snatch. This is indeed a stand-out action film from this year that will establish an exciting new standard for the future. This rollercoaster is worth its pretty penny and wait-in-line and will even deliver a complete hour-and-a-half ride. Don't miss the opportunity to go catch Crank on the big screen with energetic audiences; it's no fun riding a rollercoaster alone.

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