“”Death Race”” is quite possibly this summer’s most brutal movie. In this re-make of the 1975 cult hit “”Death Race 2000,”” director Paul W.S. Anderson spares no gore. It’s 2012. The United States economy has come to a crashing halt, unemployment is at an all time high and prisons are filled to the brim. As a result, private corporations own all prisons. The nation’s favorite sport is the death race, a show broadcast live and uncut in which drivers race to the death for their freedom. This film is so bad it’s good.
The script is pure cheese, a failed attempt at seriousness. The acting doesn’t bring much to the table either. These actors would be mistaken for high school thespians were it not for the big budget special effects this film brings to the table.
“”Death Race”” is action packed and not for the squeamish. The film follows ex-con and racecar driver Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), who is framed for his wife’s murder and sent to Terminal Island Prison.
Now, don’t think this film is simply an hour and a half of Ames driving around like a mad man and killing other racers. There is a subplot to pull on the heartstrings, too. Ames must win his fifth race and freedom to reunite with his infant daughter. Surprisingly, the moral of the movie is that family comes first.
– Ali Freedman