On Screen / Linda Cook

Death Race stalls

| Friday, August 29, 2008 | () comments

Here’s a quasi-remake that stalls out early on.

The futuristic “Death Race 2000,” made in 1975, consisted of hit-and-run driving, which it said would become a sport in the year 2000, with drivers earning points for mowing down pedestrians.

This adults-only offering is quite different from the original Roger Corman flick, although it contains some characters with the same names. “Death Race” bears more of a resemblance to “The Condemned,” where those facing capital punishment fight to the death in battles that can be seen on the Internet.

Here, the situation also involves a prison setting in which inmates build destructive vehicles and then race to the death for the privilege of ultimate release. The warden, inexplicably portrayed by Joan Allen, is cold and manipulative. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is a mill worker who is trying to support his wife and daughter when he suddenly is framed for his wife’s death. He is tried and found guilty, and then taken to Terminal Island, where is forced to become a contestant in the Death Race.

Other racers include Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), who may have put an end to the victorious Frankenstein, a masked driver whose true identity is unknown to most. The warden orders Ames to wear the Frankenstein mask and take the place of the popular driver. Ames meets Coach (Ian McShane), who leads his pit crew, and his assistant Case (Natalie Martinez).

The movie starts off right away with blood and violence, and the body/viscera count adds up as the stages of the race progress. If you like vehicles, you might enjoy this nonsense just to see the souped-up death machines, all equipped with bizarre weaponry. Mostly, though, logic is thrown to the winds while the cars race around and various drivers are killed, making the experience more like watching a video game than a standard film.

You’ve seen Statham in this sort of role before. He’s becoming an action brand, and he won’t disappoint his fans. Again, the general concept is the emphasis on the public’s lust for violence and action: Would someone really pay $99 to watch convicts kill each other (shades of “Running Man!”)? Perhaps the irony is that the audience for this very movie is not so far removed from the fictional futuristic viewers.

Linda Cook reviews movies for the Quad-City Times and KWQC-TV. Contact her at lcook@qctimes.com. Comment on this review at qctimes.com.

1 star

Running time: One hour and 45 minutes

Rated: R for violence, sexual situations and foul language

Stars: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez and Max Ryan

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Screenwriter: Anderson, based on the 1975 screenplay “Death Race 2000” by Robert Thom and Charles Griffith