Review: Crank

Posted by: Dean Kish  •  August 31, 2006 @ 11:59am

Filed under: Reviews

It seems that Hollywood is still searching for that next great action star. It's been years since we have seen an action star breakout and claim the prize. I have been saying for years that Jason Statham is the next great action star. I was proven right by both Transporter films. But it seems as if still no one notices.

That brings me to Statham's latest film, Crank. Statham stars as Chev Chelios, a hitman with all sorts of personal problems including that he has been poisoned by one of his many rivals. To stay alive, Chelios has to keep his adrenaline pumping Best Fashion Jewelry or he may not be able to get vengeance before he dies. He will do literally anything for an adrenaline fix. Anything!

The film is littered with car chases, fights, crashes, and gun battles. The filmmakers make you feel as Chelios does, as he tries to get to the bottom of his murder and say goodbye to the woman (Amy Smart) he loves. It is an adrenaline rush and that's not the best part. Statham is bold, energetic, and full of unrelenting power. Amy Smart's ditsy blonde love-interest/side-kick to Statham is like oil and water and adds to the films chemistry and humor.

I did have some problems with this bold action film as it did take a lot of liberties with its open-styled feel. There were a lot of sequences that made me feel as if the filmmakers had been locked in a room for months playing "Grand Theft Auto". Then there is also the controversial public sex scene in Los Angeles Chinatown. The scene was uncalled for but did show how desperate Chelios was to stay alive. The scene is off-putting but light-hearted and has to be seen to be believed. It's one of the strangest scenes I have seen in a while.

Even in a small film like this, Statham still once more proves to me that he is the next great action star. How come no one will listen to me? (3.5 out of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.