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"Crank" review (it's a movie)


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"Crank" review (it's a movie)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2006-09-02, 17:09



Starring Jason Statham, from "The Transporter".

Quite a little rush of a movie, I have to say. Take a dash of "Pulp Fiction" (the tough-talking criminal types and some wicked dark humor), stir in a bit of "Desperado" (cartoonish violence with some slightly over-the-top stunt work) and add a pinch of "Kill Bill" (the "so gory it's funny" moments of carnage).

The movie centers around a hitman type (Statham) who is double-crossed by some lowlife acquaintances and given an injection of some compound that inhibits your adrenalin, eventually killing you. The only way he can stay alive is to keep himself up, agitated, scared or experiencing various rushes. In the time he's got left to live, he wants to get his revenge on the people who did this to him. That's pretty much it.



Silly premise, but it works for me.

Some GREAT action sequences, humor out of nowhere, snappy dialogue and major gunplay (and butcher cleaver-play too ).

Set in downtown Los Angeles and filmed in a great style (funky angles, bleached or saturated tones in various sequences, quirky cross-cuts, split-screens, etc.) with a pumped-up soundtrack to match the onscreen action and mayhem.

The movie seems to take place somewhat in real time, opening with Statham learning of his poisoning in the opening minutes, and then BAM...it's on. Pretty much 100% go-go-go for the next 90 minutes. No real scenes of quietness or reflection.



Dwight Yoakam(!) is also in this (sans hat), playing a doctor buddy of Statham's character, trying to keep him alive until he has his revenge.

No earth-shattering plot or message to speak of, but if you liked "The Transporter" (the action, dark humor, "tough guy with a heart", stunts galore, etc.), then you'll like this.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, and it's the kind of movie I'd watch again, more than a few times, on FX or USA (like I would "Pulp Fiction" or others mentioned above). And a possible DVD purchase, only because I'd love to see some of the "behind the scenes" footage of the stuntwork and makeup FX.

Quite profane (lost count of the "F" words...rivals "Goodfellas" in that department, no easy feat!) and violent (a few body parts separated from their owner, but done in a "Kill Bill" type of way so it's not gross or gory as much as "ewwww...hahaha!"), so it comes by its "R" rating honestly. DO NOT take your kids to this thing! There's nothing remotely redeeming about it.



But it's a good, fast-moving action flick for grown-ups who like their tough-guy movies with a bit of style and humor (and I do).

The first of about 6-8 smaller-scale, more indie type things I'm looking forward to seeing in the coming months. My summer sucked so bad movie-wise, this is a promising start to my autumn viewing.

  quote
Foj
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta
 
2006-09-02, 17:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Dwight Yoakam(!) is in this
Dude, this was all you had to say to get me to go.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2006-09-02, 17:24

Yeah, he has some good, funny lines throughout. Looks so different without his cowboy hat (like a skinny Van Morrison)!

I think he's a good actor (considering the fact that's not his main occupation)...he gave me the creeps in "Sling Blade" (but also made me double over with laughter at the same time...go figure).

He does that "quirky smaller role of a lowlife, psycho or dipshit" thing quite well, in all the movies I've seen him in over the years. It's usually something interesting or watchable, whenever he's on screen.
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Artap99
Totally awesome.
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
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2006-09-02, 17:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
The movie centers around...
It isn't just you that I see doing this, but this is the first example I've seen in a while...you can't center something around something. That's why it is the center. The center is the middle. The around is the around.

Sorry

Last edited by Artap99 : 2006-09-02 at 17:45. Reason: Proper quote formatting
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2006-09-02, 17:53

Okay..."the movie is about...".

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Artap99
Totally awesome.
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
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2006-09-02, 23:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Okay..."the movie is about...".

Oh, well...when you put it that way...this sounds like a movie I'd be interested in watching
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