This action packed film from writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor can be described as one of the craziest “edge of your seat” films ever made and it is all because of the insane story revolving around professional assassin Chev Chelios, played by Jason Statham.
The film opens with Chev waking up and learning that he has been poisoned. With the help of an old friend, Doc Miles, Chev learns that the poison affects his heart rate. If Chev’s heart rate is to fall below a certain rate, the poison will kick in and he will die. Chev must find various ways to keep his heart rate up while finding the ones responsible for poisoning him to begin with.
As Chev, Jason Statham is perfect for the mold as he is seen as a tough-as-nails man who takes no crap from anyone. He finds various ways to keep his heart rate going, from being the hell out of some local gangsters to getting a defib at the hospital. However, some of the ways he gets the heart rate pumping tends to be “sexually comic”.
For one, Chev stands on a motorcycle in only his hospital gown to get a sense of rebellion and to get his “adrenaline” pumping. When he confesses to his girlfriend Eve his true profession, she seems upset at first, but decides ultimately to help him. In a very raucous scene, the two end up having sex in the middle of Chinatown with people looking at them. In another chaotic scene, as Chev and Eve are being pursued by the thugs hired by the man who poisoned Chev, Eve decides to get his heart rate pumping by giving him some pleasure while he’s shooting. It just calls for something chaotic. This is something that has to be seen to be believed.
There aren’t many fistacuffs in the film and they are not done a la Transporter, but they are still fun to watch. There are some nicely done shootouts and the climax, where Chev finally finds the man who poisoned him, is just insane to watch and it becomes the set-up for the sequel Crank: High Voltage, in which Chev and Eve return with an all new threat and I’m sure it will be loads of fun like this film.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d recommend Crank as it a totally fun and wild ride…in more ways than one.
WFG RATING: B+
Lionsgate Films present a Lakeshore Entertainment production in association with RadicalMedia and GreeneStreet Films. Directors: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Producers: Michael Davis, Gary Lucchesi, and Tom Rosenberg. Writers: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Cinematography: Adam Biddle. Editing: Brian Berdan.
Cast: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, Dwight Yoakam, Carlos Sanz, Reno Wilson, Edi Gathegi, Glenn Howerton, Jay Xcala, Keone Young, Valarie Rae Miller.
WorldFilmGeek 