Crank

Looking for action, sex, and murder? Well Crank may be just what you need to get that fix. Lionsgate presents, a Tom Rosenberg film, starring Jason Stratham as Chev, a professional killer whose life is on a ticker with little time left after being poisoned during his sleep. The opening scene is intense and the director uses frenetic high-speed editing to jump-start the pace that will continue throughout the film. This style of editing can be used effectively, but in Crank it was used too much. The entire film turns into a high-speed freakfest.

Not only is the editing of the film overdone, the acting is unnatural. After making it out of bed, down the stairs and to the VCR, Chev witnesses himself being "murdered" on his own television. He is determined to kill bad boy Ricky Verona (Jose Cantillo), who injected him with this foreign slow-killing poison. Luckily Chev has a personal relationship with his doctor, (they’re on a first name basis) and he is able to contact him in Las Vegas for tips on an antidote. This is when he finds out that he must keep his heart pumping to the maximum speed in order to counter act the poison before it overrides his system and stops his heart. That is where Crank kicks into overdrive.

Chev engages in high-speed car chases and rumbles in the jungle taking viewers for a crazy ride. There's even an obscene sex scene with his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) in front of hundreds of Chinese shoppers in the middle of LA’s China Town. Who writes this shit?

The film shows the diversity of the Los Angeles streets, as Chev has a reason to stop in every neighborhood in Southern California. I loved the scene where he walks into a black-owned strip club and put his gun to the owner head demanding information on Verona. The owner is calm, (as is everyone who meets up with Chev) and order his henchmen to lower their weapons while repeatedly stating, “The white man is cool.” It was punch lines like this that made the film down right corny.

There are parts that are going to spark interest with the audience. Google Earth is cleverly used to navigate this high-speed pursuit. The score is also slamming with throwback tracks from Easy E and rock-n-roll bangers used when the time was fit. Another interesting aspect of the film was the “Brady Bunch” style scene integration used during intense phone conversations. While shots like these were clever, it still gives you more work to do while trying to relax and follow an already confusing picture.

Although the film in and of itself is complicated and over-dramatized, Crank does have the potential to become a cult classic. There's a surprise ending that balances out the energy of the film. And because the film is so outlandish you might find yourself laughing out loud as well. If you like unrealistic Terminator type flicks, this may be the movie for you.