Death Race, which reworks a 1975 schlocker produced by Roger Corman, is a pedal-to-the-metal popcorn movie serving up high-octane pyrotechnic thrills. Jason Statham plays a former racecar driver framed for the murder of his wife and sent to prison. The year is 2012: with the U.S. economy in shambles, prisons are operated for profit by corporations whose CEOs double as wardens. One such capitalist, played by Joan Allen (talk about slumming!), stages no-holds-barred inmate car races that are broadcast on pay-per-view TV. She offers Statham his freedom if he'll drive for her and win the grueling three-day race that's expected to generate tens of millions in revenue. Ian McShane appears as Statham's laconic chief mechanic, who tips off the “new fish” that he'll be targeted for death by other drivers also hoping to earn early release. The necessary pulchritude—what B-movie worth its salt doesn't have bodacious babes?—is supplied by Natalie Martinez, a female inmate enlisted to be Statham's “navigator.” Featuring a plethora of souped-up, heavily weaponized cars showcased in a production design that could be categorized as Early Industrial Decay, director Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race may be brain dead from first frame to last, but it's also a real gas. Recommended. [Note: Featuring both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film, DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, a 20-minute “Start Your Engines” making-of featurette, an eight-minute “Behind the Wheel: Dissecting the Stunts” segment, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “My Chat” and “My Movie Commentary” interactive options, tech specs (on the characters, cars, and races), a picture-in-picture track that provides access to behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a fun film.] (E. Hulse)
Death Race
Universal, 111 min., avail. in R or unrated versions, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.99, Dec. 23 Volume 24, Issue 1
Death Race
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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