JEFFREY DOKA
Staff Writer
Cocaine, Red Bull, adrenaline and nasal spray are among the large list of things that hit man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), the main character in the movie “Crank,” uses to stay alive.
Injected with a heart-slowing, irreversible Chinese poison, Chev is awakened with the grim news that he only has an hour to live. Similar to the predicament in “Speed,” if Chev’s heart rate goes below a certain level, he will die.
However, after conferring with his doctor, he discovers that he can extend his rapidly shrinking life span by filling up his heart with as much adrenaline as possible by whatever means necessary. This means audiences are in for a nonstop, heart pounding adventure that managed to make the film No. 2 at the box office this weekend.
Chev is a hit man who works for the mob but wants to get out. After letting his target get away — in an attempt to quit his bloody line of work so that he can be with his girlfriend, Eve (Amy Smart) — he is injected with the fatal poison by rival Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo). Filled with a desperate desire for revenge and only a few hours to live, Chev must keep adrenaline flowing to his heart to stay alive.
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the film is shot in an artistic, comic book style giving it a unique and interesting cinematic quality. This approach allows the camera to do anything from zooming in on Chev’s slowing heart to shaking madly as Chev shoots up with artificial adrenaline. The filming style keeps the viewer awake and involved throughout the course of the movie.
While the concept behind the movie sounds enthralling, the script and the acting were not on par. The directors used the premise of an adrenaline-fueled man to turn the entire movie into a one-hour-twenty minute chase scene. There is very little depth or meaning behind the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll script. The weak relationship between Chev and his girlfriend only serves as an excuse for Chev to have sex with her in a Chinatown street, in yet another effort to keep his blood pumping.
Despite the pitfalls, there were some funny moments and the action was intense. But in the end, the total impracticality of the plot made the movie a drag. For example, when one is falling out of a helicopter he does not generally leave a message on his girlfriend’s answering machine on the way down. Cheesy lines and less than excellent acting further slow the heart rate of many of the viewers. Like many movies, “Crank” tries to substitute sex and action for a good storyline and plot, and it fails to make that compromise successfully.
Despite the movie’s obvious flaws, one does begin to relate and root for Chev. The action and the intensity of the movie are there to give the viewers a thrill, and “Crank” gets the job done. But much like junk food, “Crank” just offers an initial high. Eventually the viewer tires of its lack of depth, and the surface appeal quickly gives way to something less enticing. Soon movie-goers find themselves wondering if there was some other way they could have spent their time. and their money
The comic book style and action gives the movie a slight edge, however, it fails to make up for its numerous shortcomings. Although the movie follows the typically well-received path of an action flick, “Crank” is easily recognized as a tasteless attempt at entertaining the “average American” with lurid sex and action. There is little to no real meaning behind “Crank” and the lack of depth or any redeeming value negates any raise in heart rate that “Crank” readily offers the viewer. In the end, “Crank” is simply a cheap thrill.
09-07-2006
