Death Race Movie Review

Be warned: big time spoilers ahead! So watch the movie first before reading this post.

My younger brother was in Manila last week so we decided to watch some kickass movie that features good action, great adrenaline rush and explosions, of course!

Frankenstein in the Death Race

We chose between the Star Wars: Clone Wars and Death Race. Since, I’ve heard bad reviews about the Clone Wars, we opted for the Death Race. I do have respect for Jason Statham anyway so I know that even if it it was decidedly a B movie, I’d enjoy it anyway. I was right!

Forget about Speed Racer, this movie has way better action. It is Need for Speed meets Grand Theft Auto–twice the explosion and double the fun!

Death Race movie has cars, babes and explosions all throughout. It keeps you glued to your seat with all the nonstop action, blood and gore! Jason Statham’s acting, though not very demanding, shines through in this movie. Statham has been getting a lot of projects recently. Were it not for his very high hairline, I believe he would have been chosen as main star of more than just B movies.

Death Race was based on the 1975 hit movie Death Race 2000

Statham plays the role of Jensen Ames, a former champ racer, with a pretty wife and a young daughter. He was recently out of job because the company he works for closed shop. The year was 2012, a time when shadow corporations have taken over the economic landscape of United States. When Ames got home, a masked man killed his wife and left the knife in the hands of Ames. He was tried, found guilty and brought to Terminal Island, a maximum security prison facility.

He meets the Prison Warden, top-rated bitch with the name of Hennessey. To keep people “inspired” in a time of despair, Hennessey instituted the Death Race. This race features junk race cars transformed into speed demons that also seem to function like weapons of mass destruction, what with all the guns and the missiles hurtling through the cars.

Apparently, the rating of the Death Race floundered because the top racer, Frankenstein has been gunned down by Machine Gun Joe. Hennessey needs a replacement. She offers Ames his chance of freedom by donning Frankenstein’s masks and driving his beat-up but ultra-powered Mustang.

As the Death Race unfolds, Ames discovers who killed his wife and who masterminded it (none else but Hennessey). He kills Pachenko, races down with Machine Gun Joe and destroys the Dreadnought, a big big piece of scary truck killing racers along its way. When only Ames and Machine Gun Joe were left in the race, they escaped from prison with a little help from Case, the hottie navigator of Ames.

I was wondering how Ames would exact vengeance from Hennessey. I didn’t expect the twist there, actually. They sent the very same explosive planted in his beat up Mustang to Hennessey. And poof! The warden’s office blows up in smoke; Ames is free. Machine Gun Joe is free.

At the end of the movie, we see Ames and Machine Gun Joe trying to live decent lives by repairing cars. Case, the hottie navigator visits Ames who managed to retrieve his daughter.

As is expected from most Jason Statham movies, you won’t hear long dialogues here. Less talk. More guns. More race. More explosion. Statham’s performance as an actor still shines through nonetheless. If you don’t want to get bored with dialogs and endless talkies, it isn’t too late to watch Death Race.

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Death Race Main Cast:
Jason Statham as Jensen Ames
Joan Allen as Hennessey
Natalie Martinez as Case (Ames’ navigator)
Ian McShane as Coach
Tyrese Gibson as Machine Gun Joe
Max Ryan as Pachenko

Tags: B movies, blockbuster movie review, Death Race, Death Race Jason Statham, Death Race movie, Death Race movie review, Death Race review, Jason Statham, Jason Statham movie review, Movie Review