For years, action films have slowly been degrading into nonstop brainless spectacles that come across more like a two hour live action video game than an actual attempt at making a movie. Crank is the first action movie to actually admit the source of its inspiration, as it opens with a graphic title screen that looks like something out of a mid-80s Nintendo game, and closes with a short sequence depicting a fictional video game inspired by the film. Much like a video game, the film is a violent, free-for-all, adrenaline-soaked fantasy that doesn't take itself seriously for a second. First time writer-directors Mark Nevldine and Brian Taylor have created a movie so over the top in its action and depiction of violence that we'd probably be laughing at it even if it was trying to take itself seriously. Fortunately, it does not, so what we have here is a very fun, if not slight, piece of popcorn entertainment. I personally preferred Snakes on a Plane, but Crank comes in at a very close second when it comes to unashamed quality guilty pleasure entertainment.

Set during the day in the life of expert hitman, Chev Chelios (Jason Statham from The Transporter films), the action literally begins the very second the man wakes up and finds that he has been injected with a deadly poison by a rival thug named Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo). According to the recorded message Verona left behind, Chev only has one hour to live before he succumbs to the toxin flowing through his veins. He has to find a way to keep himself alive long enough so that he can take revenge on his enemies, admit the truth to his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) that he's a hitman (she's believed him to be a video game programmer all these years), and hope that his underworld doctor connection (Dwight Yoakam) can find an antidote. Until one can be found, Chev will have to keep moving no matter what. And with hired guns, police, and the media on his tail, that's easier said than done.

Crank takes this extremely simple premise, and then literally runs with it. The film's pace is frantic, borderline maddening, and seems to be just as afraid to slow down as its main character. You see, in order to stay alive, Chev has to keep himself hopped up on adrenaline of any kind (from injections to blow jobs), and most importantly, he has to keep moving or else his heart will slow down completely and he'll die. This gives the filmmakers a valid excuse to keep the action moving at an almost breakneck pace. Yet, the movie is never confusing or hard to follow. It's constantly over the top and about as realistic as a blood-soaked sex-filled Looney Tunes cartoon, but it never becomes so outrageous that we shake our heads out of spite. We do shake our heads many times while watching this movie, but it is out of amusement, or out of sheer shock of what the movie is depicting. From a high speed police chase that takes place inside a crowded shopping mall (complete with cars flipping themselves up escalators), to Chev suddenly throwing his girl down to the street in the middle of public and having sex with her in front of everyone because he needs a hit of adrenaline, this movie literally never slows down for a second. In the wrong hands, Crank could have quickly become annoying with its "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to filmmaking. Yet, the filmmakers know how to make all of this fun instead of obnoxious, and never lose their twisted sense of humor.

In a movie that is constantly on the move, the characters are obviously going to suffer. While these aren't exactly the most interesting people to hit the silver screen, they certainly are not boring to watch. Jason Statham makes for an interesting antihero in his depiction of Chev. He's not exactly a good person (he holds innocent people at gunpoint, robs a store, and threatens a hospital staff at one point of the film), but the film wisely knows when to draw the line. He's only doing this because he's in a desperate situation. He has to keep moving, and in a traffic jam-packed city, that's not always easy. Some people have compared this film to the original Speed, only it is a man who must keep moving instead of a vehicle. I can certainly see where the comparison could grow from, but Crank really is its own beast. It is a film that uses a variety of film tools to tell its story, everything from video game graphics to sped up footage. And yet, none of this comes across as gimmicky, and it suits the fast-paced nature of the story well. What I also liked is that the stunt work does not come across as fake or done with computers. The car chase through the mall is an action highlight, as is a late sequence where Chev must outrun some thugs in his cars while pleasuring himself with his girlfriend in order to keep his adrenaline up. Absurd? Most definitely. Fun? Also most definitely.

If there is any fault to be found within Crank is that the movie is in such a rush that it pretty much leaves your brain the second you walk out of the theater. The images flash up there on the screen, you laugh and smile, then you walk out and you remember enjoying the movie, but not exactly why you did. This movie is probably the closest thing to an actual adrenaline rush you can have in a theater. And much like an actual rush, once it's over, you kind of feel worn out and tired. Happy, but worn out and tired. In a way, I think this was the intention of the filmmakers. They wanted to make a balls-to-the-walls hard R-rated live action cartoon thriller. At that, they have succeeded. Unfortunately, in their single minded goal, they have forgot about other things like making the movie stick with you when it was done. Crank is a see it and forget it kind of movie, but at the very least, it's very memorable while you are seeing it. I wish I could say the same for more movies playing at the cinema.

With Snakes on a Plane and now this, it's funny that at the very tail end of summer, we've had two examples of fun, check your brain at door entertainment. This is something that summer used to be known for, until the big budget movies started taking themselves too seriously, and started to break the almost 3 hours in length barrier. At a very brief 83 minutes that seem to fly by in a blink of an eye, Crank definitely knows how to give people what they want in a decent amount of time. Directors Nevldine and Taylor just have to learn how to make it last in our minds. If they can accomplish that, I think they're on their way to big things. Much like the classic 80s arcade machines that seem to have inspired Crank, you pay your money, have some fun watching the bad guys get blown away, then go on with your life.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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