Death Race (DVD)
The running time is 1 hr. 51 mins..
If that is what you're looking for, great, then this is the movie for you. Much put-upon director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon, Alien vs. Predator) handles all the carnage with workmanlike precision. He doesn't pull punches, doesn't skimp on the bloodletting and definitely lets the violence more than speak for itself. This is a movie that is the absolute epitome of what-you-see-is-what-you-get, and I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't say at times I almost embarrassingly enjoyed myself watching it.
The thing is you can only take so much of this stuff before it starts to all look the same. Three races is probably two too many in such a self-contained picture. It doesn't take long for a bunch of Mad Max-inspired motor vehicles racing around the same track again and again and again to wear out their welcome. Who cares how cool the death scenes are or how spectacular the explosions prove to be when you feel like you've already had your fill of them, and no matter how B-movie great some of it can be the F-movie script dampens those moments to oblivion almost before they have a chance to begin.
He film is about a former race car driver named Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), sent to Terminal Prison for the murder of his wife. He was framed but couldn't prove it and now he's here hoping to quietly do his time and try to forget the infant daughter he'll probably never see again. But then hard-ass warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) comes to him with a proposition. Take part in one three-day no-holds-barred road race for her, win and she'll wipe his slate clean and guarantee his freedom.
It must be admitted that Allen is absolutely terrific. This is obviously a paycheck gig for the actress (and why not – she's more than deserves one at this point in her career) and yet she still manages to make Hennessey such a soul-sucking figure of puritanically bitchy evil I couldn't help but love watching her work. The woman is an icy animal, and while I knew the comeuppance was coming part of me just couldn't help but wish she was actually going to get away with her schemes and win.
Universal's standard definition DVD includes both the unrated and R-rated versions of the film and two featurettes, "Start Your Engines: Making a Death Race" and "Behind the Wheel: Dissecting the Stunts." There is also an audio commentary with director Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, which is pretty great to listen to if you want to know what the added scenes in the unrated cut are. More than that, if you ever wanted confirmation that these non-theatrical versions are just plays for more of your cash and NOT director-approved cuts of the film these two go out of their to make that very point. More than once Anderson points out the added scene, says why it was cut and then proceeds to make a statement basically saying it should never have been put back, almost calling the studio out for reinserting them on the DVD.
I should probably be honest with the fact that I adore the original 1975 film. I loved the sly wit director Paul Bartel (Eating Raul) brought to the picture, the almost psychotic whimsy it oozed pretty start to finish. This new Death Race doesn't have that, butchery taking the place of satire; massive destruction taking the place of grotesque social commentary.
For some that won't be an issue, for me it was. Something tells me that for a lot of viewers aren't going to agree with my opinion, this film one cacophony of motorized slaughter they're not going to be able to get enough of. As for me, I'll just re-watch my DVD of the original and call it a day.