Crank: High Voltage Movie Review
Unashamed, I love Crank for what it is. It’s a movie that doesn’t care who it offends just so long as a group of people are mad. It’s the movie Shoot ‘Em Up and (as much as I love this film) Punisher: War Zone want to be but lose something that made the first Crank so glorious. This isn’t every one’s cup of tea and Crank is very much love it or hate it so much it could define that type of film. All this makes it a pleasure to report while Crank: High Voltage ups the ante in every way possible, it does some things better than it’s predecessor.
Crank: High Voltage knows that it’s a movie and exploits that poetically. No life lessons are going to be learned, you’re not going to feel emotions other than “kill the bad guy”, or anything of that nature. Instead, Neveldine and Taylor treat us to twenty new ways to use the f-word, expertly violent action sequences, and an homage to the Japanese monster films of the fifties. If this makes no sense to you, don’t be alarmed as it’s not supposed to. Crank: High Voltage uses stints like a mock Maury Povich show with a character named Luke Cunard or Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) having sex with an old woman as it’s punch line. This movie is loaded with an overkill of awesome that will please anyone who needs to be entertained for an hour and a half.
The plot really doesn’t need to be mentioned for a film like this but I want to give Mark and Brian credit for actually advancing the already thin story. Where so many action films of this type just give the characters small excuses to come back, the returning cast of Crank: High Voltage feel as if they’ve actually progressed save for one or two. Admist what plot there is, there’s an assault of kick-assery to be held that the world is a better place for. Take for example the scene where Chev mounts a one man assault with a meat cleaver on a Gentlemen’s House. Bodies and their parts are tossed out the windows that send messages to one’s body causing grin and applause. The sex scene in the first one was offensive and superb, and you bet your ass there’s one in here that’s ten times better. Eve (Amy Smart) and Chev take it to the race track this time and mount some of the best laughs in the flick, including an ending that’s priceless.
Much will be made of how the film was shot and many will write it off as piss poor. Fine, they can do that but lest remember the first film was shot in exactly the same style. Yes it’s over-edited and shaky but that’s the staple of these movies ever since Saving Private Ryan and The Bourne Supremacy implored it. For this movie that’s part of the point to have your head jarring as it takes you on the ride. The film was made for $20 Million and shot on prosumer HDV camera the Canon XH-A1 and the consumer Canon HF10. Granted they shot with 12 of these puppies but it’s incredible considering how well look of the film comes off. As for it’s style, the main reason it works for Neveldine/Taylor’s films and not particularly well for something like, say, Smokin’ Aces is due to Crank and it’s sequel self-aware of what they are. Smokin’ Aces wanted to be over-the-top and outlandish, then tried to have an intricate plot.
The real comparison will likely be to Statham’s series of Transporter films. The first Crank was on par with the first Transporter, ten times better than Transporter 2 and in an entirely different class than the awful Transporter 3. Two films in and I already enjoy the Crank series better than I did the first two Transporters. Frank Martin really has no definition and is essentially Jack Bauer in a suit with a cool car. The argument could be made for Chev Chelios, but at the very least “Chevy” had a personality that was memorable and in some ways identifiable with. “It’s hard enough to go through the day without killing a motherfucker,” as Richard Pryor would say and we’ve all had days were we’ve wanted to go off, and the Crank films give us that. Comparing the two Crank movies, while the second one definitely the more fun of the two, the first had a better climax. High Voltage’s isn’t bad, in fact it’s pretty sweet capped off with a certain returning character, but there isn’t any real build up to Chelios’ final showdown with El Huron (Clifton Collins Jr.). Crank’s climax worked because Ricky Verona was a hatable character, and Carlito needed to get got after turning his back on Chev. High Voltage’s culprit Johnny Vang (Art Hsu) is murdered gloriously before the film is over, and then Chev is taken to El Huron’s mansion for the showdown. It’s violent and wonderful like the rest of the movie, but it’s not as intriguing as the first film’s showdown.
In case this hasn’t been an indicator, I loved Crank: High Voltage and plan on watching it over and over and over and over like I did with the first film once it hits Blu-ray/DVD. It’s totally self-aware and doesn’t care if you like that or not, while also wanting to offend you in every way possible. It’s worth the price of admission if only because it’s competitors right now are John Cena and the tag-team of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Chev Chelios hacks off Cena’s limbs, uses his limbs to murder O’Connor and Toretto, all before punting all their heads into the Pacific Ocean. And the word is a better place for it.
