CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE (Maple, 2009) D: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor, w/ Jason Statham, Amy Smart. Rating: NNN DVD package: n/a Rating: NNN
This is just like the original Crank, only bigger, faster, louder and played strictly for laughs.
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It starts where the first one ended, with hyper-aggressive hit man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) dead on the street. Three months later, he wakes up to chase down the triad goons who have snatched his body, harvested his heart and left him with a battery-operated fake that he has to keep recharging by plugging himself directly into whatever current he can find. Massive violence ensues.
No sequel can capture the original’s freshness, but broad comedy is a poor choice here. It replaces the tension-and-humour mix of the original with tension-free self-parody. Some of the jokes are good, but when they don’t work, the movie dies.
Statham is always fun to watch, and Amy Smart makes a welcome return for more public sex as his girlfriend, Eve.
Sadly, directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor don’t return for another comic commentary.
EXTRAS Widescreen. English, French audio. English subtitles.
