crank 2 : high voltage (2009)

the follow up to the 2006 trashy-action-classic, crank 2 : high voltage proved to be a less fruitful and indeed joyable experience than its surprisingly great predecessor. the problem lies in the fact that everything is amplified in the sequel, and not just the positive aspects. the casual racism of the first has been replaced by a torrent of racial hatred and abuse, although the fact that no single aspect of society has been left out may be seen as a plus to some. its treatment of women was not only disgusting, but shocking that this sort of attitude can be displayed on the cinema screen in 2009. it was horrifying, as were the accompanying laughs that came with it from the audience. saying that, jason statham is his usual semi-affable self, and the video game-esque aesthetics prove desirable once again. crank 2 is much longer than its swift predecessor, which proved just how apt the originals running time was, as halfway through i felt physically exhausted.

obviously this sort of picture was never intended to appeal to a cinemagoer like myself, but as i actually enjoyed the first film i dont think this is a case of me just not "getting" crank 2, it was simply a poor film.

crank (2006)

unashamedly over the top, co-directors mark neveldine and brian taylor's crank stars british thespian jason statham as gun for hire chev chelios. in retaliation for events so simple that it becomes instantly complicated the second one tries to write them down chelios needs to keep his heart above a certain level, in lieu of death. its like a human version of speed, complete with the poor acting. yes folks, the acting is terrible, with special mention going to jose pablo cantillo as the villain of the piece, verona, but to be fair to the film its perfectly apt for what is eventually a fairly satisfying (if not overtly tiring) piece of action cinema. the film actually feels like a really uninvolving video game, bringing the likes of the earlier grand theft auto games to mind.