Movie Review - Death Race

Death Race was excellent! Great action! Hot bodies! Cool explosions! And enough of a plot to tell a story but not get in the way of all of car crashes and fights going on.

Movie takes place in 2012 where the economy is so bad that crime has gotten out of control and big corporations now run all of the correctional facilities. In order to entertain the masses, one such prison, Terminal Island, starts a game with the inmates called Death Race where if you win 5 races, you win your freedom. It's a battle to the death. A gladiator sport taking place behind the wheel. The only rule is to stay on the track and if you can stay alive, you just might win the race and eventually your freedom.

Ames just got laid off from his job and after collecting his final paycheck, he goes home to his loving wife and baby girl and he gets knocked out and then framed for murdering his wife and then ends up sentenced at Terminal Island. He is offered his freedom if he wins just one race and as the movie progresses, you find that the good guys and the bad guys aren't what they seem.

Excellent acting by all. Jason Statham was looking F-I-N-E! I especially enjoyed the scene where he was doing pull ups in his cell...showing off his well toned arms and rock hard abs. (Needed to cool off after that scene!) But it's not just the guys that have the hot bodies. There are plenty of hot chicks for the men to drool over as well. You see, each driver gets a "guide" in the passenger seat during the race and for most drivers (all but one) that guide is a hot chick from the women's correctional. (Of course Ames gets the hottest of all of them...would you expect anything different?)

Joan Allen was probably my favorite to watch, though, as the warden. Her performance as the cold-hearted bitch was dead on. And with her facial expressions, you knew immediately that she is all business and takes shit from no one.

I had to leave the theater right as the ending credits started so at this time I cannot tell you if there was anything extra at the end, but I do plan on seeing it again maybe this weekend still, so I will know soon. I wouldn't really expect anything, though. It had a pretty satisfying ending. And in fact, it kinda had two endings of which I would have been happy had the movie ended after the first one.

As far as audience reaction, I saw this one at 5:30 when there was another show earlier at 5 and one later at 7, so those were probably more crowded. My group consisted of maybe 15 people. But everyone was cheering and clapping at the end, so I'm thinking it was a crowd pleaser.

It probably does gear more towards guys with all the testosterone flying around everywhere, but girls should like it just as much.

Oh, and the aerial views of the prison were gorgeous!

Anyway, let me know what you thought of it.

Vixy :]