Crank 2 – Review

Crank: High Voltage is a roller coaster ride that last 85 minutes and features some really gross scenes. For example, a guy getting a shotgun rammed up his rear end isn’t even in the top three weird moments in this flick. There are no lines this film does not cross, from outrageous public sex scenes to gore that almost rivals the Saw franchise. It will keep your heart pounding for the entire film’s duration. Crank 2: High Voltage follows the events three months after his “helicopter incident”, Chelios awakens to see that Chinese black-market surgeons are slicing his famed “Chelios Heart” out (made famous by the fact that it kept beating after the events of the first film), and replacing it with a surrogate artificial heart, so they can keep him alive while they farm more of his organs. Chelios escapes and discovers he has a whole new set of problems- his heart is connected to an external battery pack.

Now Chelios has to keep his artificial heart beating with regular volts of electricity to recharge it, using anything he can- car power outlets, jumper cables, power stations, stun-guns- whatever he can get his hands on. It would not be enough to say that this movie is bizarre; it’s so outlandish that it pretty much defies the conventions of genre.  Crank: High Voltage quadruples the action, fatalities, old lady defilement, random nudity, and unbelievably twisted villains, and even has time to throw in a John Woo homage or two and opera music for good measure. Obviously, it’s an exploitation flick through and through that has perhaps more in common with Bugs Bunny cartoons than your traditional action film.

Bai Ling is great as the kooky prostitue that murders the English language. Yes, baby. I will be your shiny lunchbox. It’s about time a film lays it out and puts everyone on guard in this PC world that makes us scared to think freely. Also great was Art Hsu, who does a bang up job playing the villian! Jason Statham did a awesome job as a “cynical action hero”. The worst element in the film is the dialogue. It attempts so desperately to be witty, but junior high school students could write funnier material. With the exception of Bai Ling’s great lines, that is really the only flaw. This is a GUYS movie, so a lot of women will be tuned off. Don’t expect Shakespeare here, this movie is just a good round of action-packed fun.

Add to the fact that this movie was made with, what, only $12 million dollars and it makes the film even more impressive. The blu-ray of the film is gorgeous and provides a demo worthy disc in terms of picture quality. This is a movie that embraces its own absurd premise and runs with it. Rather than try and justify or rationalize any of the insanity, it glorifies its own over the top absurdities in a slick, action packed package. Some scenes are just so unexpected that you just wonder if this is actually happening for real, or if it was a mistake in the film. The film even has a slight grind house effect to it. Call me crazy, but I loved this film and I know everyone is pulling for a Crank trilogy so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. Great entertainment all around!