Movie Review: Crank 2 High Voltage

Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Efran Ramirez and Dwight Yoakam

The Plot:

Chev Chelios just can't catch a break. After keeping the adrenaline in his ticker pumping, he now has to work to get said heart back in his chest after Chinese Triads stole it and replaced with an artificial one. The only problem is that he has to keep himself electrically charged during the process, thus unleashing another hour-and-a-half of mayhem on the streets of Los Angeles.

My Two Cents:

Many an eyebrow were raised after it was announced that there would be a sequel to Crank. After watching the protagonist plummet thousands of feet and plaster himself on solid concrete you would have thought that pretty much sealed the deal for a permanent conclusion. Ah but we just couldn't count Hollywood out on capitalizing on the moderate success the first installment wagered.

So Jason Statham is back reprising his role, pretty much starting off where the last flick ended. Chinese gangsters swoop in and literally scoop up Chelios off the pavement and load him into a van to have his mighty organs harvested for an ailing Triad leader. Now, I know you are saying to yourself, "That's just crazy!" and I will respond, "That's just the first five minutes."

What transpires until the end credits of the film is nothing short of batshit insanity. The first Crank played around with the idea of creating a live action Loony Tunes for adults. Crazy camera angles, odd transitions and a rap-sheet of off-the-wall characters. What it did was set the foundation for the outright bizarre and hysterically offbeat nature of its sequel.

First and foremost, the filmmakers take a low-tech originality when it comes to shooting the film. Rather than using high-priced cameras for dramatic wide and expansive shots, they opt for a gritty hand-held camera look for up close and personal filming. The shots are dizzying and a lot more intense which fits the film perfectly.

Crank 2 is also much more confident in being as offensive, filthy and downright disgusting as it wants to be. From gun-toting strippers to walking/talking racist Asian stereotypes to an African-American, homosexual biker-gang. They pretty much cover all their bases in the rules of crudeness. And yes, if you are wondering, there is another public sex scene between Statham and Smart, and let's just say this one is turned up to 11.

The film is an exercise in excess, just when you think this film has pushed the boundaries of insanity, it one ups itself. In the first half of the film, it works. Upon the viewing of this bizarre tangents you say to yourself, "Ha Ha Ha, WTF is that?!" but around the final act, it turns into "Seriously, WTF is that!?"

The movie becomes offbeat for the sake of being offbeat and it really starts to run out of steam, just like Chelios heart. (HA! Nailed it!) One example is the return of another actor who bit the dust in the last film, Efran Ramirez. Except he is not the same character, but his twin brother who is afflicted with full-body tourettes syndrome causing violent convulsions. I mean, what the hell?

Another scene involves a man-in-suit type Godzilla style fight in a power plant that defies any logic. Things like this bring out a few laughs but in the end spawn more rolls of the eyes.

If you like films that push story aside for the sake of brawn, bullets, boobs, and b-...b-...b-...bad-assery,(yeah that'll work) then Crank 2 is right up your alley. I enjoy big dumb action, and while Crank 2 pushes the limits of my tolerance levels, I still found it to be pretty enjoyable fare.

Grade: C+