Ever since I first saw the trailer for Crank, I’ve referred to the film as ‘Speed Heart’, and even after seeing the film that alternate title seems appropriate. Hitman Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) gets injected with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops below a certain point, and thus spends most of the movie running about like a madman, looking for ways to keep his heart rate accelerated while tracking down the people responsible.
The film is loud, fast and idiotic, but that’s part of the fun. None of the characters are complex or even interesting, and Amy Smart gets probably the most thankless film role yet as Chelios’ girlfriend Eve. It’s a wonder she signed on as such a pathetic and stereotypical bimbo of a character. I won’t go into it here, but suffice to say that their relationship is less than perfect. I just hope everyone watching it realises that this is, for lack of a better term, a study in excess and immorality, and that none of it deserves emulating. Dwight Yoakam pops up here too (doesn’t he always, in the most unlikely of places?) and is clearly having a lot of fun.
Crank gets full marks for refusing to tone itself down, and first time directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have obviously had a ball making it. I’m sure they have a huge career ahead of them. The film covered its budget in the opening weekend, so it’s a winner as far the studios would be concerned.
Crank probably won’t lend itself well to repeat viewings, but it’s certainly a must-see for any action aficionado who’s waiting for a film to take it to the next level.