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405 comments in total

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270 out of 346 people found the following comment useful :-
Wild conceptual redux for a forgotten 1996 actioner., 12 August 2006

Author: Richard Hawes from Kent, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Back in the 1990s British action star Gary Daniels was at the height of his fame. Headlining a string of bland, stunt filled features for PM Entertainment (the B Simpson/Bruckheimer). In 1996 he starred in RAGE, a non-stop action movie with a very "high concept" premise. Injected with a deadly drug an ordinary man becomes a one man army. Hunting down the bad guys, on the run from the cops and trying to get his normal life back - the film was stunt filled madness. 10 years later we have CRANK which is essentially a rehash. Albeit a big budget, MTV-style version. Our hero is still a Brit, the location is once again Los Angeles, but there are gangster movie connotations, wild visuals and a tongue-in-cheek tone (you cannot take the name Chev Chelios seriously and I don't think you're supposed to) which makes this a lively, engaging ride which knocks Daniels' effort for six. The similarities between the two cannot be ignored but this is clearly the superior of the two. RAGE was the prototype, but CRANK takes it to the limit with set-pieces and jokes as silly as they are inventive. In addition there are connotations to films such as Tony Scott's MAN ON FIRE and DOMINO and Brit gangster movies such as Mike Hodges' GET CARTER and Guy Ritchie's LOCK, STOCK and TWO SMOKING BARRELS which add to the thrills and keep us entertained. Much more restrained than CGI-filled, action pantomime that was TRANSPORTER 2, CRANK is Statham's best star vehicle yet. He's a pure physical presence with a maniacal glint in his eyes. There are no Corey Yeun-style martial arts scenes but it doesn't matter. The film is OTT but somehow grounded. The action is rough, fierce. Statham's character is a relentless one man army in classic tradition. Young guys and longtime action movie fans are going to love this for its sheer vigour. With creativity in the genre previously limited to new twists on chases and fight scenes, it's a real pleasure to see films such as CRANK, ONG-BAK and BANLIEUE 13 (District 13) emerging. Not to be taken too seriously, Crank is one of the best popcorn movies of 2006.

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281 out of 369 people found the following comment useful :-
"Crank" a fast paced, clever, and cool-as-Hell adrenaline rush of a film!!, 2 September 2006

Author: MaximumMadness from United States

I walked into "Crank" with low expectations, as I do with many films. The previews made it look like it had a clever story, but I was worried that with Jason Statham playing lead, I might just get a re-hash of his "Transporter" films.

I got a pleasant surprise. From the very beginning, the film moves. And moves damn fast. Not in an obnoxious way either. In the first minutes of the film we are set up with a possible story of corruption between hit men, a botched job, and the set-up for the whole movie-- Statham's Chev Chelios being fatally poisoned with a Chinese-made serum that slows his heart rate, and will eventually literally make his heart stop, killing him. The only solution-- get the adrenaline pumping and keep his heart rate up! The whole movie is like one long action sequence, with pauses for story elements. This is the common thing now in films, but in other movies, it generally doesn't work so well. But, with the premise of "Crank" being the need for speed (Literally), the idea of all-action, little-plot actually works. And works well.

However, don't be mistaken, there is genuine plot in the film. Clever stories about the pasts and workings of crime-lords and their cronies, and how they all relate to Chelios. Some of it went over my head because of the constant action, but I was able to understand everything enough to enjoy the film.

The direction and editing is something I want to talk about briefly before I wrap this up. For a film like this, one would expect flashy camera work and crazy fast cutting, but I must say, the director/writer and the editor went beyond the call of duty. The film is shot as though the cameraman himself was the one who was poisoned, with the camera flashing and moving around nearly constantly, only settling during the slow scenes. Quite a genius use of camera-work to emulate the story. And the editing certainly adds a lot to the already excellent camera work. We get cutting when necessary and when not necessary, to further illustrate the needs of the main character.

Overall, I would say "Crank" was the coolest movie I've seen in the last several years, leaps and bounds beyond the standard Hollywood action flick. I would recommend to any action-fan or adrenaline junkie, because take it from me, this film is the ultimate rush!

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225 out of 297 people found the following comment useful :-
They probably should have given him more of that Chinese s**t!, 31 August 2006

Author: Pete Simone (ps42) from Auburn, MA, United States

If ever a movie was made to get one's heart pumping, Crank is it. It takes a marginally believable and undeniably awesome premise, adds one of the brightest up-and-coming action stars around, stirs in some new ingredients that the genre hasn't really seen before, and bakes until the final product rises beyond all expectations. The catch phrase "a thrill a minute" doesn't really go the distance to describe how ridiculously action packed this film is. A thrill every ten to fifteen seconds is more like it. First time directors Mark Nedveldine and Brian Taylor relentlessly bash you over the head with the action hammer. Their cinematography is manic and the style is reminiscent of that used by Tony Scott in Domino. It fits the pace of the film quite well.

Jason Statham delivers to audiences the only thing he knows how to deliver, and that is pure, distilled ass kicking. That is his job, and he is very, very good at it. Make no mistake, the film is very strongly 'R' rated. There is a bounty of flesh, and a strong smattering of violence, and drug use. Don't be thrown off by Amy Smart's name on the poster. Even though she does a fine job as Statham's on screen girlfriend Eve, hers (and every other) part takes a deliberate and distant backseat to Statham's charismatic portrayal of hit-man Chev Chelios. He also manages to wind more than a few threads of pretty solid humor into the performance. All in all, its Statham's most impressive job in a leading role yet.

In a nutshell the plot revolves around Chev Chelios, poisoned by his employer after a hit went sour with a synthetic Chinese compound that blocks his adrenaline receptors. The only way for him to stay alive is to get pumped up and stay pumped up. Anything he can get his hands on to raise his adrenaline is fair game, from drugs to energy drinks to raunchy public sex and more as he tears a path of carnage and mayhem through the streets of L.A. in search of the man who tried to kill him.

Crank is everything you could feasibly ask it to be and more. The filmmakers take an iffy premise, work their magic (read 'good casting and direction') on it, and produce reel after reel of pure adrenaline on film. It packs over the top action in with incredible stunts, clever and biting humor, a decent story and some above average acting. It's one of the most entertaining films of the year and may well be a career highlight for Statham. It's one of those films that you'll definitely want to go see with a bunch of the guys. What it lacks in depth, it makes up for in pure fun and distilled manliness. A high 8 out of 10.

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187 out of 235 people found the following comment useful :-
Crank is Grand Theft Auto on the big-screen., 1 September 2006
Author: Cmbaker from United States

Fast. Hyper. Action-packed. Drug-induced. Insane. Crank is all these things, and extremely entertaining too. No doubt a movie made just for the guys, it's filled with guns, car chases, sex, random humor, nudity, Amy Smart, Pedro from Napolean Dynamite, sex, nudity, etc. The only thing missing were some hand-to-hand fight scenes that would have made this movie complete. Instead, we do get a nice confrontation where one person is armed with a butcher's knife... but I shan't spoil that one.

But yes, this is a live-action video game on the big-screen. Google Maps zooms into the next location Chev visits and on screen text gives you its name ala a video game's "next level" sequence. Chev's girlfriend thinks he is a video game programmer. The opening titles for "CRANK" are shown in the blocky, pixellated style of a 1980's Atari game. Chev is just trying to get to the boss at the end of the game.

And a tip for those of you yet to see it- STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS. It reinforces everything I just said.

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204 out of 305 people found the following comment useful :-
Nothing less than Great., 30 August 2006

Author: josegrappa from United States

Crank was... Great. It's was what you hope it might be: Cool, fast, and Jason Statham kicking butt (and Rated R - It's great to hear Statham be able to go off). It was also much funnier than I expected, and once I figured out the tone I was in for the ride. I should've figured out the tone when the movie started with an 80's classic song from Quiet Riot. Or when the director and writer spoke before the movie and thanked "Jesus" and then said something like, "Hold onto your seats, it's going to be f-ckin great." This movie will probably be considered a cult classic soon. But it could be a huge box office success too. So, here's my story: I was invited to the Cast screening. My friend worked on the crew of Crank, and I got a call Monday morning to go (after another friend had to cancel - I'm always last to get the call, but glad I did TD - So don't worry). I loved Snatch, and I was probably more excited to see Jason Statham in the flesh, than to see the movie. Well, I was simply surprised. Jason was phenomenal. The movie was weird, really good weird. The action never stopped, and right when you were cringing from a needle, or something gruesome, you would be hit with something hilarious. It's was a great blend of action and humor. The writer obviously wrote this tongue in cheek. It was like he was making fun of other films. At least I think so. The movie was subtitled in a couple of random places and I found myself keeled over laughing when the Cab Driver was subtitled. The action really stood out. It was very violent, and at times very real. The bad guy, Verone, also stood out. And I think Amy Smart did a good job playing naive. The movie starts with a bang, and I was surprised that the bang held up to the final scene in the movie, which I think was simply great. My heart is still racing a bit, two days later. Yes, it's that's good.

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164 out of 250 people found the following comment useful :-
Nonstop, 8 September 2006

Author: Link_Tristan from Chicago

This movie doesn't get a 10/10 because it's flawless, because it could have some improvement; it gets a 10/10 because of the people stupid enough to vote on this film without watching it first. You witless morons.

I saw the trailer and thought it was a pretty neat idea "if you stop, you die" but I still had the idea in my mind that it was a B-rate (if not a C-rate) action film. Boy was I wrong about that. Let me say this: the trailer doesn't do justice to the film. Normally some movies spend all the best parts on the trailer, but this one didn't. The best parts of the film are too vulgar and hilarious to make it appropriate for the viewing of all ages.

First, let me say that I'm familiar with the main character's other works: "The One" and "The Transporter" none of which I was too thrilled about. I knew that I could expect some Oz-style beatings from this guy, but I have to say that this is probably his best performance. His character is likable, and has some depth, something I wasn't expecting.

Secondly, this movie is freaking hilarious. I lol'd so hard and I really wasn't expecting any of this kind of humor in the film. I won't say what they are, simply because they don't translate into reviews very well. The trailer mentioned that he would do "drugs, sex, murder" anything to keep his heart pounding, and they really take these three elements to the limit! You can expect violent, VIOLENT murders, an amazing amount of drugs and related psychedelic trips, and... sex.

Another aspect are the characters that come and go. Kind of like Homer's Odyssey, you can expect a character to show up and be audaciously interesting, either help/not help the main character, and then leave the movie forever.

The ending was equally stunning, very Fight Club-esquire, and something I wasn't expecting to happen. I really didn't know how this movie was going to end, and I was not disappointed.

See this movie in theaters while you've still got the chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised if you enjoy the action genre.

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115 out of 175 people found the following comment useful :-
Fast paced action and funny, 29 August 2006

Author: MyStIk_z from Canada

This movie really is fully packed with action and humor. it has everything that can keep your heart pumping for the whole movie. A hit-man chasing and killing bad guys with guns knives and everything he can find. there is a lot of gunfight and explosives. But the movie really is funny too. the whole crowd in the theater were laughing out loud here at the "avant-première" in Montreal. during the opening sequence, some dizziness begin to overwhelm you because of a shaky and blurred camera but i guess this is exactly what the director was expecting. This "shaky hand" camera effect is reused throughout the movie adding to the perspective and helps one get plunged in the movie. The special effects are mainly car crashes and explosions, but are really well executed and very inventive. And the story, well, the story isn't really what you seek when choosing to go see this kind of movies, but in crank, the storyline is actually pretty good. It could probably be resumed in half a page though :) I would say that it is one of the most balanced humor/action movie i've seen in the past years.

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89 out of 124 people found the following comment useful :-
Aciddytrip-o-vision, 28 December 2006

Author: Huffman92 from United States

This is my first review and I've been reluctant to write one because I don't really think anyone will read it... but here it goes.

Crank is fun, really fun. In the way of Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (kind of) it's got its violence and action tossed into a mountain of humor. The writers (and directors) took these three things, tossed them into a movie blender, put the blender on puree, and came out with this movie.

The directors (and writers) did some visually awesome things with this film. People on the other side of phone calls appear on walls, rear-view mirrors, and other things. Random words from a person's dialogue appear on screen along with their part of speech in parenthesis afterwards (ep-i-neph-rine (n), man). This visual style I have declared... accidytrip-o-vision.

Other movies with accidytrip-o-vision: Easy Rider and A Scanner Darkly.

In conclusion, Crank is an action-filled, blood encrusted, comedy haywire, accidytrip-o-vision, adrenaline-pumping achievement.

Kudos to Statham and the rest of the team for the new bible of popcorn flicks.

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110 out of 177 people found the following comment useful :-
Jon Monsarrat review: like Die Hard & Face-Off - a must-see, 2 September 2006

Author: Jon Monsarrat (jonmon) from United States

I love action movies, but they have to be intelligent. No "The Mummy" or "The Fast and the Furious" for me. Crank nails it in every way.

It's hard enough to pull together a film with a lot of stunts. Then top that by making it non-stop action throughout. Then top that by having an intelligent plot that keeps you thinking and characters whose motivations and decisions make sense. Then top that by adding in some humor that doesn't blow the seriousness of the movie but adds some charm and -- listen up, Jet Li -- originality to the stunts.

But then, pump it up with cinematography that (unlike The Bourne Identity, which didn't work for me) makes the whole thing even more original and adds to the drama instead of being puffery. Then add Amy Smart, yum. Despite the fast pace, there is actually real chemistry with her as the love interest.

Every action movie lover should go out and see this film immediately. It is everything that Snakes on a Plane, which is cheesy and bad, and I don't mean good-bad, is not.

Who should see this movie:

-- Action movie fans, you might not want to bring your SO, it's pretty hardcore with the gore and violence

-- Enraged assassins with 2 hours to live I'll give "Crank" a 9 out of 10, the only missing point being that there's no real depth to the drama, it's strictly "just for the action".

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90 out of 159 people found the following comment useful :-
Funny and action packed, 2 September 2006

Author: Ziad Saleh from Canada

I thought this movie had it all. Action, humor, and a little bit of sexiness. I thought that they could have gone a different way for the ending, but it was still a unique idea.

One of the main reasons for my approval, was the fact that this movie was different. It's not something that you see all the time in traditional "I have to claim revenge for what the bad guys did to me" type of film. I really liked the action sequences, I thought that this movie was choreographed really well. I didn't find any glaring weaknesses in the film, but the overall storyline was a little lacking.

Jason Statham is an amazing actor (not just in this film specifically). He can do much more that play the action hero like in the Transporter movies, and this one as well. I really liked his performance in SNATCH. I thought that his character in SNATCH was really made for him, and that nobody else could have pulled it off. I'd like to see him in movies like that more often.

One more thing that I'd like to add, is that the new "Hitman Codname:47" movie that's coming out would have been a really good role for Statham instead of Vin Diesel. Just a thought

- Ziad

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