Movie: "Crank"
Year: 2006
Rated: R
Genre: Action / Adventure
Directed by: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Writing credits: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

Reviewer: -RoG-
Posted: 3/17/2008

Plot: Chev Chelios has just been injected with "The Beijing Cocktail" - a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops. So, Chev does everything you could imagine to keep his adrenaline flowing while simultaneously trying to find the people who did this to him.

Review: The phrase "nonstop action" is tossed around a lot when people review action flicks, but in all honesty, you'd have a hard time finding one that lives up to those words as well as Crank does. After seeing the abysmal Transporter 2, I thought Jason Statham's career might take a dive, but he bounced right back with Crank and I honestly think it's his best film to date.

In Crank, he plays Chev Chelios, a professional assassin who's been injected with a poison that will kill him if he doesn't keep his adrenaline rushing at ridiculously high levels. As a result, Chev gets into some insane situations, most of which are downright hilarious. With the advice of his friend, Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam), Chev finds ways to stay hyperactive throughout the film while working his way up the chain of command to get revenge on who did this to him. At the same time, he's trying to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart), whom he was planning on quitting the business for until he was recently poisoned.

It doesn't matter if it's chugging energy drinks, doing drugs, driving cars into a mall, getting in fights, messing with cops, murder, and yes... even screwing in public... Chev will do anything to keep his heart pumping. The result is one hell of an entertaining action film with a lot of laughs. I should also note that the camera work and editing in Crank is absolutely great for a film of this genre, and the soundtrack fits perfectly as well.

When I saw Crank in the theater, the entire crowd was in an uproar for almost the entire film, and yet somehow, it feels like this gem went unnoticed in 2006. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you haven't already, because it's a rare gem that finds the perfect balance of action and humor. Watching Chev defy the great odds against him as he pisses off his would-be killer, Verona, is one hell of a fun ride that you don't want to miss.

Overall rating:
(Scored on a 0.5 - 5 pickles rating: 0.5 being the worst and 5 being the best)