क्रैंक

If you like brainless action flicks with insane set-pieces, great one-liners and zero character development so you don't give a rat's-ass about them, then Crank is probably the film for you. It is done originally, like a computer game where the action supersedes the plot. It keeps the film moving and the viewer entertained at the same time at the ridiculous and extreme scenarios and this is all the directors want Crank to do. Everything, including generic realism, convincing plot and background characters plays second-fiddle to the stylised action and I couldn't help but be entertained, especially at the completely unsubtle contemporary culture-clash comedy references!

6/10

A feature film that puts Jason Statham in the front is more or less destined to be action-packed from the beginning to the end and Crank is not an exception. At first glance the duration of 1h30min might seem as pretty standard but I experienced the film to be somewhat longer due to its high pace. Trust me, 1h30min of this roller-coaster adrenaline chase is enough and I do not mean it in a negative way - I would not like to see the flick shorter nor any longer as it is perfect as it is! Anyone who has grown a predilection for Statham's acting ought to see this one. I can imagine that fans of films such as Snatch and Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels will love this one. Noteworthy is that I perceived the pace of Crank to be somewhat higher than the pace of the other films previously mentioned. Crank brings about violence, drugs, sex and even more violence, so sensitive viewers may want to take caution. Crank is not just another film depicting fast-cut scenes of violence, however, and I believe it as a lot more to offer the cinema-goers than just stimulating their thirst for violence. The film is very original indeed and it is a good piece of contemporary challenging film since it is not flirting with all the conventions of the genre, I believe.

7/10 - well worth a try!

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.

Wow, this is surprisingly excellent. I mean, it's crap, but it's good crap, and that's worth a lot. The premise is basically Speed meets D.O.A. (the 1950 movie starring Edward O'Brien). Jason Statham (of the Transporter movies) is a hit-man who has a lethal Chinese poison coursing through his veins. If he slows down, if his adrenaline level drops, he drops dead. In his last moments, he rushes to find his killer and others responsible, snatching as many energy drinks and drugs as he can get his hands on along the way. This is some fun stuff, and hilarious, too. The editing is the MTV-style of many modern action movies, so avoid it if you can't stand that. I hope the directors, who also wrote the script, succeed even more so in the future.

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!