Death race has been described as ‘foolish’ and ‘violent’, and that is intended as criticism. But if you’re a fan of high-octane action movies, mindless violence might be just what you want to stream on Prime Video. And few actors do such senseless violence as Jason Statham, who gets the leading role here.
Statham plays three-time speedway champion Jensen Ames, who is locked up in the nation’s toughest prison for – wait for it – a crime he didn’t commit. Faced with life in a prison so grim it could be an English holiday destination, Ames’ future looks bleak until the warden gives him a choice: rot in prison forever, or race in the ‘ Death Race’ and win his freedom. And let’s face it, with a name like Death race we’re not talking about Mario Kart here.
Death Race is big, bad and strangely brilliant
Death race has been described as a remake of the violent, nihilistic mid-70s film of (almost) the same name, Death Race 2000, but writer and director Paul WS Anderson has said it is more of a prequel. But it shares the same somber sensibility and violent approach: the vehicles in this race are heavily armed and the drivers aren’t afraid to cause complete carnage.
To say that Death race divided among the critics would be an understatement. Lots of reviewers definitely hated it: Marcianne Miller of the NC Dare to live said it was “so ruthlessly sadistic, so grim, so matter-of-factly devoid of any redeeming human value that even a racing fan like me was ultimately turned off by the so-called ‘ultimate car carnage’.” But The age said it was “a must-see for car enthusiasts and filmmakers alike”. Maybe that’s an Australian Crazy Max thing, because it is from the same country Daily telegram said that “petrolheads and gorehounds, this counterproductive explosion of cinematic carbon monoxide is your movie of the year”.
Many reviews said that the film is basically ideal for teenage boys Daily mirror saying that “Anderson serves up an unapologetic guilty pleasure that hits every note, especially when the racing starts.” And Total movie offered some good advice: “Banish all memories of the original and you’ll see this is a slick return to the Judgement day mold. It rips across the screen with all the guns firing and it’s disposable, enjoyable trash.”