Movie Review - Death Race

It's been a month that this movie is out on the cinema and I just got to watch it today. I watch this movie late isn't because I don't like this movie from the very beginning, I was long waited to watch this movie but I just knew that this movie is gonna be cut out a lot of scenes as the featurettes I saw show some violent scenes.

But today I'm just bored, and just want to watch a movie, went to the cinema at QueensBay Mall, the shows only available for 5:10pm and 7:35pm. The rest of the shows doesn't interest me or some I have already watched. It's seems like a week without any new movie! DAMN. Just as I thought I don't have any luck to watch this movie as I am looking for 9pm+ show, I went on to check on GSC websites, and woot! Found a 9:50pm show at Gurney Plaza. Guess it's fated that I will watch this movie today and I will be writing this post tonight.


Death Race, my first word to this movie - Amazing. Although the concept of this movie is similar to last year's movie, The Condemned, that it basically shows a live coverage on a deadly game between the prisoners. But this time seems to be a little more interesting compared to the latter.

It tells that the economy in America has cracked down, most of the people goes unemployed, criminal rates has risen up and the prison's space are soon to be filled and not be able to cope with the increasing rate of prisoners. Private corporates started to utilize the prisoners to yield profit by providing a live coverage fights between prisoners, but the audience eventually got bored and they demanded more, and so the Death Race was created. Well, It's better introductions compared to "The Condemned" which started off without giving much of an introductions.

Jason Statham, as always acted great in action films. Still with his "cool-slang", plays as Jensen Ames, a former racing driver who worked in an almost close-up factory after his driving license got suspended. Live a poor life with his wife and cute little daughter. And one day he was framed for a murder of his wife, being sent into Terminal Island (the penitentiary) and offered by warden Henessey to compete in the Death Race as a former Death Race star, Frankenstein who was being killed during a race, with a reward of getting out from the penitentiary if he wins. He took the offer eventually and drive a customized Mustang.

This movie went great to see all the cars equipped with heavy weaponries. Machine guns, missles, napalm, etc. Follow by the movie seems like a video game to me, the plot went on to Ames found that he was framed and his wife was killed by one of the death racer, Pachenko. Soon Ames found out that he needs to get his revenge and warden Henessey won't let him out of the prison alive and wants him to stay as Frankenstein in the prison instead. He have to find his way to race through the victory and allied with another death racer, Machinegun Joe (plays by Tyrese Gibson) to escape from the prison.

This story ended great, and I just doesn't get bored watching this movie during the entire show. I like the final quote by the Coach, a mechanic (plays by Ian Mcshane), "I just love this game!", and Kaboom! He blows up the warden's office! :P

There are some scenes being cut out by our local government, which to me is quite ridiculous that they rated this movie as 18+, yet they still need to cut them! Grrr... I can say this is part of the reason for the increasing rate of piracy in Malaysia. Grrr!!! But overall this movie is still great. Probably we just need to wait for an unrated version of DVD to come out.

P/S: The girl, Case (plays by Natalie Martinez) is hot! :D

Overall rating of this movie - great, although IMDB just rated it with 6.7/10.

H e n r i c k
Death Race - Review