price: $15
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Crank 2: High Voltage [R] - After surviving the brush with death that ended the first Crank film, top assassin Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) returns in this action-packed sequel
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6/15/2009
Completely mental!
'Crank: High Voltage' continues straight on from Crank and Jason Statham returns as Chev, surviving the fall he is picked up and his heart has been replaced with an electronic one where he must keep the current strong to keep it beating. Only the box that controls this is destroyed early on so Chev must use any means necessary to give his heart an electricity boost whilst also tracking down the guy who has his real heart.
I quite liked the first film - it was fast-paced, action-packed, funny and very violent. The sequel carries this on and is equally as hard-hitting and fun as before but this time it is perhaps a little bit more brutal with some very graphic violence. I thought this film was good - the story was even more far-fetched and ridiculous than before but it didn't stop it from being a fun to watch and exciting action flick. There were a few scenes however where the story went well off the rails and it didn't make any sense at all, like the un-necessary and completely stupid Godzilla/Power Ranger baddies fight and the talk show section from when Chev is a kid (with Geri Halliwell as his mum!!). Also the ending was rubbish and a real let-down in comparison to the rest of the film, especially as it was nearly identical to the first film's.
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7/19/2009
Most entertaining movie ever (for guys)
This movie is a polarizing one because it caters on one demographic: men. Specifically, men who loves violence, sex, and games (gore too, but I just closed my eyes during those scenes). If you loved the first Crank, you'll love the second one even more. It carries the comical air, doesn't take it self seriously, and gets even more crazy and inventive with how much fun they can make a movie.
The beginning reminds me of a typical video game, you start unarmed, whack a few guys, get a pistol, whack a few more guys, then you get a shotgun. It's does this without falling in love with it self. The action is fast and blistering, showing no more than needed for the most part. There are a few flashbacks that aren't really needed, but they tend to be just a few frames.
The story arch is a typical one, but it does this while breaking a lot of cliches and using them at the same time. This movie is not for the faint of heart, the conservative, or the sensitive of any kind. It pulls a lot of racial punches but manages to be hilarious while doing it (I'm Cantonese, and I don't find the tone of the movie to be serious enough to be offended in any way).
Overall, this is one of the most entertaining movie I've seen all year, and it will be to you too if you fall into the right demograph.
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9/10/2009
Takes ridiculousness to a whole new level
"He was dead...but he got better". I honestly can't think of a better tagline to a recent movie than that, but Crank 2: High Voltage manages to take the levels of ridiculousness introduced in the first film to whole new levels. Hitman Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) wakes up to find himself with an artificial heart that constantly needs charging, as he treks across the city searching for his stolen, indestructable heart, and leaves in his wake a multitude of destruction, sex, and ridiculous levels of offensive violence. As said before, Crank 2 takes implausibility to whole new levels, and writers/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor know this and revel in it. It's absurdly violent, incredibly offensive, and undoubtedly funny to boot, and the fact that returning stars Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, and Efren Ramirez manage to keep straight faces throughout the proceedings are giant accomplishments in themselves. Also featuring hysterical turns from Bai Ling, Clifton Collins Jr, Corey Haim (yes, Corey Haim), and the late great David Carradine; Crank 2: High Voltage is guaranteed entertainment if you enjoyed the first film in the least, and is guaranteed as something to definitely avoid if none of the aforementioned sounds appealing to you in the least.
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State of Play (R)
Thriller, Mystery
Starring: Rusell Crowe, Ben Affleck
$14.95 |
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Duplicity (R)
Drama, Comedy
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen
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Management (R)
Romantic, Comedy
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn
$14.95
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