If you watch NASCAR for the car crashes, you play GTA just to drive on the sidewalks, run people over and drive into buildings, or you like Jason Statham movies, then yes, you should see Death Race.The bottom line is that this is a last ditch effort to rake in some cash before summer's end. Unfortunately for Universal, the marketplace is way too crowded right now for Death Race to make much of an impact on their pocketbooks. With Tropic Thunder gaining momentum through word-of-mouth buzz, The Rocker, The House Bunny, Star Wars, Mirrors and of course The Dark Knight out there and with Hamlet 2 on the way, this R rated actioner doesn't really stand a chance of earning much for it's producers. I'd never realized how much of a dumping ground the end of August was.
As for the movie itself? It's a Jason Statham movie. Think Crank meets The Transporter. Death Race's biggest flaw it the fact that it's non-stop action. "... flaw?" you ask. Yes, flaw. I was so bored with the action that I was actually nodding off at the end of the movie. The few non-action scenes were a relief and might have actually held my attention if they were any good.
Also, Paul W.S. Anderson needs to not make movies anymore. This was written and directed by him and it shows. He is the same man as was behind Alien vs. Predator. There is one scene in Death Race where Tyrese's car is out of comission. He tells his navigator that they have to "... get back in this race!!!!" The movie cuts to a scene with Statham and then cuts back to Tyrese driving at full speed yelling "I'm Back!!" with absolutely no explanation as to how he fixed the car.
This really is just wall to wall action, so if that's what you're looking for, then see Death Race.
Alternatives to Death Race: The Fugitive, The Fast and the Furious, Fight Club, Crank, and The Condemned
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