Review of Crank: High Voltage (2009) by Jacob H — 29 Jun 2011

What this proves more than anything is how truly nuts the Crank concept could go. Chev Chelios' spectacular adventures in immortality remain a potent strain of action entertainment, this time with even more of that demented and dark sense of humor that was in the first.

Essentially, Chelios is destined to go frantically combing the city of Los Angeles for ways to survive and slimy villains to mercilessly destroy. The gore and production value of this one leans decidedly more towards the grindhouse end of action movies and it pretty much couldn't have fit more perfectly.

With Statham absorbing battery power from tasers, car batteries, and any manner of electrified objects, he basically becomes a superhero here, his power most definitely being his never fledgling will to live.

All of the great characters from the first are here again with some even nuttier new ones. Amy Smart plays her character so perfectly that her devotion to Chelios just totally works and all her over-sexualized glory in this is almost too much to handle.

Essentially, this morphs into what could be considered the most deranged action series of all time. It is bizarre, shocking, thrilling, and hilarious all at once, fully embracing its dark and offensive comedy and delivering the nutso action movie it has the potential to be.

My only qualm is that there might not be a Crank 3 to continue this truly insane series and maybe at least give Chelios the ending he deserves, then again he's probably destined to keep on like this forever.