by The Film Blogger

Created on: September 06, 2009

For all of Paul W.S. Anderson's many flaws as a filmmaker, he has certainly not skimped on the grit with his R-rated remake of superb cult favourite Death Race 2000. The film's opening four-minute race sequence, complete with a voiceover cameo from David Carradine (the star of the original film), will assure viewers that this is at least a film that works as a solid slice of B-movie exploitation.

Where Death Race evidently diverges from Paul Bartel's version is the setup itself Jason Statham suits up as arguably the unluckiest man on Earth, a steel mill worker by the name of Jensen Ames. On the same day, Ames is made redundant, ripped off by his workplace, and framed for the murder of his wife. Furthermore, Ames is shipped off to jail, where sadistic warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) offers him his freedom if he can compete in, and survive the vicious Death Race, a 3-day demolition derby to the death. Naturally, his opponents are a rabble of thoroughly loathsome individuals, lead by Death Race veteran Machine Gun Joe (played by Sylvester Stallone 33 years ago, now replaced by Tyrese Gibson).

In the film's defense, it swings along at a nifty pace, and even in its clichd establishing scenes at the prison, it isn't long at all before Statham is cracking skulls left and right with his dinner plate. What really makes the film work for the large part, however, is Joan Allen's character her modus operandi allows the film to develop more as a spiritual sequel to the original film as opposed to a remake. The film includes its fair share of references to Frankenstein, the original film's protagonist, and it is the materialistic determination of Allen's character that makes these nods to the original work as devoted fan service rather than shameless name dropping.

Although it would certainly be wrong to deem the film to be particularly intelligent, Anderson has included a few choice touches that carry the spirit of the original, adapting the ironic dialectic of the 1975 version to attune to a modern world. Allen's character, for instance, despite operating the Death Race, has a staunch aversion to foul language, a none-too subtle swipe at regulatory committees such as the MPAA, under which Anderson's films have doubtless endured scrutiny.

Death Race's supporting cast is a rather mixed affair Ames' quest for survival is aided by a man known simply as Coach (Ian McShane), who is accompanied by two rather buffoonish goofball characters. The latter two characters do little for the

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