Crank and Crank:High Voltage

Started by detourne_me, October 09, 2009, 09:45:55 AM

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detourne_me

Ok, so I just saw these 2 movies and I'm ashamed I've never watched them before.
Usually I'm quick to disregard Jason Statham movies (like Death Race or Transporter), but wow was I missing out with these guys.

I actually liked Crank 2 much better for it's spontaneity, acerbic editing, Mike Patton soundtrack, and mutli-national influences.

Anybody else a fan of these films?

GhostMachine

Still haven't seen the sequel, but the first movie was great.

Another fairly good film with Jason Statham is Chaos. I saw it on cable earlier this year. Has Ryan Phillipe and Wesley Snipes in it, and has a heck of a twist ending.

(I'll give you Death Race, but the first Transporter movie was good; the sequels.....not so much.)

GogglesPizanno

I thought both movies were just a little too over the top and not near as clever as they thought they were (for silly campy cartoonish action films I much preferred "Shoot em Up" with Clive Owen).

I generally find that Jason Statham can take an otherwise crappy C-Grade movie and make it better. I just wish he'd gotten a chance to do some bigger budget stuff as a lead. He coulda been a great A-List action guy with the right films.

Silver Shocker

I saw Crank and thought it was decent. But I've avoided Crank 2 because just going off the trailers I think it looks ridiculous.
Spoiler
As soon as he got up from falling out of the plane from the end of the first film they lost me
Totally agree about Jason Statham. I don't tend to like his movies that much, but I do like him as an action movie actor.
Now Shoot em Up. I LOVED that movie. I thought it was fantastically over the top (it also helps that I like Clive Owen)

"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

lugaru

I loved the first movie, it is a perfect example of a film that deserves a 1 on the scale of 1 to 5 but is still pretty great. I really want to see the sequel, but I have been in no rush with all the great movies out there right now.

TheMarvell

my favorite Jason Statham movie is by far The Bank Job. People kinda wrote it off as just another by-the-numbers heist movie, but it's actually quite enjoyable and one of my favorite underrated films. You guys should check it out.

UnfluffyBunny

I'm personally a fan of Statham but thought both movies were... erm... kinda poor, they had a few good moments, but all in all it's like jackass, you may get a giggle the first time you watch it but does that make it worth buying to watch multiple times? in my oppinion no.

Quote from: TheMarvell on October 10, 2009, 03:59:34 AM
my favorite Jason Statham movie is by far The Bank Job. People kinda wrote it off as just another by-the-numbers heist movie, but it's actually quite enjoyable and one of my favorite underrated films. You guys should check it out.

I kinda wrote this movie off because...well... it's the italian job, just not in italy.

BWPS

I really like watching Jason Statham fight people. But I think every movie he's ever been in has been has been just over the top terrible, like two thumbs down for sure. Crank was one where the bad was too bad. It was so stupid and ridiculous for every second of it unlike in Transporter 2, the whole movie was very passable until he
Spoiler
Flipped his car around by driving it up a nearby ramp so that a crane would smack a bomb off the bottom and the car would land on its wheels and drive off unscathed.
The single worst movie moment of all time which managed to ruin an otherwise Jason Statham beating people up movie. I thought about watching Death Race but I couldn't sit through the stupid. His movies can't keep my attention unless he beats some fellas up before the opening credits.
I apologize in advance for everything I say on here. I regret it immediately after clicking post.

GhostMachine

Statham isn't exactly a world-class actor, but he's got charisma, which action stars definitely need. The one movie he did I don't ever want to see is the Dungeon Siege one (which I believe is misnamed, since it doesn't take place in a dungeon, if I remember right) because I heard it stinks on ice.

Never have seen Shoot Em Up, but after seeing The Driver shorts Clive Owen did for BMW and Sin City, I thought Clive Owen would make a good James Bond.....and I still hope they consider him for the part if Daniel Craig quits.

And BWPS, I agree with you about that bit in Transporter 2. Ugh.

BWPS

Quote from: GhostMachine on October 10, 2009, 04:58:02 PM
Statham isn't exactly a world-class actor, but he's got charisma, which action stars definitely need.
That pretty much is what got me about Crank. He was a really bizarre possibly racist jerkface in that movie. It was almost like he had 'jerkface' written on his forehead.
And Amy Smart made me cringe every time she spoke.
I apologize in advance for everything I say on here. I regret it immediately after clicking post.

lugaru

This reminds me, in the Boston Metro the blurb about this movie said:

"He was injected with a poison that will kill him if his heart stops"

No #^%# Sherlock! Do you mean "...if his heart rate drops"?

detourne_me

Hahaha, solid jokes all around.
I really liked the crank movies because they were meant to be video-game stupid.  Like if someone took the game No More Heroes and made it a movie.

I really need to check out Shoot Em Up,  I've never heard of it, but I think I'll like it.

Actually I saw the ending of that Dungeon Siege movie on TV last weekend.  I had no idea what it was (and there was a Korean translation for the title) but I saw Ray Liotta and Jason Statham fighting with swords...  Oh man it was terrible (the 10 minutes of it I saw),  but it still had the classic "Kiss The girl" hero pose at the end! Ha!

GogglesPizanno

I actually saw Dungeon Seige...
Its a Uwe Boll movie. That's really all that needs to be said.

thalaw2

I couldn't make it through the first 10 minutes of Crank 1...the sound track just ain't my thing and I couldn't stand the trippy effects stuff.  I enjoyed the Transporter flicks much much more.  I liked Death Race too.
革命不会被电视转播

Camma

I am in the same boat.  I had ignored them for a long time as most of JS's movies lack enough substance to hold my attention.  Not that i don't like the action genre, but you can have some plot intrigue and character development AND action.

Quote from: GogglesPizanno on October 12, 2009, 05:08:29 AM
I actually saw Dungeon Seige...
Its a Uwe Boll movie. That's really all that needs to be said.


ROFL, i did see this one and like with most Uwe Boll, wish i hadn't.  BUT!

But, as i was starting with before i got sidetracked, I recently caught part of Crank2 at a friends place and immediately went home to put it on the netflix que.  I actually did enjoy them for being totally over the top, the comic book feel of the production, and some really wacky lines, my favorite being:

"You are my shiney lunchbox!" - Ria
If for any reason you're not satisfied with our service, I hate you

GhostMachine

Like I said before, if you don't like Statham's films because of a lack of plot, definitely check out Chaos. Its not a typical JS film.....and don't let Wesley Snipes being in it put you off, because its not exactly a pure action film. Nice plot with a heck of twist ending.

thalaw2

Why would Snipes being in a film be a turn off?  That guy can carry a movie all by himself and he's a great dramatic actor...at least in his earlier stuff like Jungle Fever and New Jack City.
革命不会被电视转播

Silver Shocker

Quote from: detourne_me on October 12, 2009, 04:16:18 AM
I really liked the crank movies because they were meant to be video-game stupid.  Like if someone took the game No More Heroes and made it a movie.

I really need to check out Shoot Em Up,  I've never heard of it, but I think I'll like it.

If that's the mindset you go in with when you watch it, I can almost guarantee you'll like it.

"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

GhostMachine

Quote from: thalaw2 on October 14, 2009, 01:31:36 AM
Why would Snipes being in a film be a turn off?  That guy can carry a movie all by himself and he's a great dramatic actor...at least in his earlier stuff like Jungle Fever and New Jack City.

There are a lot of people who don't like Snipes, sadly. And he has done quite a few bad action movies.


DrMike2000

I absolutely love these two.
Yeah, Crank 2 is ridiculous, but that's not a bad thing considering its a bad taste comedy with no attempt at realism whatsoever.
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detourne_me

Ok, I just watched Shoot em up!
Amazing!!
Not quite as chaotic as Crank, but it definitely carries the spirit of early 90's action movies.  I absolutely cannot wait for Machete and the Expendables now.  Crank and Shoot em up are the appetizers, I'm just hoping Rodriguez and Stallone can deliver a full course!

TheMarvell

Quote from: UnfluffyBunny on October 10, 2009, 04:33:33 PM
I'm personally a fan of Statham but thought both movies were... erm... kinda poor, they had a few good moments, but all in all it's like jackass, you may get a giggle the first time you watch it but does that make it worth buying to watch multiple times? in my oppinion no.

Quote from: TheMarvell on October 10, 2009, 03:59:34 AM
my favorite Jason Statham movie is by far The Bank Job. People kinda wrote it off as just another by-the-numbers heist movie, but it's actually quite enjoyable and one of my favorite underrated films. You guys should check it out.

I kinda wrote this movie off because...well... it's the italian job, just not in italy.

They have similar names, both have Jason Statham in them, and they both involve heists, but as far as I can tell, the similarities end there. The Bank Job is actually based off of real events, while the Italian Job, as far as I know, is completely fiction. They might sound similar on paper, but the films are much different from one another. I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this movie. It really is one of Statham's best, even if it seems like similar territory in other movies.