Crank (2006) User Reviews (520)

They probably should have given him more of that Chinese s**t!

[ps42 · 8/10 · 31 August 2006]

If ever a movie was made to get one's heart pumping, Crank is it. It takes a marginally believable and undeniably awesome premise, adds one of the brightest up-and-coming action stars around, stirs in some new ingredients that the genre hasn't really seen before, and bakes until the final product rises beyond all expectations. The catch phrase "a thrill a minute" doesn't really go the distance to describe how ridiculously action packed this film is. A thrill every ten to fifteen seconds is more like it. First time directors Mark Nedveldine and Brian Taylor relentlessly bash you over the head with the action hammer. Their cinematography is manic and the style is reminiscent of that used by Tony Scott in Domino. It fits the pace of the film quite well.

Jason Statham delivers to audiences the only thing he knows how to deliver, and that is pure, distilled ass kicking. That is his job, and he is very, very good at it. Make no mistake, the film is very strongly 'R' rated. There is a bounty of flesh, and a strong smattering of violence, and drug use. Don't be thrown off by Amy Smart's name on the poster. Even though she does a fine job as Statham's on screen girlfriend Eve, hers (and every other) part takes a deliberate and distant backseat to Statham's charismatic portrayal of hit-man Chev Chelios. He also manages to wind more than a few threads of pretty solid humor into the performance. All in all, its Statham's most impressive job in a leading role yet.

In a nutshell the plot revolves around Chev Chelios, poisoned by his employer after a hit went sour with a synthetic Chinese compound that blocks his adrenaline receptors. The only way for him to stay alive is to get pumped up and stay pumped up. Anything he can get his hands on to raise his adrenaline is fair game, from drugs to energy drinks to raunchy public sex and more as he tears a path of carnage and mayhem through the streets of L.A. in search of the man who tried to kill him.

Crank is everything you could feasibly ask it to be and more. The filmmakers take an iffy premise, work their magic (read 'good casting and direction') on it, and produce reel after reel of pure adrenaline on film. It packs over the top action in with incredible stunts, clever and biting humor, a decent story and some above average acting. It's one of the most entertaining films of the year and may well be a career highlight for Statham. It's one of those films that you'll definitely want to go see with a bunch of the guys. What it lacks in depth, it makes up for in pure fun and distilled manliness. A high 8 out of 10.

Way better than you're probably thinking it is

[zetes · 8/10 · 9 July 2007]

Wow, this is surprisingly excellent. I mean, it's crap, but it's good crap, and that's worth a lot. The premise is basically Speed meets D.O.A. (the 1950 movie starring Edward O'Brien). Jason Statham (of the Transporter movies) is a hit-man who has a lethal Chinese poison coursing through his veins. If he slows down, if his adrenaline level drops, he drops dead. In his last moments, he rushes to find his killer and others responsible, snatching as many energy drinks and drugs as he can get his hands on along the way. This is some fun stuff, and hilarious, too. The editing is the MTV-style of many modern action movies, so avoid it if you can't stand that. I hope the directors, who also wrote the script, succeed even more so in the future.

Fast paced action and funny

[MyStIk_z · 8/10 · 29 August 2006]

This movie really is fully packed with action and humor. it has everything that can keep your heart pumping for the whole movie. A hit-man chasing and killing bad guys with guns knives and everything he can find. there is a lot of gunfight and explosives. But the movie really is funny too. the whole crowd in the theater were laughing out loud here at the "avant-première" in Montreal. during the opening sequence, some dizziness begin to overwhelm you because of a shaky and blurred camera but i guess this is exactly what the director was expecting. This "shaky hand" camera effect is reused throughout the movie adding to the perspective and helps one get plunged in the movie. The special effects are mainly car crashes and explosions, but are really well executed and very inventive. And the story, well, the story isn't really what you seek when choosing to go see this kind of movies, but in crank, the storyline is actually pretty good. It could probably be resumed in half a page though :) I would say that it is one of the most balanced humor/action movie i've seen in the past years.

Crank is Grand Theft Auto on the big-screen.

[Cmbaker · 1 September 2006]

Fast. Hyper. Action-packed. Drug-induced. Insane. Crank is all these things, and extremely entertaining too. No doubt a movie made just for the guys, it's filled with guns, car chases, sex, random humor, nudity, Amy Smart, Pedro from Napolean Dynamite, sex, nudity, etc. The only thing missing were some hand-to-hand fight scenes that would have made this movie complete. Instead, we do get a nice confrontation where one person is armed with a butcher's knife... but I shan't spoil that one.

But yes, this is a live-action video game on the big-screen. Google Maps zooms into the next location Chev visits and on screen text gives you its name ala a video game's "next level" sequence. Chev's girlfriend thinks he is a video game programmer. The opening titles for "CRANK" are shown in the blocky, pixellated style of a 1980's Atari game. Chev is just trying to get to the boss at the end of the game.

And a tip for those of you yet to see it- STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS. It reinforces everything I just said.

Leave Your Brain At The Door.

[LagerLagerLagerShouting · 6/10 · 30 April 2008]

If you like brainless action flicks with insane set-pieces, great one-liners and zero character development so you don't give a rat's-ass about them, then Crank is probably the film for you. It is done originally, like a computer game where the action supersedes the plot. It keeps the film moving and the viewer entertained at the same time at the ridiculous and extreme scenarios and this is all the directors want Crank to do. Everything, including generic realism, convincing plot and background characters plays second-fiddle to the stylised action and I couldn't help but be entertained, especially at the completely unsubtle contemporary culture-clash comedy references!

6/10

Stylish fun

[mahmus · 7/10 · 22 September 2021]

If Crank were to take itself seriously, it would be the most unpleasant movie ever. Thankfully, it's so over-the-top and so stylized that any chances of taking it seriously get immediately thrown out the window.

What you're left with is an insane action movie that overloads your senses and keeps you watching for two reasons: One is because it's legitimately entertaining, and the other is out of curiosity of just what new GTA-level insanity will it do next.

Wild conceptual redux for a forgotten 1996 actioner.

[filmnut1 · 10/10 · 12 August 2006]

Back in the 1990s British action star Gary Daniels was at the height of his fame. Headlining a string of bland, stunt filled features for PM Entertainment (the B Simpson/Bruckheimer). In 1996 he starred in RAGE, a non-stop action movie with a very "high concept" premise. Injected with a deadly drug an ordinary man becomes a one man army. Hunting down the bad guys, on the run from the cops and trying to get his normal life back - the film was stunt filled madness. 10 years later we have CRANK which is essentially a rehash. Albeit a big budget, MTV-style version. Our hero is still a Brit, the location is once again Los Angeles, but there are gangster movie connotations, wild visuals and a tongue-in-cheek tone (you cannot take the name Chev Chelios seriously and I don't think you're supposed to) which makes this a lively, engaging ride which knocks Daniels' effort for six. The similarities between the two cannot be ignored but this is clearly the superior of the two. RAGE was the prototype, but CRANK takes it to the limit with set-pieces and jokes as silly as they are inventive. In addition there are connotations to films such as Tony Scott's MAN ON FIRE and DOMINO and Brit gangster movies such as Mike Hodges' GET CARTER and Guy Ritchie's LOCK, STOCK and TWO SMOKING BARRELS which add to the thrills and keep us entertained. Much more restrained than CGI-filled, action pantomime that was TRANSPORTER 2, CRANK is Statham's best star vehicle yet. He's a pure physical presence with a maniacal glint in his eyes. There are no Corey Yeun-style martial arts scenes but it doesn't matter. The film is OTT but somehow grounded. The action is rough, fierce. Statham's character is a relentless one man army in classic tradition. Young guys and longtime action movie fans are going to love this for its sheer vigour. With creativity in the genre previously limited to new twists on chases and fight scenes, it's a real pleasure to see films such as CRANK, ONG-BAK and BANLIEUE 13 (District 13) emerging. Not to be taken too seriously, Crank is one of the best popcorn movies of 2006.

Lots of action and thrillers.

[ahmedm0ustafa · 7/10 · 2 November 2021]

The movie had my attention from the first moment, how it started and how the movie continued having my attention and forcing me to focus without passing a scene, a great acting from Jason Statham.

Such good work at all.

"Crank" a fast paced, clever, and cool-as-Hell adrenaline rush of a film!!

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 9/10 · 2 September 2006]

I walked into "Crank" with low expectations, as I do with many films. The previews made it look like it had a clever story, but I was worried that with Jason Statham playing lead, I might just get a re-hash of his "Transporter" films.

I got a pleasant surprise. From the very beginning, the film moves. And moves damn fast. Not in an obnoxious way either. In the first minutes of the film we are set up with a possible story of corruption between hit men, a botched job, and the set-up for the whole movie-- Statham's Chev Chelios being fatally poisoned with a Chinese-made serum that slows his heart rate, and will eventually literally make his heart stop, killing him. The only solution-- get the adrenaline pumping and keep his heart rate up! The whole movie is like one long action sequence, with pauses for story elements. This is the common thing now in films, but in other movies, it generally doesn't work so well. But, with the premise of "Crank" being the need for speed (Literally), the idea of all-action, little-plot actually works. And works well.

However, don't be mistaken, there is genuine plot in the film. Clever stories about the pasts and workings of crime-lords and their cronies, and how they all relate to Chelios. Some of it went over my head because of the constant action, but I was able to understand everything enough to enjoy the film.

The direction and editing is something I want to talk about briefly before I wrap this up. For a film like this, one would expect flashy camera work and crazy fast cutting, but I must say, the director/writer and the editor went beyond the call of duty. The film is shot as though the cameraman himself was the one who was poisoned, with the camera flashing and moving around nearly constantly, only settling during the slow scenes. Quite a genius use of camera-work to emulate the story. And the editing certainly adds a lot to the already excellent camera work. We get cutting when necessary and when not necessary, to further illustrate the needs of the main character.

Overall, I would say "Crank" was the coolest movie I've seen in the last several years, leaps and bounds beyond the standard Hollywood action flick. I would recommend to any action-fan or adrenaline junkie, because take it from me, this film is the ultimate rush!

A must see, really intelligent action here.

[felakin · 7/10 · 4 January 2007]

Did see Crank. And I loved it. Fun, crazy, unexpected, twisted, action, sad, happy and totally weird. The story is so tight and adrenalin packed that it is a unbelievable sight indeed. I did sit in my couch with eyes peeled every minute. Have to say that I really did not believe I would get such a nice movie for the evening. Compared to many other action movies this one really stick out from the rest.

And Jason Statham did a fantastic role in Crank. I loved him in The Transporter and The Transporter 2.

I highly recommend it. Though have in mind that it is some heavy action with some strong scenes in it.

Brainless headache-inducing stupidity.

[vip_ebriega · 2/10 · 14 May 2008]

My Take: Moronic and noisy. It's the worst kind of action thriller if I ever saw one.

I have no problem enjoying some brainless summer fair, but CRANK is going way over the top, but it's also very violent and unpleasant, I didn't really take it for a second. CRANK is an overly noisy, unpleasant vomitorium loaded with unbelievable stunts, noisy action and a bad mouth. The movie's hasn't got a moment where that it pleasant, it's just restless and way too kinetic for its cause, I almost had a headache. Although I can't stop any action fan to see it, let me just tell you that it ain't for all taste, and for me, CRANK is way to far from mine.

Perhaps one of the things I didn't like about CRANK is the lack of a really appealing hero. Instead of a James Bond or a John McLane, CRANK has Chev Chelios, played by Jason Statham (THE TRANSPORTER), who is not even close to one of the more likable action heroes. The character wasn't practically interesting to start with, but he makes himself worse when he isn't, for once, likable or appealing. He's to reckless and vigilante to be as appealing as many other action heroes. It may take Statham a few more rounds as an action hero to have me at hello.

To be fair, the plot is quite ingenious as it is introduced. The lead character is injected with a poisonous serum that slowly kills him if his heart rate drops. To keep himself alive, he has to keep his adrenaline up a notch. Good idea! But then, it quickly devolves into unbelievable action scenes that lack the sort of glee when an action hero, specifically the likes of James Bond, do unbelievable (yet somewhat convincing) stunts. Then it gets worse when it gives room for Statham to talk foul-mouth with people he manages to pass by (these include a doctor and his patient in one of the film's most unpleasant scenes, an there are lot).

CRANK is the likes of movies I like most of the time, but I didn't really like this one. The film doesn't give me a reason to like it. I usually like unbelievable action scenes in an action movie with a break-neck fast pace. CRANK is that film (it has stunts and a fast pace), but it lacks the joy and glee. I wasn't at all in a straight face when I see Statham drive his car on an escalator or the unbelievable ending that has to be seen to believe. I usually applause with delight when I see these things, but here, I hardly cared. It's like listening to a bunch amateur rock band who only knows how to strum the electric guitar like a maniac, but they don't know how to write a song. The end credits signaled the feeling of relief I wanted after almost an hour (but it lasted almost a lifetime).

Rating: * out of 5.

Aciddytrip-o-vision

[Huffman92 · 9/10 · 28 December 2006]

This is my first review and I've been reluctant to write one because I don't really think anyone will read it... but here it goes.

Crank is fun, really fun. In the way of Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (kind of) it's got its violence and action tossed into a mountain of humor. The writers (and directors) took these three things, tossed them into a movie blender, put the blender on puree, and came out with this movie.

The directors (and writers) did some visually awesome things with this film. People on the other side of phone calls appear on walls, rear-view mirrors, and other things. Random words from a person's dialogue appear on screen along with their part of speech in parenthesis afterwards (ep-i-neph-rine (n), man). This visual style I have declared... accidytrip-o-vision.

Other movies with accidytrip-o-vision: Easy Rider and A Scanner Darkly.

In conclusion, Crank is an action-filled, blood encrusted, comedy haywire, accidytrip-o-vision, adrenaline-pumping achievement.

Kudos to Statham and the rest of the team for the new bible of popcorn flicks.

Oh man, so deliciously bad!

[punkxrock · 6/10 · 31 August 2006]

I don't know how else to describe this, besides "deliciously bad". When I saw the preview I said "That is the perfect premise for an action flick", and it is. It's 80+ minutes of pretty much non-stop action, with it just ramping up to be more and more ridiculous. It's pretty much Grand Theft Auto 3, on the big screen, which is sure to have plenty of people up in arms, but I was amused.

My biggest gripe was with the amateur-looking on-screen maps and text. When I think about it, I guess it's the best or at least easiest way to keep everything moving, but it looked like something made on a home computer.

It's hyperviolent, so be warned. It wasn't ever too serious though, and everyone is expendable, so I can't say I really cared.

Would I recommend this? It's a popcorn flick - see it with your friends, to laugh, cringe, and...do whatever you do when you see a good fight or action sequence, together. It's definitely not a date movie - believe me when I tell you that if you try to play the love story angle, things will play out poorly. But if you want a ridiculous 80 minutes of fun, go for it.

He has one hour to live. I'd like two hours of my life back.

[CMUltra · 4/10 · 18 February 2007]

What a disappointment. I really look forward to Jason Statham movies as he has all the tools to be a major action star. He is fit, projects a great screen charisma and knows enough martial arts to allow for nicely choreographed fight scenes. But his movies continue to be weak. Well, his previous movies seemed weak at the time but, compared to this stinker, they rocked.

He may have jumped at this movie based on the script. I can imagine getting excited just reading the screenplay. The premise is not original by any means, but still nifty: he wakes up with a video love note from enemy gangsters letting him know that he has one hour to live due to a designer poison in his system. A nice touch was the video showing them administering the drug while he was asleep. There is apparently no cure but the death can be delayed by keeping his adrenaline up. The script then lends itself to what could have been nicely over-the-top moments involving him starting fights he cannot hope to win, having sex with his girlfriend in front of a cheering crowd of Chinatown onlookers, mutilating himself with a waffle iron, starting police chases and generally embarking on what the news station in the movie called a city-wide spree of destruction.

All of these scenes with so much potential were wasted in the unimaginative hands of director Mark Neveldine. He goes through every clichéd tool available: fast edits, fast pans, odd tilts, slow-mo, etc., all supported by a fast, generic soundtrack. Okay, granted, pretty much all action movies use these tools but, in the good ones, the directors use them imaginatively and well. Neveldine did neither. If the Cardinal Sin of any movie is to boring, how much worse is it for an action movie to suffer that? The movie is barely workable. I don't believe it even lends itself to the enjoyment of picking it apart with friends. Statham does maintain his favorable screen presence, but very little else. Amy Smart is not terribly attractive here. That's got to be the movie as she looks charming in other venues (see: The Best Man and Just Friends, though she was out-shined by Anna Faris in the latter). Efren Ramirez is always enjoyable, including his violently brief role here. For much better examples of his talent see Napolean Dynamite and Employee of the Month.

I'd really recommend a pass on this movie.

This movie is wild and just plain fun!

[0U · 23 February 2020]

One of the funniest and coolest film I've ever seen, story was simple and short, the jokes were sickly humorous; lots of blood, violence and sex to satisfy the viewers. It makes the viewers having a runner's high too, definitely a film worth watching.

Perfectly over the top

[patomartinezfgo · 7/10 · 19 May 2017]

"Crank" stars Jason Statham as a hit-man who gets poisoned with a liquid that will kill you if you don't have a high adrenaline level. Which means that he must do all kinds of crazy sh*t to be able to keep it high. As you can see this is the PERFECT setup for a fun action movie. You have the excuse to do whatever you want because it is to keep his adrenaline level high.

Let me start with the direction and cinematography. The movie is shot in a so over- the-top way that it makes you feel like the character. Super close-ups and weird color grading selections. Everything makes you feel like if you are having an adrenaline rush which is exactly the point.

The music also sets up the tone very quickly with high intensity rock and some old tunes from the 80's.

There is some humour in the film, which I was not expecting. But it was a pleasant surprise since it was actually funny.

Jason Statham gives a good performance as you might expect. He really is the only one who could pull off this character in the correct way.

The production value of this movie is laughable. There are some things that look so fake that you have to laugh. Specially one in which he is falling. There are also some shots taken straight from google earth and they even leave the watermark on, its hilarious.

Of course the script and character depth are sh*t but I was expecting that. I was just looking for a fun action movie with some guns and adrenaline inducing scenes and I got just that.

Crank A Solid Action Thriller Better Than Expected

[tburke85 · 7/10 · 2 June 2009]

Crank is a solid action thrill ride that was better than expected powered by a fantastic performance by Jason Statham whose other film credits include Snatch, The Transporter, and Death Race. Statham does a great job in the role of Chev Chelios a hit-man who's poisoned with a Chinese cocktail that cuts off the adrenaline in his body so in order to stay alive he must keep moving at any cost or he's dead. Statham brings a fierce intensity to the character and he's earned this role after everything you see him do in the movie. Major props to Statham because he really shows through his performance the adrenaline boiling up in his character ready to explode at any minute and he stays like that for the majority of the movie. Well done. Statham's co-star Amy Smart plays Eve whose his totally oblivious stoner girlfriend and she does a good job with the role. She might not get a lot screen time but she makes for a believable clueless girlfriend. She's also featured in "spolier" two scenes I can't even write about in this review. For those of you have seen it you know which two scenes I'm talking about. The rest of the cast including Efren Ramirez, Reno Wilson, and Dwighty Yoakam are admirable in their roles but like Smart they're not given much to do. Directors Mark Neveldine and Bryan Taylor show some real talent with this film making it an edgy action thriller that's very different from any other one you've seen before. Overall Crank was better than expected but with some flaws with the dialgoue at times, some of the shaky camera work, and the ending could've been better. Other then that though Crank is packed with plenty of action with is basically non-stop from the start, solid performances from most of the cast especially Statham, and some small does of humor that make for an entertaining action thriller to watch.

Nothing less than Great.

[josegrappa · 10/10 · 30 August 2006]

Crank was... Great. It's was what you hope it might be: Cool, fast, and Jason Statham kicking butt (and Rated R - It's great to hear Statham be able to go off). It was also much funnier than I expected, and once I figured out the tone I was in for the ride. I should've figured out the tone when the movie started with an 80's classic song from Quiet Riot. Or when the director and writer spoke before the movie and thanked "Jesus" and then said something like, "Hold onto your seats, it's going to be f-ckin great." This movie will probably be considered a cult classic soon. But it could be a huge box office success too. So, here's my story: I was invited to the Cast screening. My friend worked on the crew of Crank, and I got a call Monday morning to go (after another friend had to cancel - I'm always last to get the call, but glad I did TD - So don't worry). I loved Snatch, and I was probably more excited to see Jason Statham in the flesh, than to see the movie. Well, I was simply surprised. Jason was phenomenal. The movie was weird, really good weird. The action never stopped, and right when you were cringing from a needle, or something gruesome, you would be hit with something hilarious. It's was a great blend of action and humor. The writer obviously wrote this tongue in cheek. It was like he was making fun of other films. At least I think so. The movie was subtitled in a couple of random places and I found myself keeled over laughing when the Cab Driver was subtitled. The action really stood out. It was very violent, and at times very real. The bad guy, Verone, also stood out. And I think Amy Smart did a good job playing naive. The movie starts with a bang, and I was surprised that the bang held up to the final scene in the movie, which I think was simply great. My heart is still racing a bit, two days later. Yes, it's that's good.

Literally heart pumping fun

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 January 2014]

Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) is Carlito's best hit-man. One morning, he finds that a small time rival Ricky Verona has injected him with the "Beijing Cocktail", a synthetic drug which inhibits the flow of adrenaline. In order to stay alive, he must keep the adrenaline flowing. Then he learns that Ricky is doing it with the approval of Carlito.

This is literally heart pumping action fun. The style is hyper ADD. The story is insanely contrived. While the adrenaline rush lasts, the movie is high energy, funny, and loads of fun. Some of it is hilarious. Jason Statham has a great boner joke. The action does wear thin, but the humor is maintain. Statham is a great tough guy who fits perfectly for this role. Amy Smart plays the low energy girlfriend. She slows the movie down, at least until they get to Chinatown.

Jon Monsarrat review: like Die Hard & Face-Off - a must-see

[johnnymonsarrat · 9/10 · 2 September 2006]

I love action movies, but they have to be intelligent. No "The Mummy" or "The Fast and the Furious" for me. Crank nails it in every way.

It's hard enough to pull together a film with a lot of stunts. Then top that by making it non-stop action throughout. Then top that by having an intelligent plot that keeps you thinking and characters whose motivations and decisions make sense. Then top that by adding in some humor that doesn't blow the seriousness of the movie but adds some charm and -- listen up, Jet Li -- originality to the stunts.

But then, pump it up with cinematography that (unlike The Bourne Identity, which didn't work for me) makes the whole thing even more original and adds to the drama instead of being puffery. Then add Amy Smart, yum. Despite the fast pace, there is actually real chemistry with her as the love interest.

Every action movie lover should go out and see this film immediately. It is everything that Snakes on a Plane, which is cheesy and bad, and I don't mean good-bad, is not.

Who should see this movie:

-- Action movie fans, you might not want to bring your SO, it's pretty hardcore with the gore and violence

-- Enraged assassins with 2 hours to live I'll give "Crank" a 9 out of 10, the only missing point being that there's no real depth to the drama, it's strictly "just for the action".

Cranks up the action

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 11 May 2008]

***SPOILERS*** Hopped up and adrenaline driven remake of the 1949 crime classic "D.O.A" has reformed hit-man Chev Chelios, Jason Statham, turn downtown L.A into a battle zone in his mad rush to get the person who time-delayed murdered him.

When it came back to the person who hired him Verona, Jose Pablo Castillo, that Chev didn't go through with the hit on Chinese Mob Boss Don Kim, Keone Young, he had Chev apprehended knocked out and shot up with a "Beijing Cocktail". The "cocktail" being a slow acting poison that will within 24 hours put Chev to sleep forever.

Getting in touch with his drug addicted physician Doc Mills, Dwight Yoakam, Chev is told the only way to keep the "cocktail" from doing him in is to keep on the move and shoot himself up with epinephrine, an adrenaline supplement, as well as snort lines of coke. Still, Doc Mills tells him, there's no way to stop the poison from eventually doing its job no matter how much coke and epinephrine Chev snorts or shoot himself up with. It's then that Chev decides to wipe out the entire Verona Mob in one last hit before he finally checks out for good.

Non-stop action that gets real messy at times with Chev going on a mindless rampage in his mission of revenge against those who murdered him. That fact that Cheve has time, 24 hours, before he's to die makes him far more dangerous, in knowing he has nothing to lose, then he ever was as a top West-Coast hit-man. Not caring about himself or those who have the misfortune of running into him Chev just makes a shambles of everything and everyone he comes in contact with in the film.

The movie "Crank" even gets a bit, a big bit, pornographic as Chev, needing to keep his heart furiously pumping to stay alive, attacks and rapes his stunned girlfriend Eve, Amy Smart. This outrageous scene takes place right in the middle of a crowded Chinatown street in front of a stunned and shocked crowd of, besides men, women and children!

****SPOLIER ALERT**** With time running out and no antidote in sight to save him Chev finally catches up with Verona and the real man behind his now deadly and pressing problems, like dropping dead at any moment, his former boss Carilto, Carlo Sanz. It turns out that Chev's decision to spar Chinese Godfather Don Kim's life paid dividends for him in the end. It was Don Kim and his boys who came to Chev's rescue just as he was about to be iced by Carlio & Verona. This didn't save Chev from his ultimate fate but gave him a chance, after dispatching the Carlito Gang, to get the ride of his life in the final fleeting moments of the movie "Crank".

Soulless action extravaganza, easy to watch and easy to forget.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 14 April 2008]

Crank is a deliberately stylized and unrealistic action movie, more concerned with outrageous stunts, flashy editing and smart-ass dialogue than any real movie-making merit. It is not a particularly good film, being alternately too dumb for its own good and too nasty to totally be taken on a good-humoured level. But at the same time, its relentless energy and sheer passion for destruction and mayhem ensures that it lives up to its own unambitious goals, and is an action buffs dream.

Professional hit-man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) wakes up one morning to find a disc showing him that during the night he has been injected with a deadly poison. The poison acts by choking his supply of adrenalin and he will be dead within an hour unless he can keep his natural adrenalin levels on a permanent high. Chelios sets out to track down those responsible for giving him the poison, namely rival hit-man Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and gangland boss Carlito (Carlos Sanz). In order to stay alive, his day becomes a non-stop adrenalin rush – he causes fights, snorts cocaine, drives everywhere at ridiculously high speed (even smashing through a packed shopping mall in his car at one point), carries out a store hold-up, and much more…. anything to keep his heart pumping while he seeks vengeance on those that have sentenced him to death. He also attempts to protect his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) from the same enemies. A citywide rampage ensues as Chelios fights to stay alive long enough to avenge himself….

Crank is essentially an action remake of the more subtle, mystery-driven thriller D.O.A. The plot is sheer lunacy lacking credibility at all points, though presumably this is intentional. Statham actually does quite well within the restrictions of the role – his hero is abrasive, single-minded and sarcastically witty, though at no point does he become even an outline of a believable character. Most of the other actors have thankless roles, especially Smart as the ditsy blonde girlfriend and Cantillo as the scenery-chewing bad guy. The action is quite cleverly edited, with lots of visual and aural tricks, but an air of soullessness hangs over many of the scenes. There's no real thrill and human spark, just spectacle and expensive destruction. Everything is done with a heavy-handed insistence on style over substance, right down to the film's astonishingly absurd climax which features one of the most surreal death scenes ever seen in a movie. On a more positive note, Crank does at least have a pulsating rock soundtrack to propel the proceedings forward and for all its other flaws one could never label it as dull. Definitely one for hardcore genre addicts.

One of the best action movies ever made

[emu_hunter_1990-658-823707 · 10/10 · 4 June 2023]

This movie is just pure fun. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll keep my review short. First of all, if you haven't watched this movie you need to. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of these type of movies or not, this is a must see. I find every aspect of this movie to be very well done: Script, direction, acting, production, photography, character development... I was surprised how artistic it was, since I didn't expect it to be honest. I went into this movie expecting an average action movie, but I was completely blown away from the start tile the end. Ending of the movie is also executed masterfully, which was really hard considering how insane the entire journey was.

Crank

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 5 March 2020]

Crank has been inspired by the film noir D.O.A that has been blended with Keanu Reeves action vehicle Speed.

Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) is a hitman who wakes and discovers that a rival hoodlum has injected him with a lethal 'Beijing cocktail' that will kill him.

Chev needs to keep his adrenaline pumping long enough to stay alive and also hunt down the man who did this to him before he dies.

Crank has a kinetic energy with its constant fast moving camerawork. There is plenty of violence. It is an absurd and ridiculous action film.

It also has its share of bad taste with its many ethnic stereotypes. At one point Chev has sex with his girlfriend in the middle of the chinatown to keep his heart pumping.

Despite the vulgarity it is stupidly entertaining as long as you switch off your brain cells.

Should have been called KRAP

[circle_of_confusion · 1/10 · 10 March 2008]

Where to begin?

Nothing fun about this one. Wish I had my 90 minutes back. Jokes were bad, and a potentially career ending performance by Amy Smart. Can't blame her though, crank is what I'm guessing the directors (or should I say camera operators) were doing when they made this. Yikes, a mess.

Continuity was atrocious, huge story holes, stereotypes on top of worse stereotypes. Originality is nil. Please, please put the filmmakers in movie jail. It's scary that these folks are actually working on a sequel. I'll tell you everything you need to know about this movie in 1 sentence.

It's as if you did crystal meth then watched DOA, racial expletives, bad sound effects, derivative, panic, hack, montage, seen-it, bang-bang-expletive, explosion, wish I were "snatch", explosion, expletive, derivative, end.