While the age-old adage “less is more” is sound filmmaking advice, the opposite applies to Jason Statham’s relentless action movies. A case in point is Crank 2: High Voltage, a balls-to-the-wall action sequel that goes so far over the top that it dwarfs the absurdity of the original to leave a big, fat grin etched on the faces of hardcore Statham fanatics. Critics were also impressed, giving Crank 2 slightly better reviews than its predecessor.
Boasting a wild premise that forces Statham’s Chev Chelios into a ticking-clock health scenario, Crank 2’s high-voltage electricity derives from the extreme plot, flagrant fight scenes, hyper-violence, morbid humor, kinetic camerawork, Statham’s breathless stunt work, and more. With the film recently celebrating its 15th anniversary, it’s time to hook up the jumper cables and bring Crank 2: High Voltage back to life.
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Release Date
April 16, 2009
Runtime
85 minutes
Cast
Jason Statham
, Amy Smart
, David Carradine
, Dwight Yoakam
, Bai Ling
, Clifton Collins Jr.
, Jose Pablo Cantillo
, Efren Ramirez
, Julanne Chidi Hill
, Reno Wilson
, Keone Young
, Art Hsu
, J. J. Soria
, Corey Haim
, Geri Horner
, William Brent
, Jamie Harris
, John de Lancie
, Ho-Kwan Tse
, Galen Yuen
, Shu Lan Tuan
, Anne Girard
, Yeva-Genevieve Lavlinski
, Reid Harper
, David Scott Rubin
, Chester Bennington
, Setu Taase
, Eidan Hanzei
, Najja Meeks
, David Rolas
, David Dooyun Kim
, Portis Hershey
, Atticus Todd
, Peter Mark
, Chad Damiani
, Jai Stefan
, Tom Roach
, Maynard James Keenan
, Danny Lohner
, Danna Hansen
, Keith Jardine
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What Is ‘Crank’ All About?
Lionsgate
Understanding why Crank 2 out-energizes its predecessor requires context. Written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor in their feature film debut, Crank stars Jason Statham as assassin Chev Chelios. Chev is a hardened British hitman based in Los Angeles, assigned to kill a Triad mafia leader.
While asleep one night, assailants break in and intoxicate Chev with a synthetic drug called “The Beijing Cocktail.” The drug stops the flow of adrenaline in the human body, forcing Chev to remain as physically active as possible to avoid his heart fatally stopping.
The title “Crank” is a slang reference to methamphetamine, an illicit stimulant with similar properties as The Beijing Cocktail. As Chev rushes across Los Angeles to find an antidote and keep his health intact, he must defeat several Triad henchmen while his heart nearly beats out of his chest. Statham does some of his craziest stunts and driving in the film, which only escalates in the sequel.
The silly B-movie premise is balanced by Neveldine and Taylor’s relentless direction and wildly over-the-top action scenes, which are increased to breakneck pitch and pace in the superior sequel.
‘Crank: High Voltage’ Ups the Amperage
Lionsgate
Bigger, better, and bolder like every movie sequel should be, Crank 2: High Voltage doubled down on its extreme premise and elevated the intensity to another level. The action commences with Chev being dropped from a helicopter, where he is picked up on the L.A. streets and taken to a hospital. When he awakes, Chev watches mobster Johnny Vang order doctors to remove his heart and replace it with a much weaker, artificial one.
Rather than keeping his adrenaline flowing as in the first film, Chev must ensure his inferior battery-operated heart retains enough electricity to keep him alive. The battery back will run out in 60 minutes, presenting Chev and the audience with a harrowing ticking-clock scenario that plays in real-time and adds to the jarring immediacy and urgency. Perhaps the most extreme example, as seen in the poster and trailer, includes Chev using car jumper cables to kickstart his heart while breathlessly pursuing Vang’s henchmen and a gang of Mexican mobsters.
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Instead of dialing down the action, Neveldine and Taylor cranked the volume to 11 to treat Statham fans with a ridiculous shoot-em-up extravaganza that revels in its silliness and embraces the lunacy of its plot. Whether having sex with his stripper girlfriend Eve on a horse racetrack, engaging in feverish car chases and shootouts, or ingesting synthetic epinephrine and other designer drugs, Chev learns that friction will keep his heart going despite the lack of an antidote, recharging his fake heart nine times before the story ends.
Crazier yet, Chev learns his original heart has been transplanted into a Triad leader named Poon Dong (seriously) and sets out to get it back with grueling pain and anguish. If that wasn’t wild enough, Chev learns that one of his victims’ heads has been artificially kept alive long enough to watch him be vengefully killed by a Mexican mafia leader with ties to Vang.
While the life-and-death stakes remain the same in Crank and Crank 2, the histrionic insanity of the latter eclipses the former so much that it proves Jason Statham action movies are at their best when they do more, not less.
Critical Response to ‘Crank’ Vs. ‘Crank: High Voltage’
Lionsgate
While a fairly close race, Crank 2: High Voltage received better reviews from critics than Crank, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes. Crank holds a 62% Rotten Tomatoes rating, while High Voltage has a 64% approval rating. High Voltage’s critical consensus reads:
“Crank: High Voltage delivers on its promises: a fast-paced, exciting thrill ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
More effusive praise for the film comes from Entertainment Weekly‘s glowing review, which states:
“The result, an eye-popping strobe of flesh and blood, is as visually stunning as it is absurdly offensive, sure to thrill some while leaving others in a state of outrage-induced catatonia.”
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Oddly enough, non-critics responded oppositely, giving Crank a 71% Popcornmeter rating and Crank 2 a 49% Popcornmeter score. While the novelty may have worn off with Statham fans, critics appreciated how much further Neveldine and Taylor pushed the envelope with their gonzo pacing, kinetic handheld camerawork, and Grand Theft Auto-like aesthetics. Still, the tepid audience response may have sealed Crank’s fate as a potential Statham action movie franchise.
Whereas Crank grossed $43 million globally on a modest $12 million budget, Crank 2 cost $20 million and only grossed $34 million internationally (via The Numbers). That means the original netted $30 million while the sequel gained less than half that with $14 million, hardly enough to justify a sequel. Although critics preferred High Voltage, word of mouth among moviegoers hindered the movie’s box office success.
As fans look forward to Statham’s latest action movie, A Working Man, Crank 2 is a cautionary reminder that bigger, bolder, and better action movies may work for critics but necessarily the target audience. However, for Jason Statham specifically, more isn’t less. More is more. Crank 2: High Voltage is available to rent on AppleTV & Amazon Prime Video
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