Crank: High Voltage
From FilmFile
Taglines:
- He was dead...But he got better
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Synopsis
Chev Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.
Review
Where do you start with a review for the second Crank film? Well, I suppose it is worth saying that if you thought the first film was overblown, preposterous nonsense, and hated every minute, then by all means avoid this sequel which does more of the same...only with even more hyperactivity! After that, it is then worth pointing out if you expect a certain degree of realism in your films, then consider whether you can accept the fact that Chev Chelios survived the drop from a helicopter that closed the last film.
Okay, can you cope with that? In that case...
Picking up pretty much where the last film left off, Crank 2 sees the indestructable Chev the victim of body looting Triads who dragged his near dead corpse away and plan to extract his organs one by one for the highest bidders. First to go is his heart, replaced with a temporary electircal pump (so the rest of his organs stay fresh to sell). It isn't long before Chev is up and about, causing mayhem galore as he tries to get his heart back. Throw in some tenuous links to the last film, recurring characters, and direction by someone who must have been on some high-grade drugs whilst holding the camera, and you are in for a wild 90 minute ride that doesn't let up.
I could analyise the acting and direction, criticising the 2 dimensional characterisations, and the dreadful dialogue exchanges, but what would be the point. this is not a film for the serious movie critic, but instead is a pumped up, MTV generation, computer game styled film where anything goes. Over the top gore, brutal action, shaky direction that puts Bourne to shame, and nonsensical plotting are the name of the game here. Each segment of film plays like another level from a computer game (and the occasional foray into the mind of Chev sort of gives us a clue as to why this is the case - he doesn't see the world like we do), and in each segment he must find a new way to recharge his failing pumper. By the final moments of the film, all attempts to ground the film in any sort of reality are gone, and you find yourself calling out for a third film.
Yes, fans of the indestructable Chev will love this trashy nonsense as much as the first. I know I did!
Trivia
- The artificial heart shown in the movie is actually a real artificial heart, the AbioCor from Abiomed. However the real artificial heart is totally internal and does not include a battery box as shown in the movie. The latest AbioCors can run on battery without recharging (done via an external RF chargers) for over 4 hours.
Cameos and allusions to other films
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Current user rating: 76% (1 votes)
