Crank 2: High Voltage was pure and absolute garbage, and I loved every minute of it!
Crank 2 High Voltage
Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam
Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Runtime: 1 hr. 25 min
Release Date: April 17, 2009
Rating: R
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.
When I first got wind of Crank 2 I was extremely skeptical. Yeah, Statham is one of my favorite action stars, and yeah I loved the first film, but the idea of a sequel to Crank just seemed absolutely ridiculous to me. Yeah, I know it is a completely ridiculous film to start with, but I just couldn’t understand how they were going to bring Chev Chelios back for another feature, and anything without Chev, just couldn’t be Crank.
Crank: High Voltage picks up exactly where Crank left off. We see Chev immediately scooped up off of the sidewalk, while the opening credits are rolling in classic 8-bit video game style. We then cut to Statham receiving his new artificial heart. Statham is quick to wake when he hears the next organ they are harvesting, and now we find him hell-bent on getting his heart back. However, his artificial heart can’t keep up and constantly requires an electrical shock to keep going.
The best way to describe the film is like bringing a video game to life, much like the first film. We find Statham running through town, completing missions, and getting “power ups” along the way. This premise alone really impressed me. Sure, the story and actions in the film are really out there, but if you think of the film as a video game it is a lot more believable.
One thing that really stands out to me about this sequel is how well it was tied into the first film. It didn’t just pick up from the first film, but it tied the entire flick into the first one. There are several characters brought back to Crank 2, even some you never expected, and there are also several side characters brought back. That is right, they went as far to tie characters back into the sequel that really didn’t matter from the first film. And of course you have to love the reappearance of Chev’s doctor, Dwight Yoakam, and his girlfriend, Amy Smart.
Speaking of Amy Smart, I had one small complaint about the film. Throughout the entire film there was tons of nudity, foul language, and violence (no, not my complaint). However, there was actually a scene that was censored. To be honest I am on the fence about this scene. I am guessing the scene was censored to avoid the dreaded NC-17 rating which I am sure was not far off for this film. Normally a film would have cut such a scene, but the creators chose to censor Crank. Part of me feels like the scene should have been cut, and brought back as a special feature on home video. But another part of me understands how important the scene was in relating the film to it’s predecessor. So I guess I am on the fence. It isn’t everyday you see a film that has so obviously been censored, so I am a bit confused.
In conclusion, I feel that Crank 2 is a very solid, uinique, and entertaining action film. After re-watching the original, I can honestly say that Crank 2 is more intense, and entertaining that the first. However, if you did not like the original, then you should stay clear of Crank 2. It is a definitely a guy film, and I doubt that many people of the female persuasion that would actually enjoy Crank 2. If you are looking for a good popcorn flick, I highly recommend Crank: High Voltage.