DVD Review: Death Race (Unrated)

Framed for the murder of his wife, former race pro Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is sent to prison, where corporate overlord Hennessey (Joan Allen) is waiting for him. Forced to participate in the "Death Race" event, Ames must pretend to be deceased champion Frankenstein (David Carradine, in a voice cameo) and face his fellow inmates on a private roadway. Armed with a myriad of weapons, Ames and his pit crew (including Ian McShane (Shrek the Third) and Frederick Koehler ("Chip" from Kate & Allie), as well as his navigator (Natalie Martinez) fight to stay alive while facing everything Hennessey can think of to throw at them. Sensing Hennessy's anger at Jensen, the other prisoners take aim at him and his crew as well, in hopes of gaining their own freedom.

In my mind, doing a remake is always an iffy proposition. Rarely, does a remake improve on the original, In fact, more often than not, the remake makes things worse. The fact that director Paul W.S. Anderson undertook this project should have been a sign that Death Race was going to be pretty bad. Noted for turning out a lot of crud, Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Alien vs. Predator) he turned Death Race into a monotonous, romp on a roadway with a bunch of brain dead characters.

In Anderson's remake, the year is now 2012 and the dystopian world is ruled by corporations. The public wants to see blood, as a way to mask unemployment and environmental concerns. The "death races" have become a focal point for the country. Though you are left to wonder, if almost nobody has a job, how is it that 75 million subscribers can pay $100 a pop to watch a race? Why does Jensen's crew use VHS tapes to monitor chase mishaps? Why does Jensen, having recently lost his wife and infant child, openly flirt with his navigator? That's probably why I disliked Death Race so much; asking questions clearly isn't the point.

Death Race is simply a movie about machismo and nothing more. The cars are jacked-up murder machines, the navigators are busty models and the men are men and the villain of the race is a homosexual.

I usually find something positive to say about a film, but Death Race left me cold. The camera is set on some sort of permanent zoom, presumably to create tension but all it did for me was create nausea. While a few people might find Death Race enjoyable if they need a massive shot of testosterone, I would recommend checking out Death Race 2000 instead. At least that one has some originality and Roger Corman at the helm.

Death Race comes to DVD in both R-Rated and Unrated cuts. Extended by only five minutes, the Unrated version presents redundant character development (including silly flashbacks) and new bits of violence.

Presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio), Death Race features quite a heaping-helping of post-production color manipulation, and the DVD corrals the visual experience tolerably. Colors, or what passes for color in this nearly monochromatic film, are kept in check with minimal bleeding, and black levels retain a comfortable definition. Detail is surprisingly good.

The 5.1 Dolby Digital track takes the violence to a sharp level of ear-splitting mayhem once the action hits the track. Manipulated to emphasize the automobile theatrics, while keeping dialogue free from distortion, the mix is best during the hyper-violence, with the world of Death Race whizzing through the surround channels, using extreme bottom-heavy definition to sell the hurt. French and Spanish 5.1 tracks are also available. English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are included.

Death Race does include some special features:

A feature-length audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt Emphasizing the practical effects, Statham's Steve McQueen-like cool, and hardware detail, the track is kept active by Anderson's clipped Brit enthusiasm. What's of most interest here is Anderson's dismissal of the Unrated cut, blowing off the longer version of the film as something only "for the fans."

"Start Your Engines: Making a Death Race" (19:42) is a frenetic look at the creation of this action picture. While interviews with cast and crew toss around the usual platefuls of platitudes, the entertainment value comes with discussion of the finer details, such as Statham's stringent diet and the "Mad Max" makeover of the shooting location.

"Behind the Wheel: Dissecting the Stunts" (7:50) breaks down the violent car-fu of the film, showing off BTS footage on how everything was created.