During final exams or the night before a deadline, it wouldn't be surprising to find college students guzzling down energy drinks and inhaling snacks to keep their bodies from shutting down. In "Crank," Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) eats similar products for a similar reason, except in his case, it's actually to stay alive. "Crank"'s unique premise sets the stage for a thrilling and entertaining blend of action and, surprisingly, comedy.
Chelios is a freelance hit-man who has angered the wrong people; the reason why remains murky. He wakes up one morning with a splitting headache and a red rash on the back of his neck. As he stumbles through his apartment, he finds a DVD made by his attackers that explains his imminent death. Enraged and confused, Chelios storms out onto the streets of Los Angeles to exact his revenge.
Chelios, it turns out, has been injected with the "Beijing Cocktail," a poison that inhibits the production of certain enzymes and hormones. He quickly realizes that adrenaline helps him focus and fights back the viscous, hazy effects of the drug. His discovery kicks off the movie, and "Crank" never looks back.
This is the perfect star vehicle for Jason Statham, a British actor known for his memorable role in "Snatch" (2000) and the title role in "The Transporter" (2002). As the old guard moves on to governorships and shoddy reality shows, Statham is a big part of the new generation of action stars. He exudes style and charisma, and any tough-guy qualities are tempered by the ability to still be self-effacing in even the most intense scenarios.
There isn't much room for character development in a stripped-down movie such as "Crank," and that is probably for the best. Statham's supporting cast does an adequate job, with his doctor (Dwight Yoakam) and main enemy, Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo), standing out. But, happily, they weren't asked to do much more than be Chelios' punching bags; if they had, the movie would have faltered. There are hardly any scenes that do not include Statham, and with good reason.
The marketing of this movie is not totally honest with prospective viewers. Billed as an action movie, it is not a stretch to describe "Crank" as half-comedy; it is certainly a film that doesn't take itself too seriously. An eclectic and often retro soundtrack, sarcastic subtitles, bizarre cinematography, and the premise itself create an absurd cinematic environment. That the film's characters take the plot seriously only makes their performances more comedic.
Chelios does everything he possibly can to keep the adrenaline flowing and thus keep himself alive long enough to kill his murderers: He holds up a convenience store for energy drinks, shocks himself with a defibrillator, and has sex with his girlfriend (played by Amy Smart), among many other methods. Nothing is out of bounds here.
Unfortunately, including these absurdly funny scenarios is a double-edged sword. At points, the film can forget that it is essentially an action movie at heart, and the fighting can be very hit-or-miss. This isn't to say writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have pulled punches, because "Crank" can be extremely violent. (One thug gets his hand stuck underneath the pounding needle of a sewing machine, and another loses his hand altogether.) There's enough action here to fill most films, but the quality of the fight scenes - though always hectic and brutal - is inconsistent.
Nonetheless, Neveldine and Taylor succeed in portraying the excessive violence in remarkably stylized ways. The frantic pace, quick-cutting cinematography, and blazingly fast sequences are reminiscent of the classic German film "Run Lola Run" (1998). Clocking in at 87 minutes, the film utilizes every single frame, leaving it devoid of any calm or transitional scenes. "Crank" is tailor-made for short attention spans.
In a genre of movies that is growing increasingly stale and using stiff meatheads for stars, "Crank" is a breath of fresh air. Though the fluctuating quality of the action can be frustrating, "Crank" works as a frenetic, absurd action-comedy hybrid.
