Crank (2006)

Review by All Movie Guide
The world needs a movie like Crank. Its detractors will preach the negatives of embracing video-game logic and ADD style on the big screen, but they're missing the fact that this movie might just be the breath of fresh air that was sorely needed in the action film world. While the Michael Bays and Jerry Bruckheimers of Hollywood inflate their budgets and lengths to give them that bloated franchise pedigree, here comes a 15-million-dollar underdog that dares to entertain its audience throughout every single minute of its brisk 88-minute running time. Sure, the flick was tailored for the young male video-game crowd, but there are certainly others who will slurp up this tasty concoction just as much. When it comes down to it, if viewers are sold on the premise, they'll probably be sold on the final product. Directing duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor throw buckets of style at the wall that somehow gel into a package not unlike Wayne Kramer's gonzo crime thriller from the same year, Running Scared. Again, many viewers won't have the taste for such excessive salad dressing in their cinema, but this caffeinated meal would not be the same without it -- so in other words, "squares" stay far away. Star Jason Statham cleverly picked this project to get back to the '70s style of on-the-run filmmaking, with little to no CG or wirework to muddy it up -- and it paid off. Crank is bold, wild, stupid, and fun -- living up to expectations for those who are tired of conventions and just want their films to take off at 100 mph and not stop until the credits roll. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide