Crank 2: High Voltage [Blu-ray]

Starring: Corey Haim, Dwight Yoakam, David Carradine, Bai Ling, Reno Wilson
Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Studio: Lions Gate
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Aspect-Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Release: September 8th 2009

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DVD Review

The critics have not been very kind to Crank: High Voltage. But what do they know? Here’s what this movie has going for it: gratuitous nudity, mindless violence, constant profanity, and a ridiculous storyline. Add to that stereotypes galore (gay, Asian, Latino, the neuropsychiatrically disabled, you name it), strippers with guns, a strike by porn actors (with a cameo appearance by Ron Jeremy), and a guy who refers to his heart as a "strawberry tart," and one can only wonder what’s not to like. In fact, writer-director-producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s sequel to 2006’s Crank is an absolute hoot, a non-stop assault of crazy sights and sounds that will leave you breathless and laughing. As the action starts, Jason Statham’s Chev Chelios has not only survived the fall from a helicopter that ended the earlier film, but is now on the operating table, awake and watching as some Chinese villains harvest his "tart" in order to implant it in their aging leader (a wacky turn by David Carradine). Chev quickly dispatches the bad guys, but the fun’s just starting; the mechanical ticker they’ve put inside him needs constant recharging, so as Chev pursues the real organ, he must use whatever’s available (jumper cables, a police taser, a car cigarette lighter, high voltage power lines) to keep the fake one going. Storywise, that’s about it. But it’s plenty, as the filmmakers’ ultra-kinetic style--with its manic edits, cartoony subtitles, and other envelope-stretching effects--and amusing performances by Amy Smart (as Chev’s girlfriend), Dwight Yoakam (as a "doctor" who helps him figure out what’s happening), and others keep things going. No, Crank: High Voltage ain’t exactly Masterpiece Theater, but this is without a doubt one of 2009’s most entertaining films. --Sam Graham

User Reviews

Rudi London
Donald Duck on Steroid - Rating: 5/5

Love Jason Statham... but this is definitely Donald Duck on steroid! Mixed with character OVERLOAD and reality abandoned completely. Not for family viewing. The tight flipping of scenes will keep you laughing in between brutal violence.

Only question remains, would there possibly be any voltage left for Crank 3...?

V. Zheleznyak
over the top LOL action - Rating: 5/5

i dont understand these negative reviews...

did someone expect something else from this movie? had the trailers alone not give it away? how about the tagline "he died but then he got better".

this movie is one long love note to adrenaline action junkies. its a guy's guy movie. totally in your face over the top over to the point of hilarity action scenese after action scenes.

personally, i loved it (as i did the first one). granted its not for everyone, but if you like the trailer, you'll like the movie (its that but longer). so grab a couple beers and enjoy it with some friends.

MiRSD
AHHHH SO XTREME!!!! (Blu-Ray review) - Rating: 4/5

Jason Statham has been in his share of odd movies and this ones no exception - most people even looking at this title have seen the first one and have an idea of what to expect - an over the top, "extreme" movie with a ridiculous story and some crazy action sequences. If that's what you want, this is the movie for you to get. If you're looking for a masterpiece movie with a serious story, step away now!

(Possible spoilers for the first 5 minutes of the movie (including the end of Crank 1))

The first movie ends with Statham falling out of a helicopter and smacking the concrete below, and that's just where this one begins (literally!) - being Crank, he lives and just gets up to walk away from it. He's quickly taken away to have his heart removed to be implanted into someone else (if he can live through everything in the first film, it's gotta be something amazing!). With his heart gone, he's living off a very-poor-quality artificial one.. with a low battery which he constantly needs to power (and as you can imagine, that includes all sorts of nonsense methods) - he goes on a search to get his heart back. While all this seems crazy, this is just the first 5 minutes - along the way he runs into every odd person you can imagine. If this seems like the stupidest movie you've ever heard, stop reading now! If you're interested in that much, I think you'll enjoy the movie. It's a crazy ride, but an entertaining one (definitely not for kids).

The blu-ray is one of the best looking ones I've seen. I believe it was filmed with the RED cameras, and has a very sharp image throughout. This makes a wonderful demo piece for a nice HDTV!

Audio is also top notch - DTSHD 7.1 Master Audio. Crank it up! (no pun intended)

The extras are also very good - including a nice behind the scenes piece and even picture-in-picture commentary. Everything in HD, along with a digital copy for your ipod/iphone/ipad/itunes.

If you can enjoy the over-the-top movies like Deathrace, Smokin Aces and Gamer, this fits right in.

Roland A. Cordar
Did someone owe someone a favor? - Rating: 1/5

This movie seems thrown together and dialogue written by a 16 year old. This franchise died 5 minutes into this sequel. Does Jason have no shame?

C. Curtis
What Was This? - Rating: 1/5

I have seen several of his movies, and enjoyed his self-defense skills. However, with this movie it was disjointed; and didn't make sense to me - low budgeted. I only looked at this movie once, and now it rests at the bottom of my shredder. With decent movies I would share with others, but not this one. Didn't want it in my house. Sorry Jason, I didn't like this one. I think you can do better quality work. Please hold out for more decent action pictures.