Rated R for strong violence and language.
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Alien vs. Predator)
Starring Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, and Natalie Martinez
A wild, violent ride with no real message.
Death Race is set in 2012 where the economy has totally collapsed and prisons have been handed over to the private sector that broadcast Gladiator-style death matches online to make a profit. Three-time speedway champion and ex-con, Jensen Ames is now a hard-working family man who has just lost his job and seems to be at the end of his rope. But his life is about to get a whole lot worse. Jensen is framed for the gruesome murder of his wife and sentenced to Terminal Island Prison, home of the Death Race. He must now survive the insane three-day challenge of racing some of the most vicious criminals in the country. Oh yeah, and all their cars are outfitted with machine guns, flamethrowers and grenade launchers… you get the picture.
Enough of the plot! I mean seriously, it’s a W.S. Anderson/Jason Stratham action flick. The movie opens with a written paragraph to bring you up to speed and then about 10 minutes of character development. Then it’s 60+ minutes of an R-rated “Mario Kart” complete with buttons in the course the drivers must drive over to activate their weapons. Despite that lack of character development, Jason Statham and Ian McShane are just fun to watch in any role.
O.K. let’s be honest, Death Race is brainless, sexist, ridiculously violent, and lacks any real redeemable qualities and is everything movie aficionados do not like. Thankfully I’m just a movie geek. And again, with a title like Death Race I was expecting a whole lotta violence and not much substance… that's exactly what I got!
So bottom line… if you have a free rental and you are in the mood for mindless violence, check it out.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I was impressed that although they had opportunities to go further two different times, they stayed away from nudity and sex scenes. This is an action-packed, bloody, violent movie with no real value.
Side Note:
We don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
