Death Race

The routine direction here is really masked by frantic editing, which is not really representative of 21st century action. It's just that I enjoyed the film so much because it doesn't play so incredibly close to the vest, plus after eleven years Anderson has finally made a film that has balls. That truck scene would have given even a Wynorski film at least two stars. (09/11/2010)

The title is a perfect fit. This is the kind of Death Race that none of us would want to enter, and we can count ourselves lucky to be at home enjoying some peace and quiet with a nice cup of tea and some buttery biscuits (which I'm currently devouring), while our boss isn't forcing us to take part in such a race. (06/04/2009)

Anderson's unacknowledged adaptation of Carmageddon and the admitted remake of Death Race 2000. If Death Race were not so bitter and humorless, it could have easily competed with this season's B-movie king, Doomsday. Here, too, B-movie is synonymous not with a lack of craft, but with genuine entertainment. Albeit dumb entertainment (but not executed in a stupid manner), but at the same time stylish, energetic and constant, though somewhat repetitive. (20/09/2008)

Paul W.S. Anderson is back and again revelling in unpretentious and pretty gritty stories. While I fear he will never surpass the excellent Event Horizon, this action thriller is also a supremely entertaining, hellishly fast and properly bloody ride. It's exactly the kind of film that while you're watching it you're thinking what a terrible piece of crap it is and how it is possible that someone could make it, but you'll still finish it with your mouth open, you'll have a great time, and you might even get the urge to watch it again – personally, I'll definitely watch Death Race again. (08/04/2012)

A computer game turned into a film without a joystick, but incredibly self-aware. Anderson surprisingly put effort into it and brilliantly succeeded, starting with computer “competition” inserts, and ending with excellently filmed action scenes. I saw the unrated version and blood was definitely not spared. So what if it's silly to the point of misery? It's not about that, and as pure action entertainment, it's a showpiece. There’s plenty of shooting and aggressive driving, and even though the whole thing sometimes feels a bit repetitive (only one track), Paul occasionally engages the imagination and beautifies the slightly emerging stereotype with some quality and proper bloody accident. The tanker crash is absolutely spectacular! (04/01/2009)