Death Race

Paul Anderson teamed up with Roger Corman for a thunderous remake of the cult film Death Race 2000, in which death row inmates fight to the rhythm of driving guitars and music video editing. It's essentially a video game with all the trimmings (collecting weapons and shields), but this time we really don’t need our joysticks. That’s because the characters have descended from the posters of classic "racing games" and drive so fast you forget it even the inklings of a plot. Anderson has exceeded his own shadow and all expectations and made his most entertaining, perverted, and most importantly, best film, which entitles him to shake hands with Neil Marshall and kick the Wachowski's in the ass at the same time. PS: That truck destruction rivals Chris Nolan. (18/09/2008)

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)

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)

A really excellent piece with sharpened visuals and excellent special effects. Jason Statham as the wrongly convicted Jensen Ames ruthlessly dispatches all the "competition" in an army-equipped Mustang, even manages to get his revenge while trying to break free again, aided by the beautiful Natalie Martinez. The choice of music is also praiseworthy. A very strong 4 stars. (27/03/2009)