All of us have once heard the question: if you knew you had one day to live, what would you make of it? This question is the driving force for the film “Crank,” except instead of one day, our hero Chev has an hour, if that.
Crank meets all expectations of a typical action-thriller, but actually goes beyond this with a unique plotline and the use of special effects and humor. Before hitting theatres, the trailers preached the innovative plot to the film: a man who knows he is going to die seeks revenge. Although the plot line can be predictable at points, through twists, turns and development, Crank’s plot becomes quite complex.
The protagonist Chev, played by Jason Stratham, has been injected with a Chinese synthetic drug called a “Beijing cocktail.” This cocktail slows down the heart and the only way for Chev to keep his heart from stopping is to keep his adrenaline level up (sounds like “Speed” without the bus, eh?). If Chev doesn’t keep his adrenaline level up, he risks becoming too weak and therefore won’t be able to bring justice to those who have poisoned him. However, Chev, with a little help from his doctor, finds a series of different temporary antidotes to the poison, including constantly snorting some nasal spray, an actual injection of ephenephrine (a type of adrenaline), and gulping can after can of Red Bull.
Besides paying a visit to his foes, Chev feels the need to go see his unsuspecting and ditsy girlfriend, played by Amy Smart, who knows nothing about his hitman occupation. She ends up tagging along for parts of the movie, and Chev finally tells her of his dilemma. It’s a really cute moment.
As intense as the plot sounds, some parts of the movie came across as a parody of action movies. The plot is wonderfully ridiculous, and there are other factors contribute to the movie’s satirical nature too. Efren Ramirez, who played Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite, appears as Chev’s sidekick, a closet cross-dresser.
Some parts of the movie are very misplaced and even unnecessary. One action spectacle involves Chev suddenly driving through a shopping mall for no reason. The scene actually served no additional purpose to the film’s plot and seems to be added to just create more action.
Some have labeled “Crank” as an offensive, even nasty movie. In some scenes, it is easy to see how the easily disgruntled may have been provoked.
There is a scene where Chev decides to fondle his girlfriend in the middle of Chinatown, with everyone watching (can someone say PDA?). In another, Chev manages to steal a taxicab from an Arab man. After throwing him out of the driver’s seat and calling him a member of Al Qaeda, nearby listeners pounce on the innocent man and forcibly beat him, giving Chev a chance to get away.
Although controversial at points, the directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, worked hard to make the movie entertaining. The camera use and special effects add extra quality to the film. Innovative features include the use of a “shaky and blurred” camera feature, which is intended to imitate what Chev sees during parts of the film.
It’s important to note that “Crank” is not all action. The scriptwriters obviously wanted to provide some comic relief through the sequence of action-filled ordeals. Unfortunately, you’ll be so excited about what happens to Chev’s body that the comedy might be lost.
Although some were displeased with the film, Stratham did play the role incredibly. Amazingly, by the end of the movie, we relate to Chev’s ultimate struggle and hope for him to overcome this whole situation by taking out the archetypical bad guys.
With a plot line like this, it is hard to find anyone who wouldn’t be at least a smidge interested in what Chev is going to do.
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