Chev Chelios is about to begin his morning with an unexpected wake-up call. Groggy, practically unable to move and with a heart that's barely beating, he hears the voice of thug Ricky Verona, who reveals Chev has been poisoned in his sleep and only has an hour to live. As it turns out, Chev is a hit man who freelances for a major West Coast syndicate. A run of the mill job the night before instead went awry: he let his target slip away in an effort to quit professional killing and start a new life with his girlfriend Eve. Now, Chev must keep moving to stay alive: the only way to prolong the poison from stopping his heart is to keep his adrenaline flowing. As the clock ticks, Chelios cuts a swath through the streets of Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on those who dare stand in his way. He must rescue Eve from danger, stay two steps ahead of his nemeses and search for an antidote to save his own life.

Crank the film was much like the premise of its plot as is seemed to need to keep the adrenaline pumping in its audience to tell its story. The movie is one of those non stop action films that never takes a rest like a runaway train destined for a dead end. Very stylized, over the top sequences keep this feel for most of the movie while at the same time giving the film a very convoluted feel. It’s that ultra-cool, hyped up, crazed kind of movie that entertains you but at the same time lets you down. It’s hard not to enjoy the movie because it is fun, it is action packed, it is enthralling, and it will keep you glued to your seat as the movie goes from one crazy action sequence to another. But on the other hand the movie doesn’t really have that much substance, it is just one crazy action sequence after another which is ok an entertaining and probably one of those films you will remember for quite sometime because of all the crazy stunts they pull off. The film is perfect for that lazy afternoon matinee where you don’t have much else better to do and want to just sit down and enjoy a crazed kind of action packed movie.

I beginning to question the trend that has become to grasp a lot of Hollywood action movies in the last few years. It is those quick cut, fast paced, no time for a deep breath kind of films that are fun to watch but can give you a headache at the same time. They were born of films like the Matrix but forget that the Matrix did take time to tell a very intricate and intriguing story. There is no real story to Crank besides the simple premise of its plot that its main character needs to keep moving or he will die. They take some time every now and then to explore into how he got poisoned but they don’t really care about the results of this story telling, the movie isn’t about how Chev got poisoned but what happens after words. So the movie is ok and it is fun but that’s it, it has nothing else to offer.

I really like Jason Statham, he has that cool action type persona that is perfect for movies like the Transporter and Crank. To me he is the modern day action hero unlike some of the wannabe pretenders like Vin Diesel because he has a style and a way about him that makes you think of him as an action hero. He completely captures the screen when he is on it, whether it’s in a supporting role like the Italian Job or as the main star like in Crank. The movie doesn’t work without Statham as he is what captures you and draws you in. The supporting cast is fun and does a good job especially Amy Smart but the movie is all about Chev Chelios and Jason Statham. Like I said before good for a matinee or a rental, maybe even good enough to buy nit still lacking substance.

Grade: B-