Death Race (2008)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Paul W.S. Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Paul W.S. Anderson (screenplay)
Paul W.S. Anderson (screen story)

Release Date:

22 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Get ready for a killer ride.

Plot:

Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.

Plot Keywords:

Warden | 2012 | Armored Car | Murder | Car Cigarette Lighter

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jason Statham	...	Jensen Ames
Joan Allen	...	Warden Hennessey
Ian McShane	...	Coach
Tyrese Gibson	...	Machine Gun Joe Mason
Natalie Martinez	...	Elizabeth Case
Max Ryan	...	Pachenko
Jacob Vargas	...	Gunner
Jason Clarke	...	Guard Ulrich
Frederick Koehler	...	Lists
Justin Mader	...	Travis Colt
Robert LaSardo	...	Hector Grimm
Robin Shou	...	14K
Benz Antoine	...	Joe's Navigator #1
Danny Blanco	...	Joe's Navigator #2 (as Danny Blanco Hall)
Christian Paul	...	Joe's Navigator #3

Also Known As:

Death Race 3000 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

USA:111 min (unrated version) | 98 min (theatrical version)

Country:

USA | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44430) | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Japan:PG-12 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Germany:18 | France:U | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner were originally attached as producers. Roger Corman, producer of the original Death Race 2000 (1975), had an option agreement with Cruise, with the idea that Cruise would play the lead. This never got off the ground as Cruise was unhappy with the first 3 versions of the script that had been submitted.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the intro to stage 3, we see the close up of Frank snapping Pachenko's neck then the camera changes to a wide shot of Frank and a dead Pachenko. This is how the audience viewing Death Race saw it, yet since it is included in the preview to stage 3 the in-movie audience sees, they see a close up shot of Frank killing Pachenko, then a wide shot which shows there was no camera in place to take the earlier shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Case: [while being shot at during Death Race] Damn it!

Movie Connections:

References Grand Prix (1966)

Soundtrack:

5th Set

Twisted Metal meets Mad Max

I was able to attend the advanced screening here in Dallas and must say I enjoyed myself immensely. While anyone going into this film expecting anything more then a thin veil of a plot will be sorely disappointed, it will definitely entertain those who have the right expectations. That said, this is a no holds barred, testosterone fueled thrill ride. Think of the game Twisted Metal, then throw in convicts, a greedy warden looking only at the profit and you have Death Race. While the movie has plenty of explosions, machine guns, armored cars, gore and beautiful females, there was enough humor and sentiment thrown in to make it all seem worthwhile. Definitely an entertaining film, and one that any over-the-top action movie junkie will surely add to their collection.