Thursday, March 17, 2011

Drive Angry

Look there was very little chance that I wasn't going to enjoy Drive Angry. The trailer made it very clear that it was of a genre that I have a particular affection for - the film that knows it so ridiculous that it just embraces its over the top nature and revels in excess (try to find that sub category at blockbuster). When this type of thing is done well it can range from great (Bad Lieutenant), to a borderline piece of surrealism (Crank 2), or at the very least just be incredibly entertaining (Shoot 'em up). There is a close cousin, but not exactly the same, as the as that genre as is doesn't realise its ridiculous, but is still entertaining because of its over the topness (ie. Rocky IV). My question going in was just where on the spectrum Drive Angry was going to fall. The answer ended up being on the lower end, but I still enjoyed myself.

I'm not really going to go into the film details, but if you want a nice overview read this piece, the author likes the film more than I did but you'll get an accurate representation of what you're in for.

I have two additional thoughts:

-William Fincher is great as The Accountant (though I may be biased).
-Nic Cage is unfortunately the most disappointing part of the film. He goes through the entire film with none of the energy that characterizes his best efforts. As a result the film lacks the spark that could have made it something truly interesting, and not just moderately entertaining.