"B" Rating by Robert W. Hammerle

Go ahead and ridicule "Death Race" all you want, but the undeniable fact remains that it is a nihilistic, adrenaline injected kill fest that is surprisingly entertaining on several levels. As expected, the special effects compare to any summer action movie since last year's well-received "Transformers." What is unexpected is that the acting by the core stars of this film actually adds some pathos to the point where you genuinely care who lives and dies.

Sure, the plot is preposterous, but no less so than "Iron Man" or "The Incredible Hulk." Taking place in the year 2012 where we find the United States plagued by high unemployment and a burgeoning prison population, "Death Race" tells the story of a reality type TV show where prisoners in a maximum security prison race to their death for TV ratings and possible freedom.

The quiet, dependable Jason Statham once again proves his worth in this type of movie genre. As he demonstrated in the "Transporter" movies (2002, 2005 and 2008), "War" (2007) and the magnificent "Bank Job," Statham is quite good as a quiet, flawed man of moral rectitude who you really don't want to p_ _ s off.

Here, after being framed for his wife's murder, he is sent to Terminal Island as a replacement for a popular prison driver known as Frankenstein who, unbeknownst to the public, has died. The prison, run by the deliciously malevolent Joan Allen, is a collection of manic misfits whose rage leads to a homicidal form of racing mayhem that is surprisingly gripping.

Frankenstein's old team is led by the chief mechanic known as Coach, splendidly played by the great Ian McShane. As he did with his character Al Swearengen in the classic HBO series "Deadwood" (2004 - 2006), McShane is the personification of a classic Irishman, namely crusty, bellicose, and possessing a sense of resigned fatalism. What makes him so marvelous is that he recognizes that life very well may be a cosmic joke played on mankind, and as a consequence he approaches everything with a twinkle in his eye and a marvelous sense of whimsy.

Tyrese Gibson is also quite entertaining as the sinister rival of Frankenstein who may be more than he seems. As he showed in "Waist Deep" (2006), he brings qualities of intense rage and resentment to the screen that makes him a perfect compliment to Mr. Statham.

And then there is the illustrious Ms. Allen. While some may accuse her of slumming in this demented but delectable film, she is perfect as the thin lipped, humorless Warden who runs the prison for her own perverse pleasure. All she wants is a violent show that will sell on race day, and she further knows exactly what she is doing as she slowly struts across the prison yard in her ever present three inch black heels.

But what I further found fascinating about this film is its ability to tell us a little something about where we are heading as a society. Sure "Death Race" exploits females by showing women prisoners who look like super models and are dressed like fashionable sluts. But before condemning that caricature, think about how women are portrayed today, particularly on TV.
Check out the bubble-headed bleach blonds (to quote a phrase from Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry") on CNN and Fox News. Take a look how female interviews on all channels are constantly shown in a sitting position, their legs crossed in Stiletto heels with their skirts hiked up above the knees. Anyone notice that the featured weather "person" on most local news channels are no longer male father figures like Stan Wood and Bob Gregory?

And is the fact that "Death Race" is simply a large reality TV show that results in serious injuries and death that far fetched to believe? Given the evolving nature of reality TV, how far are we from future events like "Death Race" being shown on a pay-per-view channel?

Yes, I know I'm going out on a limb to suggest that "Death Race" is a movie carrying a subliminal message on America's taste and mores. However, in a society that allows open access to unlimited forms of pornography, shows boxing matches that are nothing more than a version of "Death Race" without cars, and sells professional wrestling competition that simulates human carnage to the glee of the crowd, shouldn't we at least pause to see what type of people we have become?

Besides, any casual student of history knows that there is a fine line separating evolving standards of civilization from our barbaric roots. And if you doubt that fact, than go visit the Coliseum in Rome. Two thousand years ago, that stadium was filled to capacity with their own early version of "Death Race," only in their case it was the Christians being dismembered by the Lions. Do you really think it can't happen again?