A good explosions and car chase movie replete with corny wisecracks is a bodily need for most males.It is one of our burdens. Bond movies deliver our hit very satisfactorily, as do the Bournes, Die Hards, and many Jason Statham movies, and with the dose of cinematic testosterone we can go about our daily lives, often for weeks, or even months before we need some more explosions etc. 3/10 is the lowest score I have ever given a movie and how I sat through the whole thing will always be a mystery to me. Anyone who has overdone a cocktail of substances could relate to Statham's lead character, which is the central theme of the flick, but sadly despite our enthusiasm to suspend disbelief this movie is strained beyond comprehension. Almost certainly the writers and crew were in a more heavily drugged state than Statham's character and the ensuing incoherent mess is just a nasty waste of time. And profoundly unfunny. You are better off rewatching one of the old Transporter movies.

My title for this review pretty much says it all. I don't know how I became acquainted with this gritty gem, but I must say that I am glad that I got to knowing it. When I first got into this, I really didn't know what to make of it because I was not that used to many of Jason Statham's movies. The movies of his that I did watch before this ("Ghosts of Mars" and "War," just to name a couple) were not anything to write home about. This, on the other hand, is.

In my opinion, this is like a lost episode of "Mission Impossible." Why? Well, the home movie that Chev Chelios views contains details about what happened to him. Then he consults his doctor friend to figure out how to stay alive. Throughout the movie, he keeps in close contact with the doctor all the while fighting off the villains and spending some time with his girlfriend. As stated, it almost reads like "Mission Impossible" in some unique way not known to man.

Let's not forget some of the dialogue that gets thrown around. When my brother and I first watched this, we were rolling on the floor laughing. The one-liners are memorable. Granted this movie would never get any awards (most action movies almost never do), it is definitely good for a barrel of laughs. Jason's reputation as an action junkie definitely shows here and it is definitely something to write home about. If you're having a bad day and feel like punching something, watch this movie for a bit of inspiration.

Crank is a very rare breed of film that takes the conventions of a traditional movie and throws them out of a moving car. It's story is basic and to the point, but my belief is that heavily action oriented films should allow their watchers to switch off their brains and just glide through every awesome detail of it.

The cinematography in Crank is excellent, from camera angles that I've found potentially too gimmicky for other films, they are used to precision here. The film delights in fast cutting, hard hitting stunts and scenes that are very anti establishment. Crank gets you geared up with a thumping soundtrack and scenes of wincing brutality, the likes of which I have rarely seen on screen. Time should also be taken to review Jason Statham's performance in the film. You feel like you are really getting inside the mindset of a vengeful, unhinged, hard-man/maniac and I personally love every second of it. There are also some great comedy moments, especially featuring Amy Smart's character trying to bring things back down to earth, often with unusual consequences.

You shouldn't think about any of the small print while watching the film. If you're questioning the realism or fundamentals of Crank at any time, without letting them wash over you with a smirk, you are not the target demographic. Switch off that brain and let this unique, high octane, barnstormer of a film, roll with the awesome punches it so clearly wants to throw at you.