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Death Race

Road killer
Rebyu ni Vives Anunciacion
Review in Filipino
Inquirer Libre August 26, 2008

Written and Directed by Paul WS Anderson
Based on the movie Death Race 2000 by Roger Corman

Kung banggaan nga sa EDSA mapapalingon ka, sa isa pa kayang pelikulang walang preno sa salpukan at pagpapasabog ng mga sasakyan? Turbocharged ang action sa Death Race na parang walang krisis sa gasolina.

It is the year 2012 at bumagsak na ang ekonomiya ng lahat ng bansa pati na ang sa U.S. Malalaking korporasyon na ang nagpapatakbo ng mga utilities pati na mga kulungan. Isang ex-racecar driver si Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) na na-frame up at nakulong sa Terminal Island maximum security prison na mahigpit na pinatatakbo ni warden Claire Henessy (Joan Allen).

Kapalit ng kalayaan, kailangang makipagkarera ni Ames against other prisoners sa isang karera kung saan unahan sa finish line na buhay. Dahil sa Death Race, may nakakabit na machine gun, missile launcher, armor plate at kung anu-ano pang armas ang mga sasakyan. Katunayan, patay na ang 4-time champion na si Frankenstein, pero para mapagpatuloy na exciting ang labanan, pinasusuot kay Ames ang maskara nito. Pasimuno ito ni warden Henessy na pinagkakakitaan ang karera by broadcasting it pay-per-view style sa internet.

Kung nakalilito ang kwento deadma na, kailangan lang naman ng kaunting dahilan para magkaroon ng kaganapan ang matinding aksiyon ng Death Race. Walang social realism ek at superhero angst dito. Titulo pa lang, kuha mo na kung anong gusting patunguhan ng pelikula. Sa pagkakataong ito, tutoong action speaks louder than words.

Parang video game ang Death Race - konting intro sa bida, masamang kalaban, ilang extra characters – tapos puro bakbakan na. No use expecting Jason Statham to do drama, since the close-ups of his shoulder muscles are enough evidence that he’s capable of knocking out a taller guy using his bare hands. Built for action, ika nga. Oscar-nominee Joan Allen is quite amusing to watch going all-out campy as the cold-blooded bitchy warden. Paminsan-minsan nakakatawa si Coach (Ian McShane), ang hepe ng team ni Frankenstein/ Ames. At knockout sa ganda si Natalie Martinez bilang navigator na si Case.

What makes Death Race effective is that it doesn’t promise anything else except what its title says – lots and lots of death in a deadly, violent car race – which it delivers loudly with a bang. Sometimes, kailangan i-turn off ang utak para mag-save ng brain cells. Tapos sit back, relax, and get your motor running.

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