The Movie
Sequel to 2006's wickedly funny actioner Crank, Crank 2: High Voltage once again combines over-the-top thrills with over-the-top humor for uniquely entertaining results. Hell, a faux newscast even warns us that what follows is "implausible," just to remove all doubt. Indeed, the basic premise is hard enough to swallow, as professional killer Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) has his beating heart stolen from his chest, replaced by an artificial model that must be kept electrically powered or it's all over for him. But Chev's quest to locate his missing "strawberry tart" is an insane series of chases, fights, reunions and shocking discoveries, frenetically paced and seldom understated.
I suppose that the one problem I had is that, since this movie swings for the fences in virtually every scene, the climax doesn't really have anywhere left to go except Sillysville, and then it just sort of ends, with a fairly predictable epilogue. But getting there was an absolute blast.
The Picture
The movie's amped-up sense of humor derives much of its edge from the directors' deft use of the technical tools available, right down to the exaggerated colors. At the same time, the 1.85:1 image typically displays outrageous levels of detail that are a pleasure to simply stare at. Crank 2 was shot on video, and so there are some overblown brights/whites or some slight digital noise and streaking, with a bit of stair-stepping on the unfortunate lines of some high-voltage wires. But somehow, it all works well.
The Sound
Similarly, the filmmakers embrace the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 format as their own sensory playground, with bullets whizzing every which way and a solid directionality to the car/motorcycle chases. Cheering crowds during a lewd act at Hollywood Park make more obvious use of the surrounds, while frequent sirens phase through the sides/rears as well, and ample bass underscores the action as needed. In addition, some surreal soundscapes play with our heads as Chev teeters on the brink of death. Really clever stuff.
The Extras
Bonus-wise, this disc also seems hell-bent on pushing the limits. After a hefty BD-Live update and significant disc load time, I was treated a trio of automated "LG Gadgets": local time, temperature, plus a news tickertape, not surprisingly focused on Lionsgate movies. But this flavor of BD-Live--excuse me, "LG LIVE"--went further, with Twitter/Facebook integration to publish details on which movies we are watching to either or both social networking service, five free Crank 2 ringtones that can be sent to our mobile phone, three different cellphone wallpapers, plus we can view online trailers. Lionsgate's MoLog feature is also provided, to bling our movie experience and share it online.
The "Crank'd Out" video commentary in either "High Voltage Mode" or "Traditional Mode" works a lot like picture-in-picture swap on the TV, with either the movie in a small window that changes position, interview and behind-the-scenes video filling the bulk of the screen, or alternately we can view the Bonus View window small with the movie itself dominating. The two directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, are wiseasses, drinking while they share their experiences, also available as audio-only commentary.
The highly stylized "Making Crank 2" is shown in two-parts, 51 minutes total, while "Crank 2: Take 2" (four minutes) points out the abundance of technical mistakes in the movie. The "Wrap Party Gag Reel" (three-and-a-half minutes) is also included, all of these delivered in HD, as expected. A digital copy of the movie is located on Disc Two, a DVD, for iTunes and Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
Crank 2 is just a great big load of ridiculous movie fun, presented in a home video edition that seems to take full advantage of the many wonders that Blu-ray currently has to offer.
Product Details
- Actors: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, Efren Ramirez, Julanne Chidi Hill, Reno Wilson, Keone Young, Art Hsu, Joseph Julian Soria, Ling Bai, Clifton Collins Jr., David Carradine, Corey Haim, Geri Halliwell
- Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
- Audio Format/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French)
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rating: R
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Release Date: September 8, 2009
- Run Time: 96 minutes
- List Price: $39.99
- Extras
- BD-Live
- "LG Gadgets"
- Twitter/Facebook Integration
- Ringtones
- Wallpapers
- MoLog
- "Crank'd Out" Video Commentary
- "High Voltage Mode"
- "Traditional Mode"
- Audio Commentary with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
- "Making Crank 2"
- "Crank 2: Take 2"
- "Wrap Party Gag Reel"
- Digital Copy
