the Informer

Informer Staff Writer

In what can only be considered the next logical step down the path of insanity in filmmaking, directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor bring back Chev Chelios for the next film in the "Crank" series, titled "Crank: High Voltage.,In what can only be considered the next logical step down the path of insanity in filmmaking, directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor bring back Chev Chelios for the next film in the "Crank" series, titled "Crank: High Voltage."

Jason Statham reprises his role as the "guy who needs to keep beating people up and having sex with things to stay alive," although he brings a new aspect to the table; rather than needing to keep adrenaline pumping through his body in order to stay alive, now he has had his heart removed and has an artificial one in its place. The external battery keeps him alive for a little while, but if that runs out then he only has an hour before he just goes ahead and dies. Luckily between jumping himself with a car battery and rubbing himself on old women in order to get some static electricity (it is as absurd as it sounds), Chev manages to keep his life (and the movie) going.

The very first scene of the movie is mainly just to remind the audience how outrageously badass the end of the first movie was. They recap, showing Chev's fight with gravity as he jumps out of a plane without a parachute, plummets tens of thousands of feet, and bounces off of the roof of a car, finally landing on the pavement.

Where he blinks once, lying prone on the ground, and just like the audience could have predicted, was kidnapped by a van full of Asians out to farm the "mystical Chelios organs." I'm not even kidding about any of this.

The reasoning is explained later; apparently, one of the leaders of the Triads named Poon Dong (played by David Carradine) needed Chev's heart because he heard that it could withstand the poison from the first Crank movie.

Luckily the movie doesn't end there, and the randomness and sheer badass that drips off of this movie, makes it hilarious and entertaining.

Jason Statham is his usual self, trying to find as many opportunities as he can to take his shirt off while murdering the entirety of North America.

Amy Smart does a great job reprising her role as Eve, although great is mainly because her role isn't very demanding. She is basically just in the movie as another person Jason Statham's character can have sex with.

Granted, the writing is cheesy, the acting is absurd and the entire premise for the plot is an idea I can barely think about without my brain hurting but I really do enjoy these movies.

Between absolutely absurd cameos (Maynard James Keenan from "Tool" fame and porn star Ron Jeremy just to name a couple of them) and the nonstop action, sex and utter insanity, this movie is extremely worthwhile. If you go into it fully expecting a romp of ridiculousness then you will be entertained, and if you go into it wanting to see a legitimate movie for your ten dollars then, well, too bad.

In the end, although I did enjoy the first one a little bit better for its originality, I give this movie an 8.