Product Details

• Actors: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez
• Directors: Paul W.S. Anderson
• Writers: Paul W.S. Anderson, Charles B. Griffith, Ib Melchior, Robert Thom
• Producers: Adam Merims, Dennis E. Jones, Don Granger
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English, Spanish, French
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: December 21, 2008
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001ILHY2C
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,107 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Death Race (Unrated) [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Mayhem rules in Death Race, a head-over-heels remake of the Roger Corman cult classic Death Race 2000, in which cars become lethal weapons. The strength of this new version is its total single-mindedness about vehicular homicide; it has the virtue of no cluttering subplots or simpering sentimentality. And banish all memory of the original's wild satirical comedy: Death Race is as grim as a dinner tray to the face (a reference that will be explained in a key sequence). In a slightly futuristic maximum-security prison, cons take part in brutal races around the island prison, their violent deaths watched live by millions of viewers. Jason Statham, possibly cast because of his driving dexterity in the Transporter movies, plays a man wrongly imprisoned for murder. Joan Allen provides her brittle cool as the warden, who recruits Statham to assume the masked persona of a legendary driver called Frankenstein. Tyrese Gibson is Frankie's main rival, Natalie Martinez provides the fetching eye candy, but the acting honors go to Ian McShane, as the philosophical prison mechanic. One misses the cross-country race from the original film, as the setting here is claustrophobic and the cars are largely colorless and indistinguishable from each other. Director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) continues to display the sensibility of a video-game addict, which will either be a recommendation or a turn-off, depending on your own tastes. At least it doesn't have the hypocritical moral blathering of something like the somewhat similar Condemned--who knew you could be so grateful for simple, straight-forward head-bashing? --Robert Horton


Stills from Death Race (Click for larger image)

Product Description

Universal Pictures Death Race Unrated (Blu-Ray)The Roger Corman-produced cult favorite DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) gets an update in this reworking from action director Paul W.S. Anderson (RESIDENT EVIL). In a role sure to please fans of his work in CRANK (2006) and theTRANSPORTER films, Jason Statham is Frankenstein,the fierce driver portrayed by David Carradine inthe original. The script, also by Anderson, largely does away with the original's satirical elements in favor an increased number of breathtaking crashes and stunt driving. In 2012, the American economy has collapsed, and prisons have been taken over by corporations. Overseen by Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen), Terminal Island prison generates immense amounts of revenue with pay-per-view broadcastsof "Death Race," in which inmates participate in an auto race where anything goes. New inmate Jensen Ames (Statham), who has been framed for the death of his wife, is chosen to take over the role of Frankenstein, the contest's recently deceased masked star driver. His chief competitor, Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), unaware that a new man is behind the mask of his old rival, will stop at nothing to win. With Case, a sexy navigator from the nearby women's facility, and a trusty pit crew led bywise veteran Coach (Ian McShane), Ames has a goodshot at winning. If he does, he's been promised his freedom---but the race holds more obstacles than he can imagine, and ratings are more important to Hennessey than being true to her word.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You wanted a monster? Well, you've got one., September 22, 2008

By	Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Death Race [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. By 2012 the US Economy is completely ruined (guess it doesn't matter who you vote for)
2. Prisons are packed thanks to spiraling unemployment and crime
3. Private corporations run the prisons for profit (Serious business, as there's no money left for a bail-out)
4. Terminal Island Prison runs pay-per-view death races as a fund raiser, using inmates to drive cars tricked out with weapons and armor plating
5. There are no rules except if Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) says there are
6. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is framed for the death of his wife
7. Hennessey makes him an offer he can't refuse
8. He becomes a man in an iron mask, with a killer car (literally), a female navigator (to boost PPV ratings) and a pit crew led by scene stealing Ian McShane.
9. Lots of stunt driving, shooting of big guns and explosions follow, although you really can't tell who's shooting at whom for most of it
10. People die

Typical shoot `em up action movie involving high speed racing in armored cars and lots of bad guys, but with plot holes bigger than those left by the armor-piercing RPG Model 7's.

Statham plays his usual tough guy "Transporter" role, and Tyrese Gibson does everything but sing the Coca Cola jingle as arch rival Machine Gun Joe. They throw in a little inspirational family story to soften it up a little, and a teensy tiny little budding romance with dialogue like:

Jensen Ames: [while driving] Get on my lap.
Case: What?
Jensen Ames: Get on my lap!

Recommended for Statham fans and action movie buffs, but I can't see this one going down as a classic for all time.

Jensen Ames: [to Hennessey] You wanted a monster? Well, you've got one.

Rated: 3.5 stars



Amanda Richards, September 22, 2008

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great guilty pleasure, August 23, 2008

By	Monkdude (Hampton, Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Death Race [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

I hate just about every Paul W.S. Anderson film, but he actually pulled this one off. The action scenes are intense, helped by the use of practical effects, rather than CGI overkill. Just wait until you see the tanker truck getting flipped in slow motion. Almost as cool as the semi truck flip in The Dark Knight. Jason Statham is the action star of this decade. The man has muscles everywhere and does the most with his limited acting range. Ian McShane of HBO's Deadwood is given some good lines and is one of the more memorable characters in the movie. I hope he gets more big screen parts in the future. Joan Allen turns in performance I could have never pictured her doing before today, and it worked.

Death race will likely give you a headache with it's shaky camera movements and some of the dialogue could have used some work, but I had a great time. If your of the male gender, the cars, guns, explosions and babes will keep you entertained.

3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things Blowed Up Real Good, January 12, 2009

By	Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Death Race (Unrated Edition) (DVD)

Okay, if you are looking at purchasing "Death Race" then you should know what to expect:

Lots of Explosions
Plenty of Gunfire
Cool Cars
Bloody Violence
Tough Hero & Heroine
Viscious Villains
Loud Pumping Music
Cars crashing in Slo-Mo
Guns Firing in Slo-Mo
And did I mention Explosions??

If on the other hand you are looking for something with a complicated storyline, heavy on dialogue and plot....well "Death Race" isn't going to work for you.

This is a fun action flick that meets all of the criteria laid out above. The action is almost non-stop, and where Roger Corman's original had a fun campy feel to it, this updated version goes straight for the action and blood.

The basic story featured in "Death Race" is that in 2012, prisoners are forced to race to the death in hopes of gaining freedom. The race takes place in 3 legs around the prison itself. Each prisoner gets a cool and deadly vehicle to compete with, complete with napalm, machine guns and various other weapons. When the top rated racer, "Frankenstein", is taken out of action, the Warden in charge of the game needs a replacement quick. Luckily (or not so luckily?) Jason Stratham's character arrives just in time to don the "Frankenstein" mask for the upcoming race.

I wasn't sure if I would like this recent remake (so many 1980's remakes coming out of Hollywood have been so disappointing), but gave it the benefit of the doubt. I am glad I did. I love a great action movie, and "Death Race" more than fits the bill. This is just the type of flick you need when suffering from "mortgage-credit-card-kids-job-how in the hell did you do that to the car?-the boss needs what?...when?-how much is the heating bill?" type of stress. Forget your world for 90 minutes and just enjoy a film with bullets flying and pyro going off on a regular basis.