Month: January 2017

Today’s quick review: Death Race. In the near future of 2012, one of the most popular sports is a deadly race between death row inmates. Given weapon-laden cars and pitted against each other in a merciless race track of lethal obstacles, those prisoners who can survive the track and outrace their competition are given their freedom. When the sport’s most popular racer, the mask-wearing Frankenstein, is killed in a crash, Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is given the chance to take up Frankenstein’s mantle for what would have been Frankenstein’s last race before freedom. Falsely imprisoned for his wife’s murder and hoping to see his child again, Ames accepts the challenge and sets about trying to win the most deadly event of his life.

Death Race is a racing-based action movie centered around a prison death game. The premise is pure action fodder, and plot exists solely to support the race scenes. There are a few plot twists along the way; none of them are particularly surprising, but they are enjoyable nonetheless. Jason Statham plays his typical character: a tough-as-nails action hero with a rocky exterior and a kind heart. Jensen Ames is not as interesting or as memorable as Statham’s character Frank Martin from The Transporter, but he gets the job done. The action of Death Race is actually rather impressive. The races have a nice progression to them, racing and combat are blended well, and the array of traps and surprises in the tracks give the races a sense of dynamism and peril.

Death Race is a surprisingly fun action movie with creative stunts, an uncommon take on the death game genre, and a strong lead in the form of Jason Statham. Watch it when you’re in the mood for cars, violence, and Jason Statham. Skip it if you dislike violence, far-fetched premises, or thin plots. For your fix of popcorn action, look no farther.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for fun execution of a simple premise.

Today’s quick review: The Music Man. Con man Harold Hill (Robert Preston) is a master of his craft. He visits a town, convinces them to start up a boys’ marching band under Hill’s tutelage, collects money for instruments and uniforms, and moves on to the next town before he has to conduct a single note. But when he tries to con a quiet Iowa town on a whim, he finally meets his match. The townsfolk buy into his act, but Marion Paroo (Shirley Jones), the town librarian and piano teacher, sees right through him. To succeed with his scheme, he must wheedle his way past her icy facade at the risk of catching feelings of his own.

The Music Man is a classic musical set in an early 20th-century Midwestern town. The songs are catchy, well-orchestrated, and abundant, with everything from zesty marching band tunes and wistful love songs to barbershop quartets and lively reels. Shirley Jones handles both sides of her character very well: stern to a fault at first, but gradually won over by Hill’s persistence and his effect on the town. Robert Preston plays a very convincing con man, but his character is slow to change. The result is a pairing that works well at any particular stage of the movie, but whose progression is somewhat stilted.

The musical also suffers from pacing issues. The story is not very complex, but the film clocks in at 150 minutes. The excess time is devoted to additional songs; in that sense, the length as a boon to musical lovers. But several reprises could have been cut with no damage to the plot, and Hill’s various discussions with the townsfolk could easily have been shuffled as needed. Despite the drawn-out plot, the quality of the music is top-notch and the substance of the plot is satisfying. Watch The Music Man if you’re in the mood for a classic musical with cute but tame jokes, a pleasant love story, and an excellent score. Skip if you aren’t drawn to musicals.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 as a balance between its excellent music and its slow progression; musical lovers will rate it higher, while those who dislike musicals will rate it lower.