You're Going To Need A Bigger Statham! "The Meg"

The Meg (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai, Winston Chao, Page Kennedy,

Directed by John Turteltaub

The Story:

Diving in the depths of the Mariana Trench to test a hypothesis on the actual bottom of the ocean floor, the submarine becomes immobilized and requires a deep sea rescue. The only man for the job is now a drunk, who refuses to step foot back into the ocean because he lost his best friends years ago in a freak accident. When he learns that the cause of the destruction may be the long extinct Megalodon, he heads back into the sea to extract revenge and save the day.

Or...

Jason Statham versus a giant killer shark!

:)

If you've seen the trailer, you know exactly what to expect with this one.

It's a B horror movie that takes itself seriously enough, while having fun in the process.

Turteltaub also fills the movie with plenty of homages to Jaws in the process. Nothing dialogue wise, unless I missed it, but a lot of shots are cribbed beautifully from that movie and are a nice touch.

I'm happy to say that in the pantheon of shark movies, this one joins the list of my favorite killer shark movies of all time:

Jaws
The Meg
Deep Blue Sea
The Shallows
Jaws 2

And no, sorry, Sharknado is nowhere to be found on that list. :)

Whether you want to rush out and see it in theaters, or wait until the eventual Netflix release, that's up to you.

I went last night, took my favorite date, and we both enjoyed it.

I'll be adding it to my home library by Christmas I would imagine.

Final Grade: Solid B for a fun B-Movie!

When Is A Superhero Movie Not A Superhero Movie..."The Fate of the Furious"

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Charlize Theron, Kurt Russell,

Directed by F. Gary Gray

The Story:

You've seen the trailers.  Dom (Diesel) has turned his back on his team, his family. Now it's time to finally find out why.

If you've been there for the first 7 installments, you'll have no problem transitioning into the final trilogy of the Fast and Furious saga.

Yep, Vin's got plans to make 2 more, 10 total, to conclude a little street racing saga that has grown bigger and more popular with the passing of each year and each installment.

Especially once they infused the cast with new blood and new thrills starting with Fast Five and the reassembling of the largest cast pitted against Special Agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) as the only guy who could take them down.

With each passing chapter, the stakes have gotten higher and the stunts more elaborate.

And yes, it's the 2nd greatest superhero universe, right behind Marvel.

Suck it DC.

: )

Now if you don't like these movies, and I can't even fathom that prospect in all sincerity, then this movie isn't for you.

The only thing missing is Paul Walker, but there's nothing that you can do about that. He shared his vision with Vin Diesel, and they're honoring that memory as best they can.

Enjoy the ride, it's a lot of fun.

Final Grade: B+

Back In Business..."Mechanic: Resurrection"

Mechanic: Resurrection  (2016) 

Rated R

Starring Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Hazeldine,

Directed by Dennis Gansel

The Story:

Arthur Bishop (Statham) is living alone, and peacefully, thanks to faking his own death. However, someone knows who he is, and what he can do. So he must kill 3 people, all to look like accidents, if he has any hope of returning to his private life and non-murderous ways.  Bishop is going to kill a few more people than that by the time he gets his revenge...

I'm a sucker for a good Jason Statham film.

I wasn't really expecting a sequel to 2011's The Mechanic.

That itself was a reboot/re-imagining of the 1970s Charles Bronson film of the same name that saw Bishop, a notoriously ingenious hitman, train a young apprentice to seemingly take his place, but realizing the young apprentice actually wanted to kill the master, well, as you can see, Bishop survived that encounter and here we are.

The trailers looked like the movie would be a good time for Statham fans, and since The Transporter series foolishly jettisoned their leading man to start over, at least this was a franchise for Statham and his legion of fans to fall back on.

Thankfully, it delivered everything it promised.

Beautiful locations, exciting stunt set pieces and good, old-fashioned Jason Statham butt-kickery.

That's enough to keep this fan happy.

:)

The fights were good, the premise was sound, and it kept my interest from start to finish.

And yes, the elaborate swimming pool scene is very well done and worth the price of admission.

 Final Grade: B

Still A Trick Or Two Up His Sleeve.."Wild Card"

Wild Card (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Stanley Tucci,

Directed by Simon West

The Story:

Nick Wild (Statham) is a bodyguard in Vegas with a heart of gold but with a big gambling problem. Probably not the place to run a business if you've got that kind of issue. Cyrus Kinnick (Angarano) comes into town and wants to gamble big this weekend, so he hires Nick to keep him safe. During that same weekend, Nick stops by for a little revenge session on a thug (Ventimiglia) who beat one of his friends. The bad part, that guy has connections, and now it seems all of Vegas is after Nick. Can he beat the odds and get out of Vegas in one piece?

Wild Card has a great pedigree with the cast and crew assembled, but it hits a few rough notes along the way. That's odd for a movie written by William Goldman, so it's hard to tell if it's deviating from the script or trying to stay true to the story.

It's another one where there are long stretches without action, so that might cause the usual Statham fans to start having withdrawls, but stick around, when he does go into action, it's always worth it.

There are several supporting characters that are in the movie and then disappear without much further fanfare, so it seems odd. Why even introduce them if they aren't going to play any importance in the film?

That complaint aside, I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end. A few familiar beats throughout the movie, but when you've seen a lifetime of action films, it's not easy to find something new.

Normally, you just hope that you aren't disappointed.

I'm rarely disappointed with the entries in Statham's catalog of work, and this one is no exception.

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime as of this writing.

Final Grade:  B- / C+ range

Running On Empty..."The Transporter: Refueled"

The Transporter: Refueled (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Chabanol, Gabriella Wright, Tatiana Pajkovic, Wenxia Yu, Radivoje Bukvic

Directed by Camille Delamarre

The Story:

Frank Martin (Skrein) is getting set to spend some time with his dad (Stevenson) when he is hired by a quartet of lovely ladies and winds up the driver for a bank heist. Now he must help them all to survive a vengeful Russian kingpin (Bukvic) who wants his money back, and the girls...dead!

Pfft.

This isn't Frank Martin. Frank Martin was Jason Statham. This is Martin-lite, because Skrein is decidedly less charismatic than Statham in the role.

I would have preferred that Martin be retired, and introduce a whole new Transporter. That would have been something, because at least you could shrug your shoulders and say, well, at least it's a new character.

But no, apparently Frank Martin is going to be the new James Bond and just get recast every time they want to move forward with a new actor.

Assuming they go forward with more sequels with Skrein behind the wheel, the guy has got to loosen up a bit. He brings no joy or soul to the role at all.

Wooden seems about right.

If not for Stevenson, who seems to relish any and all film roles he ever has regardless of how large or small, there would be no soul or joy to this film at all. He saves it from being a waste of time to put on the scrap heap.

Choose wisely on how to proceed with the franchise, because you're off to a very shaky start.

Final Grade: C

I "Spy" With My Little Eye...A Movie That Should Have Been Better

Spy (2015)

Rated R

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Allison Janney

Written and Directed by Paul Feig


The Story:

CIA Operative Bradley Fine (Law) is killed in the line of duty. His analyst, Susan (McCarthy) is suddenly the best option to become a field agent, much to the dismay of their boss (Janney) and their other best spy (Statham). But Susan does her best to take all of her training into the field and watch their target (Byrne) and simply gather intel. However, when she makes contact, all bets are off and she may be the next spy to fall.

What a wonderful idea.

What a great cast.

What a horrible f*$%ing script.

I'm growing very tired of Paul Feig, or Hollywood, McCarthy or whoever thinks that funny equals f-bombs carpet bombing the movie in place of genuinely funny dialogue.

McCarthy's sarcastic put upon character is wearing thin on me, and you'll understand if I have reservations on the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot with Feig in charge.

Don't get me wrong, I think Unaccompanied Minors is one of the best Christmas movies made in the last decade and is an underappreciated masterpiece of comedy.

However, as underrated as that was, that's how overrated Bridesmaids was.

The Heat was mediocre, and this is a step down from that.

Maybe if Feig takes the f-word out of his arsenal, he'll be able to harness humor again, maybe not.

As the movie wore on, the repetition of the language was simply dragging the film down quick, and it was ejected at home.

I did finish watching the movie later, and there are humorous bits throughout, mostly thanks to Statham, but it was much too little, too late at that point.

I'm sure there's a sequel in the works already, but if it's going to be more of the same, I'm dreading it already.

Final Grade: C-

Bittersweet Farewell... "Furious 7"

Furious 7 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Sung Kang,

Directed by James Wan

The Story:

Deckard Shaw (Statham) is pretty upset about what Dom (Diesel) and his guys did to his little brother in the last film. So he begins his revenge, first by killing Han (Kang), putting Hobbs (Johnson) in the hospital, and then targeting the rest of the family for extinction. With a little help from the Feds (Russell), Dom assembles the crew for one last ride to stop Shaw and save themselves.

Well, that was a bit anti-climatic.

Justin Lin steps away from the franchise, and the film feels like it loses a little something in the process.

Or, it's the giant elephant in the room of losing Paul Walker mid-filming that hangs over this seventh installment in what is quickly becoming the most entertaining non-superhero, superhero franchise of them all.

A lot of things get thrown at, and through, walls this go round to see what sticks.

If you've been along for the entire ride, you'll be mostly satisfied. If you're starting from the ground up here, you might be in over your head.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of Hobbs, but that's purely selfish.

Just give him his own franchise already.

:)

I would also have to commend Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris for putting a lot of the fun moments into the film. Gibson, especially, as Roman brings the laughter, even when you know it's going to be funny, somehow his delivery or actions make it even better.

Everything is different now, but that's okay.

The Furious Franchise is all about family.

Families change over time, but they are still family at the end of the day.

So too are the fans.

Can't wait to see what happens in Furious 8.

Final Grade: B+

Third Time's The...Yawn... "The Expendables 3"

The Expendables 3 (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas

Directed by Patrick Hughes

The Story:

Barney (Stallone) is on a mission with the team when he runs across his old partner-in-crime, Stonebanks (Gibson). They founded the Expendables together, and Barney thought he was dead. Instead, it's Stonebanks who is going to try and kill Barney and his all new team that he has assembled. So naturally it's up to the old gang to help save the day and stop the bad guy.

Piece of cake!

I'm not sure how I feel about this entry in the franchise.

One, everything changes.

Gone is Bruce Willis, replaced by Harrison Ford. Meh... I guess that works.

Mel Gibson is given prime crazy time to chew scenery and play the bad guy, and he does that well. You know there will be a straight up fight at the end that will leave someone dead.

Only this time, Gibson plays the Gary Busey role!

:)

Then there is Wesley Snipes who gets out of prison, and winds up right back on the big screen. He seems to get quite a bit of screen time which throws off the chemistry of the main characters a bit, in my opinion.

In fact, that's the biggest problem with the film, look at that poster. There isn't enough time to have much character interaction because there are just too many characters.

Don't even get me started on how shortchanged Banderas' part is. : /

So naturally, of the 3, this is my least favorite of the franchise.

If it was the end, so be it. It was a fun ride. The first one was good, the second one was a hoot.

This one was a suitable bookmark.

Audiences seemed to have finally had enough, but really, it was more of the same.

I guess in reality though, we've gone through just about every action start out there.

Except Steven Seagal.

Or Michael Dudikoff.

There's hope for 4 yet!

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Maybe...no hurry though.

Trouble Is Brewing On The "Homefront"

Homefront (2013)
Rated R for language and violence

Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic, Winona Ryder

Directed by Gary Fleder

The Story:

Phil Broker (Statham) is a former DEA agent who has retired to the country in Louisiana to raise his daughter.  However, he soon tangles with the locals, and they bring their country justice to bear against him in the form of Gator (Franco) a local meth manufacturer with dreams of going big time.  When he learns Broker's secret, he puts together a plot to give Broker and his daughter over to the man who rots in prison because of Broker, and then Gator can become the king of Louisiana meth.

It's like Justified... in the swamps!

And I mean that in a good way.

This is more of a drama than your typical Statham actioner, but when they unleash Statham in the finale, you get some nice bursts of action sequences to cap off the film.

Otherwise, the movie is a nice, slow build as Phil and his daughter (Vidovic) try and live peacefully with their neighbors, but when the daughter is bullied one time too often, she fights back and sets off a chain of events that will nearly see her and her daddy killed.

But otherwise, it's a great moment on the playground, and a nice taste of Statham action when he is attacked...so to speak...by the bully's dad.

It's a shame that Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Logan felt the need to have the backwoods characters curse like a bunch of sailors every time they opened their mouths.

Unneeded and unnecessary, and seemingly the only reason that the film had to warrant the R rating.

Again, I see some of these movies and think they could appeal to a wider audience if they simply dial back the language.  Embrace the lower rating if you've got a good story to tell.

Franco is perfect as the drug pushing psycho who takes a request from his sister (Kate Bosworth) to get even with Phil to the extreme.  Add in Winona Ryder as the creepy girlfriend, and you've got your usually loveable leads playing against character, but playing it well.

Then you have Jason Statham playing himself.

I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be Jason Statham.

Because, that would just be cool.

:)

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Aside from the language problem, it's a pretty engaging story and I wouldn't mind adding this one to the Statham section of the DVD library.

Jason Statham is Looking for "Redemption" at the Box Office. This Won't Help...

The original title for this film was "Hummingbird". 

That makes even less sense to the movie.

Glad they changed it...

The Story:

Joey (Jason Statham) is former British Special Forces on the run for what he did in Afghanistan.  Now homeless and living on the streets, he just wants to get by without getting caught.  However, fate always seems to find these people, and soon he finds himself on the run again, and winds up able to clean up his act, and begins working for the local London mob.  Stashing away money, Joey, or Crazy Joe begins helping the poor on the streets and a local nun.  When one of Joey's only friends winds up dead, Joey decides it is time to seek vengeance, and he'll stop at nothing until it's finished.

Not your typical Statham action film.

So either that makes you jump for joy, or murmur "uh oh".

Count me originally in the "uh oh" camp.

This movie is very much a drama, with splices of action.  The story is deliberately paced and I hate to use the word "slow" but it is, but not in a bad way, just in the way that it's a drama, not an action flick.

That said, they do let Statham do the two things he is known best for:

Drive
Kick butt

Just not as much.

But that's okay, what he does works perfectly in the movie, and shows how much he wants redemption for what he's done in life.

He has the perfect opportunity to leave it all behind at the end, but decides that he hasn't earned that right yet, so once again he disappears.

Much like this movie will from your memory after watching it.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: One of my least likely to ever see from Statham.  Again, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't great enough to warrant another spin.

Sounds Like A Bad Career Choice to Conduct an "Interview With A Hitman"

Trust no one.

Duh.

The Story:

Viktor (Luke Goss) grows up with a tough life in the Eastern European part of the world.  Taught to be a ruthless assassin at an early age, Viktor ends up faking his own death to get away from those who would seek to betray him.  He turns up in London, and immediately gets involved with a new crime family, and when they send him to assassinate one final target, Viktor cannot because he finds he is falling in love with her.  Will love conquer all, or is Viktor just kidding himself that he can escape his past?

Filmed on a budget of about $1.75, I went in with low expectations already.  The premise and plot are decent enough, here we have an assassin that is being filmed, telling his life story.  Starting as a child, and working us up through today, Viktor paints a dark and brooding picture of the life of a paid killer.

Plus, don't get me wrong, I like Luke Goss.  He stepped in admirably and kept the Death Race franchise going.  He's the cross between Jason Statham and Stone Cold Steve Austin of action heroes.

Minus all of their charisma.  :)

At least in this film.

He plays his part well, a cold, calculating killer.

Then the movie gets to a point where Viktor makes a life decision, and at that point, the movie became predictable, with one of two possible endings, both of them contrived. 

Naturally, they used the worst of the two choices.

All I'm going to say, is if you are a hitman, the phrase "Trust No One" is your mantra.

Do not deviate.

This one is available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing if you are so inclined.

Final Grade: C-  The ending sucked any goodwill I was going to impart on this one.  It's lucky to not get a "D" grade from me.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would pass on either option, and watch any of the Death Race installments instead.

All He Wants Is What He Rightfully Stole... "Parker"

Even thieves have principles.

At least some of them.

The Story:

Our hero, Parker (Jason Statham) is a crook, but one with principles.  He goes in on a job, and expects his fair share of $200,000 from the take.  Unfortunately, Melander (Michael Chiklis) double-crosses him when Parker refuses to put his share up in the stake of another heist.  Shot, abandoned and left for dead along a highway, the other crooks take Parker's share and plan their next ruse.  However, Parker doesn't die that easily, and with the help of a real-estate agent (Jennifer Lopez), Parker is going to get his revenge...

And his $200,000!

Does it sound familiar?

Sounds an awful lot like Payback.

That's because both are based on the same character by the same author.

Statham takes a nice turn as the bad guy with a heart of gold, who only wants what was rightfully his in the first place.

His take on a Texas accent leaves a lot to be desired, but luckily he drops that fairly quickly.

As for the Jennifer Lopez angle... hard to see what, or why this was needed.  She's obviously pining for a big strong man like Parker, yet he's happily married to a girl already, and faithful to a "t".

Principles, remember?

So what should have provided the film with some smoldering chemistry the storyline demanded... well, it just sort of fizzled out.

All in all... it's not bad... it just should've been a bit better.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  I could watch it again if it was on, but there are more important Statham films in the queue to be replayed first.

The Trilogy Concludes..."Transporter 3"

Please step away from the vehicle.

But not too far.

The Story:

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) returns.  This time he winds up taking a job entirely by force.  Strapped around his wrist is a bomb that if he goes farther than 75 feet from his car, he blows up.  He's transporting a kidnapped daughter across Europe to force her father to allow some bad men to be able to do some bad things.  Sound familiar?  Yep, it's pretty much part 1 and part 2 mashed together to make Part 3. 

The exploding bracelet however is a nice touch.

At this point in the franchise, Frank and the Inspector (Francois Berleand) are pretty much good friends.  Frank does his best to keep his nose as clean as possible, but the Inspector realizes that Frank has a special skill set, and he respects that, but whenever possible they will help each other out.

Luc Besson finishes up the trilogy with the required Transporter-isms that we've come to expect.


Gang circles around Statham? Check!

Statham loses his shirt? Check!

Borrowing parts of the 2nd, but relying more on what made the first one work, the 3rd installment works hard and mostly saves the franchise.

Of course, given the happy ending that this film provided... perhaps it ended it also?

Well we haven't seen Transporter 4 and it's been 5 years.

5 long years.

But Statham has moved on to the Expendables, so we'll see if Besson revives the franchise or not.

I'm always up for another go with Statham behind the wheel.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I do own this one, got a great deal on it, so why not, right? : )

Another Sequel That Doesn't Quite Equal... "Transporter 2"

This time it's personal...

The Story:

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) does a friend a favor and takes a gig in Miami to chauffer the child (Hunter Clary) of a high powered businessman...official... (Matthew Modine) did they ever really say? And his wife (Amber Valletta).  Well, when the little boy gets kidnapped, the dad thinks Frank is on it, but Frank isn't.  He's being duped by a bad guy (Alessandro Gassman) who has bigger plans than just a kidnapping.  Can Frank save the day?

You know it!

Ah Frank, it was too good to last.  The complicated family story sort of bogs down the sequel to the Transporter.  It opens up great enough with Frank getting in the now famous "Transporter Fight Circle", as I like to call it.  A staple of the now-franchise film, the bad guys will circle Frank, who will then proceed to beat them senseless, usually by first calmly removing his jacket.

Other trappings of the franchise will include Frank losing his shirt for at least one fight scene.  This is apparently to give some eye candy to the ladies who have accompanied their dates to see this non-chick flick film. 

: )

Due to the kidnapping though, this film takes on a slightly different feel than the first one.  Yes, we had someone in peril for Frank to rescue, but it all plays out differently this go-round. It could be that there's a little boy in trouble this time versus a girl.  Maybe that no sparks can fly for poor Frank?

Maybe it's due to Lola (Kate Nauta) who is trying to hard to be Milla Jojovich, and failing miserably?

Needless to say, Frank is going to set things right, save the day, and bring the boy home.

Good job Frank!

Thankfully, the Inspector (Francois Berleand) shows up in Miami for a mini-vacation for some comic relief, and a little hand-lending for Frank as he works to save the day.

Like many sequels, it cannot recreate the magic of the first one by trying a little too hard to recapture lightning in a bottle instead of just trying to tell a good story.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Watched it again for the first time in ages... not bad... I might pick it up in the future.

When It Absolutely Has To Be There... "The Transporter"

Rule # 3- Never Open the Package

The Story:

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is an ex Special Forces soldier who has retired to the coast of France.  He supplements his retirement by transporting things.  Inspector Tarconi (Francois Beleand) knows that Frank is up to something, but Frank is very careful covering his tracks.  On his latest mission, Frank hears something in his trunk, opens up and sees that the package is wiggling.  Frank then breaks Rule # 3.  He arrives, drops off the package (Qi Shu) but tells the bad guy (Matt Schulze) that he didn't peek.  A few hours later as he stops for a snack, Frank's car explodes.  Naturally, Frank doesn't take kindly to nearly being killed, so he's off for revenge.

Yay!

Jason Statham is the 2nd greatest action star to come along on the silver screen during the last decade or so, behind only The Rock. : )

Putting him behind the wheel might feel cliché and overdone, but you stick with what works, and audiences usually leave happy.

Statham as a professional driver who kicks butt when not behind the wheel? 

Recipe for success!

In fact, though I'm sure they didn't smell franchise when it started, several pieces of the Transporter will repeat in the subsequent films. 

Again, if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it!

The action and stunt work in this film are incredible, especially the car chases.   Luc Besson knows how to write a great action screenplay.

All of the other characters are dimensional enough, but besides Frank, only the Inspector gets fully fleshed out as the movie rolls along.  He makes a nice foil for Frank, and their relationship evolves and changes as the movie, and franchise, moves forward.


Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Highly enjoyable, and I'm happy to say this film is indeed in the Action wing of the DVD library.

The Prequel Sequel Without Equal ~ Death Race: Inferno!

Before there was Statham...

The Story:

The Legend of Frankenstein continues!  This sequel to Death Race 2 finishes the saga of Frankenstein, and sets up the 2008 remake starring Jason Statham of the 1970s Roger Corman cult classic.

Confused?

Don't be!

The rules are simple: Convicts in weaponized cars race around trying to kill each other.  Win 5 races, you are pardoned!  Frankenstein has 4 wins  under his belt, but with a transaction that shifts ownership of the Death Race franchise to a new owner, it appears that Frankenstein needs to lose, if he wants to live!


Truth be told, I have to give two thumbs up to not only Death Race 2, but to Death Race (3): Inferno.  While I am an admitted Jason Statham film fan, I would actually claim that these two tell a better, more coherent story than his did.  Luke Goss does an admirable job as the main character as a cross between Statham and Stone Cold Steve Austin.  Plus nearly any film that has Danny Trejo in it, gets an automatic pass for Trejo-ness!

But when you're talking about cars racing and shooting each other (Twisted Metal for the Playstation anyone?) you're not expecting cinematic genius.

Both of the prequels are available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.  Inferno actually isn't even available for purchase or rental until the 22nd of January, so this whole time travel thing is pretty cool!

:)

You want a great action flick where you can check your brain at the door and enjoy some explosions with your popcorn, look no further...

This is the franchise for you!

Final Grade: A Solid B for a great B Movie franchise!