R-Rated Non-Stop Action Crime Gunfest On Max Created A Blockbuster Star

Crank follows professional assassin Chev Chelios (Statham), who is all set to head off into the sunset and retire. With one last assignment to complete, Chev looks forward to living a life on the straight and narrow. However, sometimes trying to do the right thing just isn’t quite enough.

The morning after his supposed swan song, Chev wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. It turns out that he has been poisoned by a rival who looks to advance his criminal career. To make matters worse, Chev quickly learns that he only has one hour left to live.

But there is a silver lining. If Chev manages to keep his adrenaline up and his blood pumping, he can stave off the effects of the poison he was injected with. This is where Crank, and Jason Statham, are at their best.

Throughout the remainder of the film, Chev pulls out all of the stops as he does whatever it takes to stay alive. As long as his heart still beats, Chev only has just one goal in mind. He must find the man responsible for poisoning him and kill him.

Crank is written and directed by filmmaking team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. The full-throttle action thriller sees Amy Smart, Carlos Sanz, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Efren Ramirez round out the cast. While none of the performances scream “Oscars-worthy,” each actor plays their part very well.

The film comes in at a meager 88 minutes long, but if it were any longer it would need an intermission. There really isn’t much time to catch your breath and process the chaotic action in the film. And that’s probably a good thing.

With a story spanning just a few hours, Neveldine and Taylor know exactly what kind of film Crank is. There aren’t any long drawn-out monologues or tear-jerking moments of contrition. This R-rated movie has guns, motorcycles, and even death-defying helicopter stunts.

Without trying to be something it wasn’t, Crank earned high marks in 2006. The film scored a 62 percent critic score and 71 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also cemented Statham as a certified action star.

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While The Transporter might have put Jason Statham on the map for American audiences, Crank helped him become a household name in the wake of the new millennium. Throughout the 2000s, Statham starred in numerous action films including War, The Bank Job, and Death Race. With an estimated net worth of $90 million, it appears that Statham is perfectly content with his action star title.

Equipped with non-stop action and a bonkers plot, Crank is the definition of a “turn your brain off” movie. However, it is certainly a must-watch for any fan of a no holds barred thrill ride.