Featuring the best video and audio possible, Lionsgate pulls out all the stops on this release of Crank!
“There are a thousand ways to raise your adrenaline, and today hit man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) will need every one! He has one hour to settle the score and say goodbye to his girl and go out with a little style. The only question is, will he stay alive long enough to see it happen?”
Crank came out of nowhere in 2006 with this insane premise that seemed more like a live action video game than anything, the closest we’ll probably get to a Grand Theft Auto game filled with non-stop adrenaline-filled excitement that doesn’t let up until the end of the sequel when the series comes to a close. As Chev Chelios is injected with a Chinese concoction that slowly poisons him, he discovers that adrenaline is the only thing that is slowing the effects and keeping him alive, thus leading him to outrageous antics that destroy half the city while trying to get revenge on the man who poisoned him.
As far as action films go, Crank ranks as one of the most memorable thanks to the combination of over-the-top action so outlandish it’s done in a comedic way. Buildings that pulsate like in cartoons when fights occur inside is only one example of just how cartoon-like this film is, which gives it an entirely unique style of storytelling that’s full of all kinds of interesting sequences. The directing style of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor never ceases to amaze me each time I see this film. It’s in your face, super-fast paced, and unique, with the telephone calls especially doing some amazing things to keep the pace of the film.
This was the height of Jason Statham’s popularity, with two Transporter films already under his belt. He finds his stride easily as Chev Chelios, not really a far-cry from his normal routine, but the writing and situations he finds himself in tend to be pretty funny and impressively does all his own stunts in the film. Dwight Yoakam and Amy Smart are great in this as well, proving a good comedic balance against all the intense action.
Although this has a tongue-in-cheek approach to the genre, overdoing it on the insanity, it’s still a popcorn flick designed for you to turn your brain off for a couple hours and enjoy the ride. So, if you’re looking for depth, this isn’t necessarily the film that’s going to stimulate you intellectually, but it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.
Video
Crank is presented in a new 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1 transfer featuring Dolby Vision. Lionsgate has continually surprised me with their release of older titles and going all out on the upgrade to the new format. This transfer looks great, with a nice balance of deep colors, with the dynamic metadata of the Dolby Vision providing the brilliant brights and deep darks in every scene. There is a lot of detail and sharpness to the film and as action-intense it is I never noticed any artifacting or any other issues.
Audio
Also included in this upgraded release in a new Dolby Atmos track that sounds incredible. The pumping music, the action sequences, all culminating to the helicopter scene at the end that in which you’ll hear it overhead. It’s a great inclusion for this film and coupled with the Dolby Vision this looks and sounds the best it ever has.
Special Features
No new extras for this set, which include all of them from the original blu-ray release. These include:
- Shooting Crank
- The Stunts of Crank
- Pushing Crank
- Crank @ Comic-Con
- More Stories From Crank
I continually enjoy seeing studios releasing some of these smaller films on 4k, especially despite the naysayers claiming physical media is dying. Although I would have enjoyed Crank 2 High Voltage to be released as well, I’ll take what I can get. This set has the best video and audio quality possible, so for the right price fans of this film will definitely want to grab this as soon as possible.
