DRIVE ANGRY 3D(2011)

(Directed by Patrick Lussier)

"Best movie of the year! So far anyway......I guess that doesn't say much...."- Signed by MartialHorror. 

Plot: A badass escapes from hell in order to save his infant granddaughter from a cult who wishes to sacrifice her, but he also has to avoid the devil’s accountant.

Review:

“Drive Angry” is awesome. With the exception of maybe “Planet Terror”, it has been the only movie to be a true throwback to 80’s exploitation films. Many movies have tried, but misunderstood what they were throwing back too. “Machete” worked at times, but I felt was dragged down by its tacked on self-importance. “Piranha 3D” almost had it, but had too much nudity to where I started to feel desensitized by it(most throwbacks think nudity solves everything). “Death Proof” felt like it was throwing back to the dull side of 80’s exploitation(lots of talking), so I’m not sure if that was a failure or not. What surprises me about “Drive Angry” though is that it was directed(and co-written) by Patrick Lussier, whose “My Bloody Valentine 3D” seemed to think that what a good slasher film needed was tacked on, mawkish melodrama. Even more to my surprise, it was written by Todd Farmer, who has yet to write a good movie(including “My Bloody Valentine 3D”). His best movie was probably “Jason X”……think about that, his best work was putting Jason Voorhees in space…..Yet “Drive Angry” nailed what it was trying to be almost perfectly. Hell, even the 3D was pretty good!

Milton(Nicolas Cage) escapes hell so that he can hunt down and destroy Jonah King(Billy Burke), a Satanic cult leader who murdered Milton's daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter. They don’t actually reveal this until late in the movie, but it’s what they stress in the trailers so it’s not like I’m spoiling anything. As he tracks them down, he crosses paths with Piper(Amber Heard), a tough-as-nails chick who ultimately gets dragged along for the ride. Together, they track Jonah King while also trying to avoid the Law as well as a mysterious entity known as the Accountant (William Fichtner).

The best way to describe “Drive Angry” is imagine “Faster”(starring Dwayne Johnson), but with personality. The actors create larger than life characters who all deserve their own movies. You have the hilarious yet fairly intense William Fichtner, who was amazing as the Accountant. You have Billy Burke, who nails his “Jim Jones”-esque Jonah King. He’s got the charisma that all cult leaders must have, yet he’s also the villain you love to hate(whereas the Accountant is pretty likable). Much to my surprise, Amber Heard almost stole the show as Piper. I’ve said it before, females have a difficult time acting 'tough'. They usually just try to be Clint Eastwood-esque, but Heard is a believable badass because she is dynamic. She can be charming and sweet, you just don’t want to mess with her. I wouldn't be on the receiving end of her wrath. Oddly, Nicolas Cage is the weak link here. He’s good for the most part. I think he’s at his best when he’s playing ‘crazy’. My favorite scene is when Jonah King is ranting about something and Cage just interrupts him with laughter. However, when he’s trying to be dramatic, he’s fairly wooden. When he says something about feeling a bullet that’s inside of him, he sounds disinterested and dull. Despite this, I still say Cage was worth it. I love it when he does movies like this. It allows him to have a blast and that reflects on the movie.

So what is a good homage to 80’s exploitation? Well, for one, you need a plot that screams ‘80’s horror’. Cultist films dominated the 80’s, so that’s definitely a good idea to include. Two, you need some good car chases. “Drive Angry” more than delivers here. Three, you need 80’s music that gets the blood pumping.  Most importantly, you need a kind of deranged creativity. Here are some examples: Jonah King uses a human femur(Milton’s daughter) as a walking stick. There is an even better moment near the end involving a human skull too. The graphic kills, benefited by fun 3D, are bizarre and unique. Too many throwbacks think they can throw in lots of nudity and that is enough. “Drive Angry” has nudity, but it’s funny and sexy. People forget that violence is the purpose of exploitation. Nudity is important too, but it's not as important as creative and gruesome kills. "Drive Angry" is much like “Machete” in tone and style, but lacks the severe plot tumors or any kind of feeling that it is meant to be ‘deep’. It is completely unpretentious. There is nothing deep about “Drive Angry”. It’s about attitude, style, blood, sex and cars. It’s amplified by the films sense of humor, which keeps things amusing while never becoming parody.

“Drive Angry” was everything I wanted it to be. Is it silly? Sure. Contrived? Of course. It’s not high art. I’m not even sure I’d say it’s a ‘good’ movie. Yet I can’t imagine a more ‘entertaining’ movie. I suspect that with a different cast, it might’ve been dull and plodding(it does slow down a bit in the first half), but luckily I don’t have to worry about that. It's a high octane action, with more guts than most horror movies and more laughs than most comedies.  While it means very little considering it’s only February, “Drive Angry” is currently my favorite movie of 2011.

Violence: Rated R worthy. It is very violent.

Nudity: Rated R worthy also. There is quite a bit of it.

Overall: “Drive Angry” is for people who want cars, blood, tits, explosions and a good sense of humor. If you don’t like these kinds of films, don’t bother with it.

3/4 Stars