Death Race ~ Again we go back to the question of why do a remake. Perhaps in this case, they did it because of the technology and perhaps it because of a more realistic premise – or is that a less campy premise? That said, Death Race is no Death Race 2000, but it is a little better in its execution. But sadly, it is only in its remake/pseudo-sequel/re-imagining that Death Race merits any real attention. Otherwise it’s just another Jason Stathem vehicle, just another run-of-the-mill scifi thriller with a gimmick, and it will never attain even a fraction of the cult status of the original. Writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson tries hard, Joan Allen makes a superior heavy and Stathem does what he does best, but this will only be worth a last ditch rental on a night when everything else is out.
