Rating: 5/10

Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson. Ian McShane

Plot: Prison Warden Hennessey (Allen) frames Jensen Ames (Statham) for murder to make him drive in her prison’s “Death Race,” all in a quest for higher ratings. The race is a three-day competition that pits prisoners against each other in weaponized cars. Oh, and it’s to the death.

The Good: “Death Race” has two redeeming qualities: 1) Jason Statham (great at his best, mediocre at his worst), and 2) the racing scenes. The racing sequences, which thankfully take up a large chunk of the movie, are violent, loud, fast and even more violent. Though the racing action is pretty straightforward, it is entertaining. And violent, just in case I forgot to mention it.

The lack of CGI cars and crashes allows the viewer to enjoy the film more by not being distracted by subpar graphics of cars blowing up.

The Bad: Mostly everything else. The entire story can be deciphered from a quick viewing of a commercial and the plot is predictable, with all “surprises” figured out before they’re even set up. All subtext for the movie is forced and quickly gleamed over to get to the racing as fast as possible. It would have been more effective to begin the film in prison with quick flashbacks to reveal Ames’ past.

Overall: Though it is a B-movie, it knows this and embraces it. It’s entertaining if you want to see a few good-looking people sweat and drive while shooting rockets and napalm at each other. It’s hands-down one of Statham’s best mediocre movies.