“Crank” is the story of Chev Chelios, played by Jason Statham. He works for a major L.A. crime syndicate as a hit man.

His last job has landed him into hot water with very influential people. Naturally, he’s a dead man.

Instead of killing him outright, however, the-powers-that-be have cooked up a bizarre means of death — “The Beijing Cocktail.” It’s a synthetic Chinese poison that inhibits receptors in his or her adrenal glands. In short, If Chev’s adrenaline isn’t constantly pumping through his veins, he dies instantly.

Visually stunning, “Crank” offers the audience an edgy, intimate, in-your-face format that puts you in the center of the action. It grabs you from the opening scene and doesn’t let go until the last frame. Following Chev on his high-energy, uber-chaotic race across L.A. is nothing short of fabulous. The extreme measures to which he will go to get his heart rate up are ridiculous, but are often quite comical and only emphasize how desperate he is to stay alive.

A word of warning to those who are sensitive to random acts of violence and partially explicit sexuality — don’t see this movie.

Take “Crank” for what it is — a heart-pumping action flick.

Stacie Wieland is a film critic for the Northern Star.