DVD Goodness: CRANK

Blasting its way to DVD tomorrow is one of my favorite films of last year, the Jason Statham fast-paced flick CRANK. 2006 was not a great year for action films but I do believe I'm going to name CRANK the best one produced during that subpar year.

To be honest the action sequences in CRANK didn't really blow me away. What makes this one a classic of the genre is its dark sense of humor and a lead who really puts everything he has into his part. I doubt that a minute goes by in this film in which Statham does not appear. This one lives and dies on Statham's back and he delivers a welcome over-the-top change from the more quiet persona he adopted in the TRANSPORTER films.

The release tomorrow will probably not be the last DVD we see of CRANK, especially since the studio behind the movie is Lionsgate who loves to take a few dips into the well. This release does feature a "Crank'd Out Mode" which includes audio and video commentaries and behind the scenes footage while the movie plays. For some odd reason there is a "Family Friendly" mode which will allow you to watch Statham kill his way through the story while his offensive language is removed. This option will allow you to watch the movie with your kids and not have to explain what the bad words mean, but you may want an answer ready for when the kiddies ask why Statham is banging the hell out of Amy Smart right in the middle of Chinatown.