Crank High Voltage

C

cinebuddy

Veteran
I just came back from checking it out. The good news...the xha1 and hf10's held up well, I mean they looked great. The bad news, I liked the first one a lot but this one sucked. It wasn't fun, it was stupid almost like Neveldine and Taylor took steps backwards. It was some really amateurish storytelling from a directorial standpoint. Eh, 2 hours of my life gone.
 
Personally, I loved this one just as much as the first. Crank and Crank: High Voltage are not meant to be movies with good story-telling. They are modern exploitation films, and in that sense they are amazing. This movie kicked my a$$ on so many different levels, I have to see it again just to take in all the ridiculous things that happen.

On a more technical note, the camera work, and the quality, is stunning. I've never seen so many angles hitting me all at once. I love it.
 
I agree that the first one held together better narratively, but High Voltage was just so outrageous and fun that I couldn't help but enjoy it. I like that they tried to make this one different by going overboard with the insanity. In fact, it was so outrageous it was as if I just feel asleep after drinking a 24 case of Dr. Pepper, then injected Starbuck's coffee into my veins, passed out, and experienced a strange caffeine spiked fever dream where I was a dude on the rampage named Chev Chelios. Take that description and meld it with a violent slapstick comedy sensibility, and that is what you get with this film.

I don't even think that popping a copy of Grand Theft Auto 4 into the PS3 or XB360 and driving around and destroying things at random really even comes close to approximating the wacky insanity of Crank: High Voltage. It may not be in the same league of serious action film classics like Die Hard, Heat, The Professional, T2, or The Matrix, but it was a ton of fun.

The XH-A1 and HF10 held up amazingly on the big screen. I was pleasantly surprised that it looked as good as it did. Way better than I thought it would look to be honest. If anyone thinks that you need a Red One or better to make a good looking film, go watch Crank: High Voltage and see for yourself the visuals a freakin' HDV camera can achieve. I'm flipping jazzed about getting out there and making a film now. The tools we have are actually good enough.
 
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This film had it all from softcore porn to hardcore blood and guts. Oh, and you can't forget the magic head.

The story definitely fell a bit flat for me though, but I wasn't expecting much. I went into it expecting to see some crazy images, and I was not disappointed. Also, I couldn't stop analyzing the A1 footage, it really did look pretty good.
 
I don't peeps who liked this one...you gotta understand I loooovvvveeedddd Crank it was my first Blu Ray purchase. This one was just corny to me, i've seen better films from dvxusers with way smaller budgets. I enjoyed some of the characters (espeically the 3rd Verona) and it wasn't that the action was "outrageous", you'll never hear me put realistic and movie together even in a drama. I just thought the first one was great and this one could have been direct to F/X. Oh yeah Corey Haim was hilarious and Amy Smart is sexy.
 
Nektonic said:
I agree that the first one held together better narratively, but High Voltage was just so outrageous and fun that I couldn't help but enjoy it. I like that they tried to make this one different by going overboard with the insanity. In fact, it was so outrageous it was as if I just feel asleep after drinking a 24 case of Dr. Pepper, then injected Starbuck's coffee into my veins, passed out, and experienced a strange caffeine spiked fever dream where I was a dude on the rampage named Chev Chelios. Take that description and meld it with a violent slapstick comedy sensibility, and that is what you get with this film.

I don't even think that popping a copy of Grand Theft Auto 4 into the PS3 or XB360 and driving around and destroying things at random really even comes close to approximating the wacky insanity of Crank: High Voltage. It may not be in the same league of serious action film classics like Die Hard, Heat, The Professional, T2, or The Matrix, but it was a ton of fun.

The XH-A1 and HF10 held up amazingly on the big screen. I was pleasantly surprised that it looked as good as it did. Way better than I thought it would look to be honest. If anyone thinks that you need a Red One or better to make a good looking film, go watch Crank: High Voltage and see for yourself the visuals a freakin' HDV camera can achieve. I'm flipping jazzed about getting out there and making a film now. The tools we have are actually good enough.
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I saw HVX200 + Redrock footage (my own) projected in the Kodak Theater a pair of years or so back and I said the same thing then. They're all good enough at this point, you'll just have to choose the right tool for the job and what you can afford. That's all it comes down to.
 
Loved it. Was hilarious, over-the-top, and completely ridiculous.

There were a few shots where I noticed it looked just a touch soft... but for the most part about 95% of it seemed very sharp. the overuse of the wide angle lenses bothered me a couple of times, mostly from the distorted verticals near the edges. Jason Statham was great. There were a few interesting appearances– Ginger Spice, John DeLancie, David Carradine (great makeup job), Chester from Linkin Park and Maynard from Tool????

This looked like a riot to shoot/cut. I liked the first one also, tis one was way more over the top. Can't wait for the BTS on the DVD.
 
arges03 said:
Loved it. Was hilarious, over-the-top, and completely ridiculous.

There were a few shots where I noticed it looked just a touch soft... but for the most part about 95% of it seemed very sharp. the overuse of the wide angle lenses bothered me a couple of times, mostly from the distorted verticals near the edges. Jason Statham was great. There were a few interesting appearances– Ginger Spice, John DeLancie, David Carradine (great makeup job), Chester from Linkin Park and Maynard from Tool????

This looked like a riot to shoot/cut. I liked the first one also, tis one was way more over the top. Can't wait for the BTS on the DVD.
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Not to mention Lex Steele, Ron Jeremey and other notable porn icons lol. Yeah there were a few soft moments but I agree it looked good overall.
 
Ezekiel667 said:
Personally, I loved this one just as much as the first. Crank and Crank: High Voltage are not meant to be movies with good story-telling. They are modern exploitation films, and in that sense they are amazing. This movie kicked my a$$ on so many different levels, I have to see it again just to take in all the ridiculous things that happen.

On a more technical note, the camera work, and the quality, is stunning. I've never seen so many angles hitting me all at once. I love it.
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Agree 100%. Crank 2 was amazing. Looked great, and the story was way way over the top. I loved that they just did crazy scenes with no excuses. The Godzilla fight in the electrical station? The interview sequence? Great stuff.

I loved the HD look, even though most of the time I don't care for it. The black actress (forget her name) walking down the street in slo mo? Simply luscious. The Amy Smart stripping scenes? Wow.

It was a like a roller coaster ride with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a couple of topless strippers. Now I have to go see the first one.
 
I agree crank2 was awesome... its funny, i never would have gone to see it if it was not shot on the hdv cams, but it ended up being a great movie... and it was funny seeing "Q" from star trek playing the news anchor!

And it lays to rest, once and for all, the question of weather HDV cams are good enough... it looked amazing... the only think that gave it away for me was the vertical smearing when the sun was in the shot!
 
Agreed. This film was a riot. I found myself laughing out loud many times throughout. Non-stop, 100% foot to the floorboard.

Gillvane said:
The black actress (forget her name) walking down the street in slo mo? Simply luscious.
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She is a pretty woman, but I'm sure she cringed when she saw her thighs shaking in slo-mo like that!
 
Saw it today. One insane and crazy movie. Definitely a high voltage, high octane, adrenalin junky, fast pace, in your face type of movie for guys who don't care too much for story lines other than just sit in that dark room for one and a half hour kicking back and getting some adrenalin rush all the way to the end just to get the middle finger from Chev. I had mixed feelings but enjoyed the insanity of the film.

I wouldn't be surprised if this film was made by some director guys who were shooting up and high on speed while shooting the movie...j/k.
 
futureman said:
I......
And it lays to rest, once and for all, the question of weather HDV cams are good enough... it looked amazing..
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I can hear all the Panny-guys here saying "dang that HDV ain't bad after all..."
Yeah right......:nads:
 
Man, what a fun little film. I truly enjoyed this. I found myself cracking up in the theater. Even though the first one was kind of hilarious, this one took the Hilariousness to a whole another level... Even though this had so much action it also had so much comedy, and that's a rare mix for an "Action Film."

I truly loved and enjoyed this, just for the fact that it's just fun movie watching. I saw the first one because of word of mouth and I loved the first one, so I said I must see the second one now. It did not disappoint.

Can't wait for Crank 3..LOL
 
regardless of it being shot on HDV I would have went to see the movie anyways because I enjoyed the first Crank movie. But this over the top stuff was a big suprise. I actually liked it...and the picture suprised me even more. It took me about ten minutes in to get used to the high shutter speed...but after that I was just laughing all the way through. And to think...for years all I kept hearig is how sucky HDV is and how it's not good enough. Unbelievable!! i expected the colors to be washed out or to see artifacting everywhere...but...nothing. I don't know ifyou guys stayed for the end credits...but there were out takes that show no color grading. They seemed low contrast...but actually looked pretty good. So it seems there was some post magic done to the footage even though, according to all the articles I've read in the past year, they said they did most everything "in-cam."

By the way...that nipple scene made me cringe. lol. it would have been cool just to have been working on that set. These guys seem like they don't take themselves too seriously...which makes for a fun environment.

Now everybody...go and make a movie. After watching this...there is no excuse. :)
 
Yeah that's the same thing I was saying, those guys look like they had so much fun making this movie... which I think that's how it should be.
 
An indestructable angry middle age white guy who brings mahem and destruction to all those who gets in his way and will stop at nothing to get what belongs to him. I felt sorry for the Mexicans and Asians who got their azzes whoop left and right. What's up with the fat chinese guy who gladly put Chev's girl friends stained underwear on his head.

I wouldn't recommend this F'king insane movie to the Asian guys.
 
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