Crank: Alto voltaje

After surviving a fall from a helicopter, Chev Chelios is kidnapped directly from the spot he landed in and is taken to a place where they remove his heart. He is given an artificial one that requires an electrical charge to keep running, every hour or so. Now Chelios is on the run trying to find his old heart and to keep charged.

I had an appreciation for the first Crank, it was a live action Grand Theft Auto. Creating as much chaos as possible within the running time. It ended perfectly, with his death. Crank 2 comes around and ruins that. At least, for my own sanity, right from the beginning they have a telecaster look directly to the viewer and tell them how implausible all of this is. Could this be the writers and directors telling the audience that this was a studio decision?

Crank 2 doesn't hold any punches, it goes all out and doesn't stop. It somehow finds a way to be even more chaotic than the original, but it sacrifices any kind of logical straight forward story. The first, even though it was far fetched, seemed like it might possibly happen. Crank 2 doesn't seem to be based in any kind of reality. I do still like the city and world these characters live in. It's just like a video game/comic book come to life.

Statham once again shows us why he is the new face of the action genre. The Rock has moved on to Disney family films and Statham continues to be in films that he knows his fans will love. Crank 2 is violent and obscene. Just like it wants to be, Chelios is a despicable character, just like he wants to be. Statham plays the role with a bit of charm that makes him likable. Amy smart is here again, but she seems even more useless now than before. Was her purpose in this one just to re-enact the famous sex in public scene from original?

The Crank films are without a doubt a guys film. Crank 2 even more so. Sex, violence, harsh language and insane sequences like a shotgun shoved up a guy's ass or two characters transforming into Godzilla like creatures, it's something that requires a viewer to leave their brain not only at the door, but at the door of another house. The comedy is unique and in your face, it doesn't hold back with any subject matter. It's degrading to women and homosexuals and maybe even intellectuals. If you liked the first Crank, you'll like this one.

For what it is worth, I dug the craziness of the film. The style it was shot in was fast and dirty, that reflects the story and the characters in it. I can see a third film coming out, just wondering what they plan on doing with it makes my head hurt though.

Chev Chelios was dead, but he got better.

Jason Statham returns as the lead in "Crank: High Voltage", and in every way this sequel breaks the rules and pushes the bar to insane new levels, sometimes even a bit too far.

Three months after his "helicopter incident", Chelios awakens to see that Chinese black-market surgeons are slicing his famed "Chelios Heart" out (made famous by the fact that it kept beating after the events of the first film), and replacing it with a surrogate artificial heart, so they can keep him alive while they farm more of his organs.

Chelios escapes and discovers he has a whole new set of problems- his heart is connected to an external battery pack. When this battery pack runs out of juice, he only has one hour before his artificial heart stops and he dies. And of course one of the first things that happens is that his battery pack is smashed! Now Chelios has to keep his artificial heart beating with regular volts of electricity to recharge it, using anything he can- car power outlets, jumper cables, power stations, stun-guns- whatever he can get his hands on.

His goal- track down psychotic criminal Johnny Vang, who is seemingly parading around Chelios's heart in a miniature cooler, and get it back, so old friend and medical expert Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam in a returning role as the man who lets the audience know exactly what's going on) can put it back in.

Chelios is also being tracked by sadistic criminals sent by "El Huron", a crime lord who has some devious connections to Chelios and his past actions.

This film has a very convoluted plot, but like the first one, it works out rather well. One particular thing I enjoyed is that we spend a little more time with subsequent and secondary characters, like Chev's girlfriend Eve (the sexy Amy Smart), Venus (Efron Ramirez portraying the brother to his slain character Laylo from the first film), and other characters that come up. It just adds to the plot, and gives it more reality, in contrast to the literal circus of Mayhem that Mr. Chev Chelios is stirring up.

Speaking of returning characters, this film certainly has a lot of cameos from characters from movie number one, which was a delight for me as a fan. Fans of the first "Crank", you'll definitely get a kick out of some of the cameos in this entry.

Now, onto the psychotic weirdness of the film. If you've seen the first film, you'll know it used strange tactics, like subtitles, graphics, and nightmarish imagery to put you inside of the heads of the characters. This film expands on that, by using and abusing subtitles, insane graphics, medical films, and more on a fairly regular basis. We even get a hilarious pseudo-flashback of sorts, and it is one of the most abrupt and brilliant segues I've ever seen to bridge two scenes.

And on that note, I should mention that this film does play for laughs a lot more than the first film. In fact, there are scenes specifically written to play for laughs more than for actions. As a fan, that may sound disheartening (sorry, had to make a heart pun), but trust me, it works. The film definitely teeters on self-satire at times (including a uproariously funny line of dialog where Eve swipes at fans who would call Chev surviving the first film "impossible"), but it keeps it's balance and lets us know that its not taking itself too seriously, so the comedy fits right in.

Writers/Directors Neveldine / Taylor also step the visuals up a notch. While not as haggard visually as the first film, this follow-up does have some pretty visuals, and is better-directed in terms of camera placement and editing in my opinion, and it fits right in with the first one. Their script is also to be commended for being so bold, with bizarre characters (I didn't even mention David Carradine going all "Charlie Chan"!), insane story lines, and one of the most over-the-top and unexpected finales I've seen in a long time. This isn't just an action movie, it's Looney Toons for grown-ups! It's the action equivalent of what "Evil Dead II" was to horror! It's brilliant in it's execution and definitely a step in the right direction for a sequel to "Crank"- not too serious.

This film literally left me in awe with its lunacy and action. If you loved the first film, then there's almost no way you won't love this entry.

I give "Crank: High Voltage" an 8 out of 10, because like the first film, it's the ultimate rush, and now it's even the ultimate source for laughs! Give this one a shot, you'll love it!

Crank 2: High Voltage practically begs to be passionately loathed by absolutely everyone, with the notable exception of antisocial teenage boys. Its rank, nihilistic tone is relentless and exhausting. The misogyny is benchmark horrendous. The acts of violence are brutal, frequent and often blatantly homoerotic. Its flippant. Its homophobic. Its vulgar. And it feels as much seething contempt for its own narrative coherence as it does for its few prominent female characters.

But there is something bracingly brilliant about it. Films this fearlessly unhinged simply do not get made any more, and thirty years ago this would've played, late at night, to packed houses for years on end, perhaps aptly bundled with the likes of John Water's Pink Flamingoes.

One fact that was suggested by the first Crank is set heroically in stone barely five minutes into its sequel - that directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor appear to be completely obsessed with pornography. There is a truly jaw-dropping amount of flesh on constant display, and the film's only female speaking parts belong to a prostitute and a stripper. This lends the film an air of uncomfortable, almost lavatorial sleaziness, until a bunch of actual porn stars turn up in the middle of a scene, starring as a bunch of disgruntled porn stars striking for better pay. Although it hardly passes as satire, it does seem like a sly dig in the direction of the producers that populate the Hollywood mainstream, who'd surely relish the opportunity to make films like this if only the bastard machine would let them. Balls-out exploitation it may be, but if any film lives up to cinema's ancient adage of providing its audience with relentless sex and violence, its this one.

The second half of the film is where it really flies, and chooses to disregard not only its own plot, but any care for the patience or expectations of its audience. It goes, essentially, mad. And for something that was clearly deranged in the first place, it'd be foolish for me not to offer up the only advice that will enable you to see exactly what I mean.

Go and see it.

This is without a doubt one of the most insane films I have ever seen. I loved the first film and have been looking forward to the sequel. This one blows the mad-o-meter off the chart. I read on here somewhere Jason Statham was quoted saying something like…. "You ain't ever gonna get an Academy Award for doing Crank" Well I beg to differ; I think an award category should be created for making a film like this. It has similarities to the first film of course but that's what makes this film so enjoyable. Jason is superb as Chev Chelios again and had me laughing my ass off with his cockney slang and his superb stunts. One thing I will say, I took my wife with me to see this and all the way through the film she had that "Could this get anymore ridiculous" look on her face. Meanwhile I couldn't stop laughing at the fact that the more outrageous this film got, the more I found myself loving it. You know when they say "A roller-coaster ride of a movie". Well on this roller-coaster ride you ain't strapped into your seat, it has dozens of loops and it's faster than anything you have ridden in your life. You need to see this film. In fact scrub that, I will say this…Crank 2 falls into the "Things to do before you die" category. Go and see this now.

If you watch the first one then you know what expect but if you haven't then my advice to you is ignore all logic and enjoy the ride because this movie is not be taken seriously.

Crank High Voltage, is one of the best works from our beloved British actor, Jason Statham, with insane action, jokes, absurd scenes (nudity and other nonsense), and over the top craziness.

I was really impressed how well paced this movie was and how insanely funny it was as well. There is never a dull moment and it has one of the best cinematography for a low budget film of its caliber. Take tips Hollywood, this is how movies should be made without the need of overdone CGI; charm and character always triumphs. This is a great movie to kick off Spring the break..GO SEE IT!!! TELL YOUR BUDDIES AND GRAB SOME BEER AND ENJOY THE INSANE ENTERTAINMENT...