IN: auto 0in">His latest zoomed-out-of-theaters try is "Death Race," a remake of the 1975 cult satire "Death Race 2000," in which contestants on a cross-country ride accumulate points by killing people with their cars. Here, writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson ("Alien vs. Predator") isn't quite as sick, so the drivers are all convicts, and the Internet-broadcast race takes place entirely within prison grounds. And if they happen to kill each other while making laps? Well, that's what the machine guns and flame throwers and track traps are for. It makes for great ratings, as ice-queen warden Joan Allen knows.
Watching "Death Race" won't engage your brain, but it will jolt your nervous system. The action comes fast, as it should, in 111 unrated minutes that aren't nearly as repetitive as you'd expect. It also sets itself apart from its predecessor, aiming to be its own slick, supercharged thing. For an overnight rental, or even a blind buy, it crosses the finish line.
"?Rod Lott
