April 9: Drive Angry- 100th Review!

"A vengeful father escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter."

After a little over 3 months, I have hit another milestone- my 100th review. I figured it would be appropriate to have a Nic Cage week happening during this review. And, why not review one of his newer films, Drive Angry? Enjoy.

   I am not going to lie. I found Drive Angry to be very enjoyable. Sure, the movie sucks more ass than a rectal plunger but it's one hell of a ride. Drive Angry is a pulpy, over-the-top, cheesy throwback to the old grindhouse flicks, full of awful dialogue and, of course, the great Nicolas Cage. Cage plays Milton (hilarious, I know!), a man who literally escapes Hell and comes back to earth to revenge the death of his daughter, who was brutally murdered by the leader of a satanist cult. Chasing after him is the Accountant, played terrifically by the underrated and underused William Fichtner. The Accountant is almost like a warden of Hell and it's his job to put Milton back in his place, no matter what. So, right off the bat I have to say that the plot alone is pretty badass because it is essentially the classic battle of good vs. evil. 

With way more blood, gore, muscle cars, and babes.

   Drive Angry's script is so bad and campy, almost every line uttered is hilarious. Minus some of the special effects, you could assume the film was made in the 70s and enjoyed entirely in fifty cent drive in theaters. To highlight some of the insanity- Cage kills about ten dudes while having sex with a lady friend, a coven of drunk satanists partake in a sacrificial orgy, and Cage drinks beer out of a human skull. All of this is just a couple of examples in a film that has more than enough to make your mind explode. Every aspect of Drive Angry screams at you, telling you how bad it is, but you can't help but enjoy some of it. 

Just look at him... so damn badass. 

   Now, Drive Angry was filmed in 3D and obviously tailored for the gimmick. Even watched in 2D, you can obviously tell when stuff is meant to come out of the screen at you. While I usually find this distracting, Drive Angry uses it to heighten the film's exploitation factor even more. I would definitely recommend Drive Angry as a rental on a boring Friday night. Just keep in mind that it's much more entertaining than it is actually good. And, while I hate to admit it, I kind of want to see a sequel. But let's keep that between me, you, and the confusingly awesome, Nicolas Cage. 

The Good:

over-the-top everything that never stops and you can't help but laugh your ass off

The Bad:

that same over-the-top everything

The Ugly:

actually finding it highly enjoyable when you want to hate it oh, so much

Overall: 4.5/10 as a film

 8.5 for the fun factor

Best Quote:

Jonah King: It’d be bloody easy for me to shoot you in the throat and watch you gurgle while I eat my morning grapefruit. 

Trailer: