Blending action and fantasy, Drive Angry fully knows what it is and it takes advantage of it any time it can. This is an over-the-top, stylish and violent revenge extravaganza starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard. It’s very reminiscent of seventies revenge movies with that grindhouse vibe. Speaking of which, you might remember the actual movie Grindhouse, directed by Tarantino and Rodriguez. More specifically, Death Proof. So, you know what to expect, muscle cars, shootouts, chase scenes, and gratuitous violence.
And I almost forgot about those witty one-liners. They’re a must in a movie like this. You should also know that Drive Angry is a 3D movie. Now, I don’t know whether this format is going to survive in the future but it sure is effective right now. However, if you’re reading this in 2021 and wondering why the fuck does every possible thing keeps flying towards the viewer, there’s the explanation. As you can notice, they didn’t take themselves too seriously here so you can also expect a lot of humor.
I mean, when the movie opens with our hero getting away from hell by driving really fast and angry, there’s not much room for seriousness. Oddly enough, Cage starred in 2007 Ghost Rider another supernatural action movie with a lot of driving, demons, and other shit. But he was driving a bike and not a muscle car as he did here, so there’s that. Featuring fast pacing and a lot of craziness, Drive Angry is a perfect movie for those nights when you just want to be entertained. A B movie with a hefty budget and a lot of things going for it.
John Milton is one tough son of a bitch. He just escaped from hell, hellbent on revenge. He’s looking for Jonah King, leader of a satanic cult to settle a score. However, at the same time, The Accountant is looking for him. Sent to Earth by Satan himself, he’s not only looking for John but also for The Godkiller, a special weapon, he stole…
Star of so many great nineties action movies, Nic Cage is not getting too old for these roles, he is too old. Using his powerful presence and loads of charm, old Nic did manage to pull this role off. Amber was solid, adding another notch in her perspective career. For me, William Fichtner stole the show here as The Accountant. His character was so much fun and it seems he really enjoyed that role. Additionally, we get to see Tom Atkins as Cap, reprising his role from Night of the Creeps.
Finally, I also want to add that this movie looks really good. The special effects were excellent along with makeup and a solid number of explosions. There was one scene with the truck that seemed a bit off but what can you do. If you’re looking for movies like Drive Angry, check out Machete, Crank, and Shoot Em Up. Actually, you might recognize one scene in particular from that last movie in this one. And I let you be the judge whether they out right stole it.
Director: Patrick Lussier
Writers: Todd Farmer, Patrick Lussier
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, David Morse, Todd Farmer, Christa Campbell
Fun Facts: The name of Nicolas Cage’s character is John Milton. This is likely a reference to Paradise Lost, an epic about Satan’s expulsion from Heaven and the creation of Hell, which was written by John Milton.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1502404/
