Drive Angry 3D

Three stars are too many, but two would come across as a misunderstanding of the detached, ironic perspective, which is the key weapon of this entertaining patchwork. Nick Cage loved Ghost Rider from a young age and if he only ever starred in films similar to it, he would be happy. He doesn’t take himself or his filmography seriously anymore. And he is loving it. Drive Angry is complete jackassery that wouldn’t seem any less so even if it had been directed by someone more talented than Patrick Lussier (e.g. by Robert Rodriguez as a part of the Grindhouse package). It’s a crazy trip, reminiscent of Hard Target, Constantine, Leaving Las Vegas and Children of the Corn 6 in one bag of popcorn. Cheap and “cheesy” it may be, but it fittingly parodies a dozen genre clichés with cool lines and an excellent William Fichtner. In what other movie as bad as this one can you find so many memorable moments? Simply said, Drive Angry is a guilty pleasure. (10/04/2011)

To tell you the truth, I had a lot more fun that it could be considered appropriate. It’s not very often that we see a film that never makes it clear whether it should be taken seriously as whole, in part or not at all. I have the impression that Lussier told something different to each of the actors. Nicholas Cage acts comically but very seriously, Amber Head acts comically but dramatically, and William Fichtner is simply enjoying himself and is the only one who’s really cool. I don’t know if the film works the way its creators wanted, but regardless, I will judge it only based on the result, which was a pleasant surprise. The shootout in the motel and Fichtner in a CGI tank are so WTF that it’s impossible not to laugh. I’m not that far from a fourth star. (05/19/2011)

The angry grandpa Nicolas Cage is decent, the blonde woman of action Amber Heard is too, and Fichtner's accountant deserves a monument. It becomes a tragedy when it's not the actors who carry the film, but the director, which is quite a mess given the fact that it was made primarily for 3D. This is because this whole ride comes down to terrible special effects, not much action, or even anything resembling a plot development. Audiences thus have a hard time dealing with all the boring parts. I went into it with no expectations, but after finishing it I find myself crying over the wasted potential. On paper (and with this cast) it was definitely there. Or have even solid B-movie directors died out in Hollywood? (06/23/2011)

I've been getting quite tired of Nicolas Cage lately – he was a cold-hearted badass again. As to the movie... there was a lot of blood, again. I liked the beautiful cars though, and the truly gorgeous Amber Heard. Fichtner didn't disappoint... but yeah, nice... just not for Cage. (03/03/2011)

If you acknowledge something as garbage it does not mean that it ceases to be garbage. I have never been able to appreciate this type of B-movie spectacle, except for very rare, atypical exceptions. Maybe it's because I demand a certain internal logic from a film and such mishmash usually resigns from logic with its screenplay. Drive Angry differs from the garbage that takes itself too seriously with a certain insight that it has, which is manifested via the overacting of the already below-average actors and its emphasis on B-movie clichés. But it's not clever and for example, Nicolas Cage's tragic expression differs minimally from his seriously intended creations. It doesn't have a good point in it and the interest that the director initially aroused in me was extinguished after less than fifteen minutes. Overall impression: 25%. (07/29/2020)

It was Sunday night. I pulled a beer out of the fridge and decided to give the latest movie with my favorite Amber Heard a chance. It was supposed to be a B-movie thriller, where the recently unpredictable Nicolas Cage stole the lead role of a vengeful, murderous lunatic for himself. The air was thick with snappy lines, limbs and auto parts. Just watching Amber was great. Even William Fichtner smiled at me now and then and I began to feel quite satisfied. I don't remember much about the plot, but I know that earlier I was afraid it was going to be worse. It wasn’t. (06/26/2011)

The worst B movie crap of the year, with an incredibly rough and absolutely unbelievable Nicolas Cage (where are those Con Air times), terribly cheap and bad visual effects, poor editing, and an incomprehensible plot. The film is essentially about shit. I give one point for William Fichtner's solid acting, who really gives his all, and for the charmingly expressive Amber Heard, she outshines her much more famous partner, who has been struggling a lot in recent times. (07/09/2011)