Celebrated for his exceptional physical prowess and tough-as-nails on-screen persona, action great Jason Statham has been entertaining audiences for decades since he first made his spectacular film debut in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 classic Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The cool, calm, and collected leading man has appeared in an array of box office knockouts over the course of his stellar career, including The Transporter, The Italian Job, Spy, and The Expendables, and in 2008 he headlined the action thriller Death Race.

The rip-roaring flick featured Statham as a man framed for a murder he didn’t commit who is sent to a dangerous prison that holds the eponymous combat racing series. A modest box office success, Death Race was unable to completely impress critics, but it did impress moviegoers, who appreciated its delightful, over-the-top nature and endlessly entertaining action sequences. Let’s explore why critics were wrong about Death Race and why it was yet another big-screen triumph for Statham.

Release Date August 22, 2008 Director Paul W. S. Anderson

Death Race Is Full of Adrenaline-Pumping Action

Stacked with an eclectic and talented cast led by Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, and Joan Allen, the 2008 dystopian action thriller Death Race takes place at the Terminal Island Penitentiary where ex-con and steelworker Jensen Ames (Statham) is framed for a murder he did not commit and is sent to the country’s most dangerous prison to serve his life sentence. Ames is given a perplexing opportunity to alter his bleak fate when he is approached by the penitentiary’s sadistic prison warden Hennessey (Allen) to participate in a brutal combat racing series and win his freedom.

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While incarcerated and preparing for the crucial race, Ames finds unlikely allies in the three-time winner Machine Gun Joe (Gibson), mechanic and voluntary inmate Coach (McShane), and savvy navigator Case (Natalie Martinez). Ames must assume the alias “Frankenstein,” who was the current racer in the lead, and dons a mask to hide his identity after his predecessor was killed in an explosive crash. Ames is forced to square off against some of society’s most depraved and vicious criminals on his perilous quest for freedom, discovering shocking truths along the way.

Death Race Is an Exhilarating Guilty Pleasure

A remake of the 1975 David Carradine (who provides a voice-over cameo) film Death Race 2000, the high-octane extravaganza did not fare well with critics upon its release on August 22, 2008, though action lovers all around the world flocked to see the thrill ride unfold on screen. Many reviewers at the time felt that Death Race was a mindless, predictable flick that was far too over-the-top, yet that is also why it dazzles moviegoers. The bold and brash film is jam-packed full of sensational entertainment, pulse-pounding action sequences, and a charismatic Statham, all of which make for a rip-roaring good time.

Death Race currently holds a 41% Rotten Tomatoes score but a 60% Popcornmeter, a clear indication that audiences and critics were not in agreement when it came to their enjoyment of the Paul W.S. Anderson thriller. Not only did the movie gross $76 million at the box office, but it also received a solid B+ CinemaScore from viewers and a 6.4 IMDb rating from users, both of which prove that fans appreciated the fearless and fun nature of the flick and appreciated Death Race for what it truly was: an unapologetic guilty pleasure.

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Though there is no denying that Death Race can’t quite reach the heights of the ’70s original hit, the remake nonetheless features Jason Statham doing what he does best: kicking butt, performing gravity-defying stunts, and fully embracing his celebrated action-hero persona. While there was no shortage of lackluster reviews upon its exhilarating debut, The New York Times did commend the rough-and-tumble essence of Death Race, accurately declaring, “The movie is legitimately greasy, authentically nasty, with a good old-fashioned sense of laying waste to everything in sight.”

Statham Helps Launch Yet Another Franchise

Despite receiving a less-than-glowing critical response, Death Race was still a home run with audiences largely due to the presence of the Hollywood action staple Statham. The film’s more enthusiastic reaction from fans helped lead to three direct-to-video follow-ups and created the pulse-pounding franchise centered on “Frankenstein” and the character’s many dangerous races. Prior to the release of Death Race, Paul W.S. Anderson foreshadowed what fans could expect from the entertaining remake (and, by extension, its sequels):

“It has little echoes of the original – a lot of people get run down, but rather than having the points system, which had no pay off anyway, it’s a pure race. It’s more like
Gladiator
, with the last person standing – or driving, winning.”

The fun and straightforward premise is what makes the series so exciting for moviegoers, and though Statham would not go on to reprise his role in any future installments, his impact and signature flair contributed to the series’ longevity. The fan-favorite leading man is no stranger to helping kickstart enduring action franchises, as Statham has headlined a slew of successful hits and their subsequent sequels like The Transporter, Crank, The Mechanic, and The Expendables, all of which have helped the cinema hero become one of the entertainment industry’s most bankable and sensational stars. Rent/Buy Death Race on Prime Video.