Drive Angry 3D
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Director: Patrick Lussier
Rating: 2/5
Every now and again, it’s good to have a little bit of silliness show up at the multiplex. Drive Angry 3D for all of its faults, and there are many, defiantly fills that quota.
This latest vehicle for Nick Cage and his customary odd hairpiece sees him take on the role of the brilliantly named John Milton, a man who will stop at nothing to save his new-born grand-daughter from a group of crazy satanic cultists.
Along the way he teams up with spunky Piper (Amber Heard), a blonde bombshell with a love of muscle cars. Just to add to the mix is The Accountant (William Fichtner), an all powerful, all knowing bad-ass who really wants to find Milton.
The trouble is, only Fichtner seems to have shown up with their clown hats on. Cage seems to be channeling his Con Air convict (not the best idea in any movie) while Amber Heard seems more interested in showing off her legs than her acting chops.
That she has to be the films emotional centre in a film as mature as a 12 year old that’s just discovered smut doesn’t help, as does her complete lack of chemistry with Cage.
Along with another use horrible, headachy 3D, Drive Angry is very hard to like when Fichtner is not on screen.
When he is though, it all comes good. Fichtner looks like he’s the only one really getting it, his wise-cracking, humming, effortlessly stylish Accountant stealing every single second of film he’s in.
The odd moments of crazy ‘grind house’ lunacy lift the mood too, with the very occasional racy pun hitting home with great aplomb.
By all real measuring sticks, Drive Angry is a complete and total failure. Despite a laughable ‘plot’, a complete lack of chemistry between the stars and special effects that seem to have come from 1995, it’s not all bad.
There is just enough ridiculous action, William Fichtner’s fantastic Accountant and a huge amount of oddly endearing random swearing to make this worth a watch.
That might just be on Five in three year’s time though.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith