BLU-RAY REVIEW

Crank

Featured In Issue 118, March 2007

Picture4.5
SoundNR
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
20697
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
For strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality, nudity, and drug use
(Retail Price):
$39.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
88
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
1
(Theatrical Year):
2006
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
01/09/07
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Neveldine/Taylor
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Nonstop action and adrenaline rushes are the words of the day when describing "Crank." After being poisoned by Ricky Verona (Cantillo), ex-hit man Chev Chelios (Statham) has less than 24 hours to find an antidote, or he can consider his life over. (Tricia Spears)

Two of the special features on the Blu-ray Disc are the same as on the DVD: the option of watching the film in the "Crank'd Out Mode," which offers running commentary throughout the film with Neveldine and Taylor and behind-the-scenes footage, gags, maps, making-of insights, interviews, and more without ever leaving the film; and a "family-friendly" audio option with extreme language removed. Additionally, there are the six-minute Pushing Crank, 17-minute The Stunts Of Crank, seven-minute Shooting Crank, and 11-minute Crank @ Comic-Con featurettes; five interviews on more Crank stories; and trailers.

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 DVD exhibits a very clean picture, with sharp detail, vibrant colors, and accurate fleshtones. Black levels are not as deep as the best releases, which can hamper shadow delineation as well. The image can be highly contrasted, especially when outdoors, but in general, this is a very good picture. The Blu-ray Disc version improves on each of these aspects, with even better resolution and more vibrant colors. This is a very good picture on both formats. (Danny Richelieu)

The Dolby® Digital Surround EX™ 5.1-channel soundtrack matches the filming style and storyline well, with an exciting, constantly moving mix that uses each of the available channels well. There are times, however, when the surround channels are not utilized as well as they could be. Fidelity is not as pristine as the best recordings, and dynamic range is limited, but this soundtrack is an all-out explosion, exactly what should be expected from this movie. The Blu-ray Disc version includes, in addition to the Dolby Digital Surround EX encoding found on the DVD, a 6.1-channel uncompressed linear PCM encoding. Dynamic range is improved in the uncompressed rendition, but the real benefit is in the dialogue's fidelity and the tightness of the bass. The mix is the same, which is an enjoyable experience—as long as you don't have seizures trying to watch the movie. (Danny Richelieu)