Movie Review: ‘DRIVE ANGRY 3D’

This weekend shows a great example of why I love movies.  Sunday, man film lovers will be enjoying the Academy Awards and some of those viewers, hopefully, will have started their weekend by witnessing the crazed audacity of Drive Angry 3D.  The writing and directing team of Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer deliver something that cleanses the palate of moviegoing seriousness.  Honestly, this is the movie that movie lovers need to watch after the serious films they just watched in the past couple of months that pushed for an Oscar.

While the trailers only depict a basic car chasin’ shoot ’em up starring Nicolas Cage & some hot blonde, there is more beneath the surface.  For those of you not caught up to speed, let me lay down the plot.

Nicolas Cage plays John Milton who is a granddaddy – wow, that’s weird to say – who has escaped from hell to salvage his bloodline.  You see, this devil worshipping cult savagely murdered Milton’s daughter after she gave birth to a baby girl.  Now, this same cult has kidnapped Milton’s granddaughter and plans to sacrifice this newborn in the name of Satan!!!!!

I know what I wrote was ridiculous sounding and it is obvious that everyone involved with this film knew it as well, but they all signed up to have a good time and if you put yourself in the right state of mind, so will you.

Drive Angry 3D was actually shot in 3D – just in case you haven’t seen the TV spots and posters – unlike some films which are being post converted to inflate the box office numbers and try to get more butts in the seats.  Does this film really need to be in 3D?  Nah, but it makes the fun…more fun.

Surprisingly, Nicolas Cage seems to kind of phone it in and doesn’t roll around in the fun with his character.  Billy Burke seems to sort of play it straight while Amber Heard and William Fichtner really takes the role of The Accountant and runs with it.  Fichtner really hits a home run with his character.

What I really liked about the film is it didn’t take itself too seriously.  It had fun with it with its tongue firmly placed in its bloody cheek.  I also like that Amber Heard’s character, Piper, is a strong female lead.  She starts out as an archetypial waitress stuck in a greasy diner who is just getting by to get by.   Within 5 minutes of meeting her, she is already crushing balls and driving a 1969 Dodge Charger…what’s not to like about that.  Piper is a strong woman that doesn’t take shit from anyone and I admire Farmer and Lussier writing such a badass woman.

The film is a bit of a mixed bag, but since its tone is playful, you kind of roll with it.  Drive Angry 3D hits the mark at times but then goes into periods of time filler where it is not bringing anything new to the table.  The 3D may be gimmicky at times, but Lussier knows how to shoot in 3D and the camera is better this time around as opposed to his previous effort in My Bloody Valentine 3D.  Milton’s back story and where he comes from is danced around for the first half of the film and for some people in the audience, they really had a problem catching on – even though there were supernatural elements peppered in the film to pretty much nudge you in the right direction.  You might also read some reviews that Fichtner steals the show, I wanted to say that while he is a highlight, I don’t think he “steals” the movie.

Drive Angry 3D is a lot of fun, maybe the most fun I have had in a movie theatre in awhile and is the kickoff to the post-Oscar season. The film reminds us that not all good movies have to be serious, they can also just be entertaining. Kudos Lussier & Farmer, I had a great time at your demented celluoid party.