Nic Cage still ridiculous in 3D
Ashley Otis
Issue date: 3/11/11 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The best word that can be used to describe the new Nicolas Cage flick, "Drive Angry 3D," (yes, 3D is actually a part of the title) is ridiculous.
The film, directed by Patrick Lussier, centers around a hard-boiled criminal of sorts who escapes from a very strict prison: Hell. But don't worry; he has a good reason to wreak havoc on the world. Milton, played by Cage, discovers that a cult leader has murdered his daughter and is planning to sacrifice his granddaughter to Satan. The plot evolves into something even more ridiculous when a character called Piper, played by Amber Heard ("Pineapple Express," "Zombieland"), joins him on his quest, and for some illogical reason vows to help him.
Of course, as with most action flicks, a bad guy - whose sole purpose is to ruin the hero's day - typically lingers around. Fortunately, that character is the best part of this movie. William Fichtner plays a supernatural bounty hunter called The Accountant, and he does it very well, providing a type of offbeat humor for the film to rely on.
The premise sounds ridiculous, but it isn't even close to how absurd the film actually looks. The reason "3D" is incorporated in the title is because literally everything that can be thrown out at the audience will be thrown, from car doors being opened to bullets bouncing off the screen. This sounds like fun, but at points the effects are so terrible that the objects in the scenes almost look animated. At one point, I was sure a toy truck was being propelled by the director's hand towards the camera lens. This movie doesn't beat around the bush; the craziness starts in the opening scene.
The ridiculousness doesn't stop at the effects and the plot. The dialogue and the acting reach new levels of unwarranted hilarity. It's impossible to tell if you should be laughing because the line is actually funny, or because the way it was delivered was so corny.
Some of the lines and plot points are so over the top you can't help but hope that the film is supposed to be a spoof of action movies, and not actually meant to be taken seriously. Usually a film like this is good because it realizes what it is - not a serious endeavor. But "Drive Angry 3D" is caught in the middle ground, leaving audiences stumped while trying to interpret the point of it. It's a lot of fun, but this might be because you are prompted to laugh for all the wrong reasons. Either way, it's certainly a popcorn flick that you should invest in only if you need a good laugh.
The film, directed by Patrick Lussier, centers around a hard-boiled criminal of sorts who escapes from a very strict prison: Hell. But don't worry; he has a good reason to wreak havoc on the world. Milton, played by Cage, discovers that a cult leader has murdered his daughter and is planning to sacrifice his granddaughter to Satan. The plot evolves into something even more ridiculous when a character called Piper, played by Amber Heard ("Pineapple Express," "Zombieland"), joins him on his quest, and for some illogical reason vows to help him.
Of course, as with most action flicks, a bad guy - whose sole purpose is to ruin the hero's day - typically lingers around. Fortunately, that character is the best part of this movie. William Fichtner plays a supernatural bounty hunter called The Accountant, and he does it very well, providing a type of offbeat humor for the film to rely on.
The premise sounds ridiculous, but it isn't even close to how absurd the film actually looks. The reason "3D" is incorporated in the title is because literally everything that can be thrown out at the audience will be thrown, from car doors being opened to bullets bouncing off the screen. This sounds like fun, but at points the effects are so terrible that the objects in the scenes almost look animated. At one point, I was sure a toy truck was being propelled by the director's hand towards the camera lens. This movie doesn't beat around the bush; the craziness starts in the opening scene.
The ridiculousness doesn't stop at the effects and the plot. The dialogue and the acting reach new levels of unwarranted hilarity. It's impossible to tell if you should be laughing because the line is actually funny, or because the way it was delivered was so corny.
Some of the lines and plot points are so over the top you can't help but hope that the film is supposed to be a spoof of action movies, and not actually meant to be taken seriously. Usually a film like this is good because it realizes what it is - not a serious endeavor. But "Drive Angry 3D" is caught in the middle ground, leaving audiences stumped while trying to interpret the point of it. It's a lot of fun, but this might be because you are prompted to laugh for all the wrong reasons. Either way, it's certainly a popcorn flick that you should invest in only if you need a good laugh.
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