DR Inferno

Is there any reason for Death Race 3: Inferno (2012)? After all, Death Race 2000 (1975) had director Paul Bartels and producer Roger Corman, along with David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone. The 2008 Death Race had Jason Statham, at least. I don't know about Death Race 2, didn't see it. As for DR3: Inferno - we saw it for Danny Trejo.

It has a cute premise: Ving Rhames, who has been running the Death Race out of Terminal Island, has to sell the franchise to Dougray Scott, who plans to put on Death Races all over the world. The first one will take place in South Africa. Rhames has one trick up his sleeve - the most popular driver, the man in the mask, Frankenstein, has won two races and will go free if he wins another one.

So, Luke Goss is Frankenstein - He acts about as well as his iron mask. His pit crew are chubby, autistic Fred Koehler, cute Tanit Phoenix, and tragically under-utilized Danny Trejo. Somehow, the director (Roel Rene, not Paul W.S. Anderson in this outing) manages to make this towering force of nature seem small, old and tired - well, Trejo is small, he is old and he may be tired, but a decent director wouldn't let it show.

OK, how about the races? In a word, weak. The cars and action are purely generic. About the only redeeming characteristic is the comedy - each driver has a "navigator", a cute prison chick to nag and annoy him. It's not very funny, but I was willing to take what I could get.

In conclusion, I want to compliment Jeremy Crutchley as driver Psycho. I thought he resembled Oliver Reed, but Ms. Spenser thought of Gary Oldman. He was pretty funny.