Crank (R, 2006)

common sense media says

Stylish, depraved, speedy action. Not for kids.


parents & educators say
  • 43% say sexual content is an issue
  • 29% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is absolutely not for kids. It's designed to convey hectic, bloody, and relentless action. Violence includes shooting, needle jabbing, punching, kicking, stabbing, and falling. A couple has sex in public, upsetting and titillating a crowd on the street and in vehicles (skin not explicit, but act is rendered with heavy breathing and clothes-tearing). Scenes include bikinied and topless women, pole-dancers in thongs, and naked women encased in glass balls, apparently as decorations). A doctor's advice seems shady (he suggests smoking marijuana to calm down). Hero uses the n-word and other disparaging language to incite aggression and display his tough-guyness. Lots of profanity and drug use.

Positive messages: Hitman wants to go straight, but is poisoned before he can; he seeks revenge on his killers before he dies, causing mayhem.
Violence: Frequent bloody fights, shoot-outs; flashbacks to Chev with gun pointed at his last target; DVD shows Chev that Ricky stuck needle in his neck; hand chopped off with meat cleaver (hand then picked up, bloody and gross); Chev shoots thug in head (bloody splatters); Chev burns his own hand in a waffle iron (to gross effect); Kaylo suffocated with plastic bag; Eve hits Chev; fight on helicopter; fall from helicopter to death.
Sex: Repeated shots of women in scant outfits, including strippers on poles, topless women around a pool, and naked women in glass balls; Chev runs through hospital/streets in hospital gown (you see his bare bottom, briefly, and a quick shot shows his giant erection under the gown); Eve and Chev have sex in the street in Chinatown; Eve performs oral sex on Chev while he drives (below frame); cross-dressing characters; references to "whores" and use of sexual slang.
Language: Over 100 f-words, plus various other obscenities, all uttered in rage and frenzy ("'s--t," "damn"); disparaging uses of n-word (used by white man against black men to incite their violence), "faggot," and "Al-Qaeda" (Chev yells this about an Arabic man, to ensure he'll be tackled by crowd on the street).
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Brief cigarette smoking; Chev snorts coke to stimulate his adrenaline; he inhales bottles of nose spray to ingest epinephrine; he injects himself with a needle of epinephrine; doctor advises he smoke "grass" Eve asks if Chev wants "pot;" cabbie calls Chev a "crackhead" and gives him a "Haitian" drug; villain drinks champagne; doctor says he's treated Chev with meth.

More on Crank

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the effects of adrenaline: How does it distort judgment and behavior? How does the movie exaggerate action movie conventions, with regard to speed, style, and content? How does this exaggeration make fun of these conventions, or how does it reinforce the "video-gamey" effect of such films? How would you describe Chev's relationship with his girlfriend? Does he respect her? How well does she know him?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Borrowing its slim storyline from the 1950 film noir D.O.A. (starring Edmond O'Brien), CRANK follows the life-and-death situation of hitman Chev ( Jason Statham), who is poisoned and has a limited time to find his killer and exact revenge. Chev swears he wants to go straight in order to please his mightily naïve girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart). Chev's pursuit of his killer, the utterly arrogant Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo Contillo), leads to run-ins with any number of brutish and shady sorts, including drug dealers, assassins, gang members, and thugs. Chev appears to be a softie at heart--he saves Eve from villains, impresses her with his devotion, but can't overcome the effects of the deadly toxin. In order that the movie can race along for its 87 minutes, Chev is able to slow the poison by keeping his adrenaline geared up -- this according to an absurd diagnosis rendered by his doctor (Dwight Yoakam).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Elaborately aggressive and provocative, Crank is just what its title suggests: fast, ornery, and exhausting. Logic is not this movie's strong suit; it's like a ride, one crazy bit of business after another. Chev spends his last minutes on earth trying to jar himself into excitement, taunting various enemies into fights, having sex with his girlfriend in the street, chasing and shooting goons point blank, stealing epinephrine from the hospital, driving very fast and jumping from an airplane -- without a parachute.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine
Cast: Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Statham
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 87 minutes
Theatrical release: September 1, 2006
DVD release: January 9, 2007
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality, nudity and drug use

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14
Based on 14 parent & educator reviews:
  • 43% say sexual content is an issue
  • 29% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

whats up dude
kid, 10 years old
 

good man
teen, 13 years old
 
NOT FOR KIDS
one of the worst movies iv'e seen

eastside01
teen, 17 years old
 
Crank keeps your adreneline going.
Crank is one of Jason Statham's best work, probably because it's an R rated ride that is not really for kids. Unlike Transporter 3 and others "Crsnk" has style and cool, even though i say this this isn't for everyone the movie is extremely violent and crude adult sex but if you think you're mature enough see it.

XXXdude
teen, 16 years old
 
Awsome
Awsome but so not for kids!

xxzbxld
teen, 15 years old
 
good for some people 14 and up
i liked it it was a little too violent for people with impressionable minds


kid, 12 years old
 
yippi cai ya
this movie is trash!


teen, 14 years old
 
yippi cai ya
this movie is trash!


kid, 11 years old
 
yippi cai ya
this movie is trash!

 
Alright Movie.
This movie isn't great...but it's definitely not meant to be seen by ANYBODY under 17. There's plenty of violence, nudity, and language. I currently want to see their review for Crank 2. I saw it and it was LOADS better than this one. But they'll probably say "No Kids".

4Spice
adult
 
good not for kids 15 and up
yo parents kids shouldn't see this it will mess there minds up light nudity intense killing 15 and over

NaNax3
teen, 15 years old
 
its an okayy moviee
i think this movie is nice

 
Wow
I bought this movie because i figured it would be alright but wow i was wrong.. Right from the opening of the movie all the way to the end its a nonstop relentless stream of bloody violence and constant strong language. It reminded me of Grand Thet Auto.

GuitarHero
teen, 17 years old
 
The most offensive movie I have never seen
Crank is a high action adrenaline thrill-ride. But parents BEWARE. This is possibly the most offensive film I never seen. I didn't even get to finish it. I saw up to 27 minutes, but I fast forwarded through 25. Some of the parts I hadn't seen I watched on USA Network. But still there is excessive language, sexual content, nudity and a whole lot of violence to go with it. And the thing that suprised me was when I was watching it on USA Network. They actually aired the sex scene. Now during that scene there is no nudity. But they show the movement and you hear the sounds and it is still graphic. Many topless woman are scene throughout. I really like Jason Statham, He is one of my favoriate actors and I will admit I might have liked this film if it did not have all of what it did. Or even half of what it did. So parents please caution do not let your children watch this if they are under 17. 16 would be ok. Only if they are mature.

treeza
teen, 15 years old
 
Okaaay. I think I'm a fan?

Skyrock5
teen, 16 years old
 
Great action movie pulls the plug on all things violent.
As you can see, there is a lot of sex, drugs, and as a replacement to rock 'n' roll, violence would be the equivalent alternative. However, this film could not have been made without these surprising, but yet important factors, taking into consideration that the plot is about a hitman that is injected with something known as the "Beijing Cocktail", a Chinese synthetic chemical that slows all your vital organs until your death. And the only way that you can survive? Adrenaline. RUSH. So, that's what this guy did. Sex. Drugs. Violence. Full blown. But, this is an action movie that is supposed to give YOU the rush too, after you watch it, it's supposed to put the viewer in the place of the main character, played by a great Jason Statham, and make you experience what he does. Okay, I agree, it could have done with a couple less harsh words, but it just wouldn't be as great if it was censored. So, you might as well just sit back, and enjoy it.

Super 8
kid, 12 years old
 
Live Free or Die Hard
Fantastic movie!!

pointblank
parent of 8 year old
 
BAD MOVIE FOR KIDS
this is a bad movie for kids. Javahostindo Web Hosting Indonesia

 
Cranky
Great action film but it's violent and not for teens

D_Sides
parent of 13 year old
 
Great
Perfect for my kids. :)

damilesguy
teen, 14 years old
 
Let's skip to the point here: Violence: countless bloody scenes, one with a decapitated hand, still holding a gun. Jason Statham picks it up, shoots someone with it, and then drops it on someones lap. (This is disgusting, as they show blood from the guy who was shot splattered all over the walls, and Chevs friend. Sex: Breasts are constantly shown. Strip clubs, and parties, mostly. Language: This movie is chock full of intense language, (consistent swearing) In one crank movie, I'm not sure if it was crank or crank 2, there is a song called suck my d*ck, and they constantly repeat: suck my d*ck, suck my motherf*ckin d*ck. This is NOT for kids!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age