Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) Directors: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

There is sooo much that is completely wrong with Crank 2: High Voltage. It's disgusting...it's vile in its use of the See You Next Tuesday word and the portrayl of women as sex objects for male titilation...the acting is utterly atrocious...BUT...and I'm ashamed to admit it...if you take it for what it is - a complete lunatic assault on your senses - well, it's kind of...genius.

Yep, I did say 'genius'. Basically because Crank 2 is what Troma have been doing for a long, long time - there's no way this violence and gore could be perceived in any way as reality as it's so over-the-top. C'mon, the whole premise of the film revolves around a man - Chev Chelios - THE STATH - who survives falling out of a plane (film 1, Crank) and his heart gets replaced with an artificial heart that needs charging all of the time in the most manic and graphic of ways; frantic sex on a racecourse, jump leads on his nipples and tongue, etc... etc... - you get the picture.

It's video game stuff - even the opening titles hint at video games - and if you go along for the ride, you'll have lots of I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING THIS moments but it's also perversely a guilty pleasure. The Stath - Jason Statham - cannot act for toffee and he doesn't even pretend he can; he's all about facial expressions and bizarre cockney rhyming slang in Crank. Take him for what he is...

Where the danger lies in Crank 2 is the audience who it is primarily being marketed to. Thickhead lads. Crank 2's the film equivalent of Danny Dyer's ill-fated axed Zoo column; there may be joking about violence to women but some dickheads are gonna watch this and treat their women like this. Indeed, hardcore porn star Jenna Haze makes an appearance in Crank 2 and there's some real nasty stuff going on in her industry with how women are treated in those films. Naturally, the argument is that everyone has a choice over what they watch and how they are affected by content differs - the same could be said over horror films with extreme gore making people violent - but deep down, there is something wrong with this kind of content as 'fun'.

So, perhaps it is WRONG that I enjoyed it. Am I letting down my 'sisters'? There's nothing pleasant from seeing a woman's breast implants being shot and deflated. However, the concept of Crank is escapism and it not being believable. It's wildly insane and knows what it is - it stands up there as a cult film and in the 'so bad, it's good' label. I've seen a lot more personally offensive films which aren't going OTT and 'knowing what they are' which use graphic female nudity or even sexual violence as entertainment. Treat it with caution - it won't be for everyone - and make sure you have a few aspirin ready as you'll have a headache after.

There's a real bizarre Geri Halliwell cameo too. Really bizarre.

1/5 popcorn bites