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Criminals With Life Sentences Can Earn Their Freedom by Winning The Prison's Deadly Race - YouTube
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Welcome back to Movie Recaps.聽
Today I will show you an action,聽聽
[3]
sci-fi, thriller film from 2008, titled Death聽
Race. Spoilers ahead! Watch out and take care.聽
[10]
In the year 2012, the American economy collapses.聽
Unemployment hits record high and crime rates聽聽
[15]
spiral out of control. The prison system reaches聽
breaking point, so private corporations now run聽聽
[20]
all correctional facilities for profit.聽
Terminal Island Penitentiary streams a聽聽
[24]
series of cage fights live on the internet, and聽
prisoners fighting to the death become a rating聽聽
[28]
sensation. However, the audience soon becomes聽
bored and demands more, and that's how the Death聽聽
[33]
Race is born, a show where inmates race each聽
other to the death in specially modified cars聽聽
[38]
in order to win their freedom. In today's race,聽
there are only two cars left. One is driven by聽聽
[43]
masked inmate Frankenstein and his navigator聽
Case, and the other is Frank's oldest rival,聽聽
[47]
Machine Gun Joe. Both of them are nearing the聽
finish line and ready to do anything to win,聽聽
[51]
but for some reason, the weapons in Frank's car聽
aren't working. He improvises by releasing the聽聽
[56]
car's back shield, which hits Joe and earns Frank聽
some momentary advantage, but Joe hasn't given聽聽
[61]
up yet and still has the offensive leverage.聽
Case knows Joe will destroy them and wants out,聽聽
[65]
but Frank refuses to let Joe win, so Case ejects聽
herself out of the car as Frank crosses the finish聽聽
[70]
line at the same time Joe shoots it, winning聽
yet exploding in the process. Some days later,聽聽
[75]
industrial worker and ex-convict Jensen Ames聽
finds out the steel mill he works at is closing,聽聽
[79]
and they aren't even paying the workers the full聽
amount they owe him. As the workers start getting聽聽
[83]
agitated, the anti-riot police arrive and begin聽
beating them up at the smallest of provocations,聽聽
[88]
and seeing his coworkers get hurt causes Jensen to聽
jump into the fray and beat some cops in return.聽聽
[93]
Night has already fallen by the time he makes聽
it home. After saying hello to his wife, Jensen聽聽
[98]
checks on his baby upstairs, unaware that a masked聽
criminal is taking this chance to break into the聽聽
[102]
house and kill his wife. When Jensen returns to聽
the kitchen, the man knocks him out, puts the聽聽
[107]
murder weapon in Jensen's hand, and leaves after聽
making a shooting gesture with his gloved hand.聽聽
[112]
Jensen wakes up moments later to find the聽
police arresting him for the murder of his wife.聽聽
[116]
Six months later, Jensen is transferred to聽
Terminal Island Prison, where he is received by聽聽
[120]
Guard Ulrich, who sprays him with freezing water,聽
allows another cop to hit him, and takes him to a聽聽
[125]
cell with three other prisoners who intend to beat聽
him up. Ulrich comes to check on him, wanting to聽聽
[129]
enjoy seeing him in trouble, but Jensen is a good聽
fighter and has knocked all his cellmates out.聽聽
[134]
The next morning, Jensen goes to the chow hall聽
to have breakfast while being observed by Coach,聽聽
[138]
Gunner and Lists, who recognizes Jensen as a聽
former record-holder driver that killed his聽聽
[142]
career. The hall suddenly falls silent when聽
Pachenko and his friend approach Jensen to聽聽
[147]
provoke him, first by spitting on his food, then聽
calling him a woman killer and a kid abuser.聽聽
[152]
Jensen reacts by jumping on Pachenko to beat him聽
up, but they're soon interrupted by the cops, who聽聽
[156]
take Jensen to see Claire Hennessey, the prison聽
warden. She's seen Jensen's record and knows he's聽聽
[161]
a fantastic driver, so she makes him an offer:聽
she wants him to become the new Frankenstein.聽聽
[166]
The real one died on the operation table after聽
his last race, but nobody knows this yet,聽聽
[170]
so anyone could replace him under the mask.聽
Frank was an audience's favorite and a very聽聽
[174]
inspiring legend, which is why Hennessey聽
doesn't want the world to know he's dead,聽聽
[178]
she needs the legend to continue and bring back聽
the ratings, which have drastically fallen since聽聽
[182]
the real Frank died. The rules say that if聽
you win five races you earn your freedom,聽聽
[186]
so Jensen would only need to win one more because聽
Frankenstein already had four under his belt.聽聽
[191]
Jensen is still unsure about possibly risking聽
his life for this, but Hennessey threatens聽聽
[195]
him with solitary confinement if he doesn't聽
accept so he can't tell anybody her secret.聽聽
[199]
Jensen has no other choice but to go along with聽
it. Afterward, he's taken to the prison's auto聽聽
[204]
shop, where he's introduced to Coach and his men,聽
who are the mechanics in charge of Frankenstein's聽聽
[208]
car and will guide Jensen through the basics. Each聽
team has its own pit, and nobody helps each other;聽聽
[213]
there's also a giant shop where Hennessey has聽
been building something in secret for a month.聽聽
[217]
The only ones that will know Jensen is the new聽
Frankenstein are his team and very few guards,聽聽
[221]
because Hennessey's power over the prison is聽
absolute. Then Coach shows him the car he'll聽聽
[225]
be driving, a modified Mustang V8 Fastback.聽
It comes with a variety of both defensive聽聽
[230]
and offensive gadgets, but it doesn't get loaded聽
with ammo until race day so that prisoners can't聽聽
[235]
use it to try to escape. It's impossible to do聽
so anyway, because the prison is on an island,聽聽
[240]
so the only way out is through a small bridge that聽
would get swarmed with police cars and helicopters聽聽
[244]
at the first indication of prison break. Once聽
Jensen has acquainted himself with the car, he聽聽
[249]
and the team continue their chat at the prison's聽
backyard. The race has three stages, during the聽聽
[253]
first two he must try to get rid of as many聽
opponents as he can, and during the third one,聽聽
[258]
the key is speed to make it to the finish line.聽
All drivers count with a navigator companion,聽聽
[262]
which are girls brought from the women's facility.聽
The one exception to this rule is Joe, who prefers聽聽
[267]
to have a fellow team member as navigator instead聽
of a girl because he goes through them so fast, it聽聽
[271]
makes the audience squeamish. Lists starts telling聽
Jensen about the most important drivers then,聽聽
[276]
who are all in the yard with them. There's 14k,聽
a triad member and MIT graduate; Hector Grimm,聽聽
[282]
a certified psychopath that worships Hennessey;聽
Slovo Pachenko, leader of the Aryan Brotherhood in聽聽
[287]
the prison; and Travis Colt, a disgraced ex-NASCAR聽
superstar. Their talk is suddenly interrupted when聽聽
[292]
Joe and his team come over to insult Jensen and聽
leave a message for Frankenstein saying this race聽聽
[296]
is only between the two of them. At the moment, a聽
van brings back some inmates that have been doing聽聽
[301]
work detail, and Jensen notices something peculiar聽
on their wrists: they have GPS tracking bracelets,聽聽
[306]
and seeing them makes him realize the man聽
that killed his wife was wearing one as well.聽聽
[310]
When the day for the first race stage finally聽
comes, Jensen is given Frank's clothes, mask,聽聽
[315]
and even his ring to wear, and his mere presence聽
brings back all the viewers the show had lost.聽聽
[319]
Coach tells him not to talk to the other drivers聽
because Frank didn't, it was part of his mystique,聽聽
[324]
but he's allowed to take off his mask inside the聽
car because the windows are made of mirrored glass聽聽
[328]
and Case also knows the secret. While getting聽
ready, Jensen asks her what she's in prison for,聽聽
[332]
and she admits having killed a cop for being a bad聽
husband to her. The race starts a moment later,聽聽
[337]
and since weapons don't activate until the second聽
of three laps, the beginning isn't very violent,聽聽
[342]
although the drivers still try to push each聽
other off the track. Thanks to Case's knowledge聽聽
[346]
of the area, it's easy for Jensen to go聽
head-to-head with Joe at the very front,聽聽
[349]
managing to pass him into first place when聽
Case points out a shortcut he can take.聽聽
[353]
It's then that Hennessey turns on the shield and聽
weapons, which are manholes on the ground that a聽聽
[357]
driver needs to go over with all four wheels to聽
activate their car gadgets. Soon there is open聽聽
[362]
fire on the track, and when Hennessey activates聽
the death heads too, Grimm kills a minor driver聽聽
[366]
by pushing his car against it. He also causes聽
Joe to fall behind after shooting oil at his car,聽聽
[371]
but he loses the race when 14K pushes him off聽
track with a missile and Joe runs him over.聽聽
[376]
Meanwhile, Jensen manages to activate the weapons,聽
but the machine gun gets stuck, so Case gets on聽聽
[381]
the hood of the car to fix it, causing the聽
others to concentrate their bullets on her.聽聽
[385]
Jensen's skills allow him to dodge them聽
all though, and Case returns safely to the聽聽
[388]
passenger seat afterward. Jensen steals a defense聽
manhole from Colt, but as it happened to Frank,聽聽
[393]
none of his defense systems will work, and聽
the rear shield won't survive much longer.聽聽
[398]
Luckily, Jensen thinks of a plan on the spot: he聽
makes Case unhook the napalm and sit on his lap,聽聽
[403]
so he can launch her chair with the napalm on it.聽
It's Colt's car that gets hit, and now that it's聽聽
[407]
covered with napalm, Case throws the car's lighter聽
at it, lighting it on fire and getting him off the聽聽
[411]
race. With Colt gone, Jensen goes head-to-head聽
with Joe again, but he is suddenly distracted by聽聽
[417]
Pachenko, who makes the same hand gesture the man聽
that killed his wife made at him before leaving.聽聽
[422]
Joe takes advantage of this and pushes聽
Jensen's car back, causing him to come last聽聽
[425]
while Pachenko gets first place. Three drivers聽
are dead, and six remain for the second stage.聽聽
[431]
After the race, Coach and his men check the car聽
and notice the gadgets are working properly,聽聽
[435]
so it doesn't explain why they wouldn't activate聽
when they had to. Jensen goes to see Hennessey聽聽
[440]
to tell her he won't race anymore because he聽
knows Pachenko killed his wife and all this聽聽
[444]
has been a set-up to frame him so she could聽
get a new driver to replace Frankenstein.聽聽
[448]
She doesn't admit to it, but she does show him a聽
picture of his daughter and the foster home she's聽聽
[452]
gone to, reminding Jensen that he should play聽
along if he wants to see his daughter again.聽聽
[456]
Not being able to do anything about it, Jensen聽
goes back to the yard, where he chats with Coach聽聽
[460]
and asks him why he doesn't wear a number. Coach聽
explains he is technically not a prisoner anymore,聽聽
[465]
he qualified for parole three years ago, but he聽
couldn't make bring himself to cross the gate. The聽聽
[470]
world had changed too much, and he preferred the聽
familiarity of the races. He also doesn't believe聽聽
[475]
Jensen killed his wife. Later in the evening,聽
while working on the car, Jensen sees Pachenko聽聽
[480]
passing by and decides to follow him to his聽
pit, where he gets captured by Pachenko's team.聽聽
[484]
He punches Jensen a couple of times before聽
grabbing a heavy tool to smash his head,聽聽
[488]
not caring if he has Hennesey's protection,聽
but he's stopped by Lists, who stabs him on聽聽
[492]
his back with a pen. Jensen takes advantage of聽
the distraction to grab a metal shard from the聽聽
[497]
ground and stab his captor, then he knocks him聽
and his friend out before going after Pachenko.聽聽
[501]
He punches him, throws him around, and hits him聽
with various boxes until Pachenko admits Hennessey聽聽
[506]
made him kill his wife and Ulrich was the one to聽
take him there. When Jensen gets ready to kill him聽聽
[510]
in revenge, Ulrich shows up with another guard and聽
stops the fight. The next day, right before the聽聽
[515]
second stage of the race begins, Pachenko teases聽
Jensen by making the same hand gesture at him.聽聽
[521]
However, Jensen doesn't fall for the provocation聽
- in fact, he starts driving slowly on purpose and聽聽
[526]
takes a tunnel so he can talk to Case in private.聽
He wonders if she killed Frank because he finds聽聽
[530]
it suspicious that the car's gadgets malfunctioned聽
two races in a row, and he threatens her to expell聽聽
[535]
her off the car if she doesn't answer. Case聽
admits having sabotaged Frank's rear weapons聽聽
[539]
because Hennessey would reward her with her聽
freedom. The goal was never to kill Frank, though,聽聽
[543]
that was an accident caused by him still trying to聽
win with no weapons; Hennessey's goal was to make聽聽
[547]
him lose to keep him in prison, racing for the聽
public. Now that he has his answer, Jensen speeds聽聽
[552]
up and easily slides back into the race, ignoring聽
Joe for now - his objective this time is Pachenko.聽聽
[558]
After the two of them unsuccessfully聽
try to push each other off the track,聽聽
[561]
Jensen drives ahead and takes the weapons manhole聽
instead of defense. This confuses everyone because聽聽
[566]
the weapons are at the front of the car, so聽
Jensen surprises them by suddenly turning the car聽聽
[570]
around and opening fire on Pachenko while driving聽
backward. After he's damaged the other car enough,聽聽
[575]
he turns around again and hits the smoke, causing聽
Pachenko to crash against a concrete barrier.聽聽
[580]
Then Jensen stops his car and gets out to approach聽
Pachenko and break his neck as revenge for his聽聽
[584]
killing his wife. Between this and Joe deciding聽
to change his navigator in the middle of the race,聽聽
[589]
Hennessey decides it's the right moment to release聽
the thing she's been building all this time:聽聽
[593]
a multi-weapon tanker truck called Dreadnought.聽
This truck is incredibly powerful and quickly聽聽
[597]
catches up with the drivers, immediately killing聽
two minor competitors. Since it belongs to the聽聽
[602]
warden, it also has the benefit of being聽
allowed inside the buildings, which lets聽聽
[606]
it take a shortcut and appear at the front of the聽
race. The Dreadnought slowly kills 14K's navigator聽聽
[611]
before grabbing his car with chains and shooting聽
at it until it explodes, which means only Jensen聽聽
[615]
and Joe are left. There is no way they can聽
defeat such a monster without a proper plan,聽聽
[620]
so Jensen asks Lists to connect his communicator聽
to Joe's car and they agreed to work together.聽聽
[625]
They flank the truck with their cars, doing聽
their best to dodge any incoming attacks,聽聽
[629]
and when a trap manhole appears in front of them,聽
each of them hits it with two wheels, getting the聽聽
[633]
four needed to activate it. This causes the tap聽
to come up and the truck to crash against it. Now聽聽
[638]
the second stage of the race is over, and Jensen聽
and Joe will be the only drivers making it to the聽聽
[642]
third. Later in the evening, Joe comes over to聽
Jensen's pit to point out his voice suspiciously聽聽
[647]
sounds a lot like Frank's, but he doesn't push聽
for answers. Meanwhile, Ulrich and Hennessey聽聽
[651]
decide that they need to kill Jensen since the聽
Frankenstein mask can still be worn by someone聽聽
[656]
else in the future. The following day, before the聽
race starts, Ulrich puts a bomb under Jensen's car聽聽
[661]
while Hennessey distracts everyone with a speech聽
about racing being their life's purpose. When she聽聽
[665]
mentions this may be the first time someone聽
may win their freedom with a fifth victory,聽聽
[669]
Jensen realizes that they always rig the races to聽
eliminate anyone that could possibly win for the聽聽
[673]
fifth time and that's why nobody has ever achieved聽
it before, which means he won't be allowed to win聽聽
[678]
today either. Coach hears this conclusion and,聽
once they're allowed to go back to the auto-shop,聽聽
[682]
decides to show Jensen a very important detail on聽
a video of Grimm's death. This gives him an idea聽聽
[687]
for a plan, and he asks Lists to add a half-gallon聽
reserve tank to his car before going to Joe's聽聽
[692]
pit to ask him to collaborate with him again.聽
While Jensen is changing into Frank's clothes,聽聽
[696]
Hennessey visits him to give him his release聽
papers and to make him a new offer: if he wins,聽聽
[700]
she wants him to stay in prison and continue to be聽
Frankenstein because the track is where belongs.聽聽
[705]
She claims he isn't daddy material and an聽
ex-con couldn't give his daughter a good life,聽聽
[709]
so choosing to stay would be an incredible聽
unselfish act of love. Jensen goes to join聽聽
[713]
the race without giving her an answer yet, but he聽
does put away the release papers in his pocket.聽聽
[718]
When he gets in his car, Case admits Hennessey聽
also spoke to her and asked her to stop Jensen if聽聽
[722]
he was about to win, but he doesn't worry about聽
it. As soon as the race begins, Ulrich starts聽聽
[726]
controlling the manholes so they only activate聽
when Joe goes over them. He opens fire at Jensen聽聽
[731]
as soon as he is able to, damaging his back聽
shield so much that Jensen decides to drop it.聽聽
[736]
However, Joe easily dodges it, having already聽
learned the trick from when Frank did the same.聽聽
[740]
Hennessey activates a defense manhole for Jensen聽
to take in order to keep the viewers interested,聽聽
[745]
but Joe launches a rocket at it, destroying it. He聽
has more rockets to go and he launches them all at聽聽
[750]
Jensen, who dodges them and lets them hit a wall.聽
This wall was the one behind Grimm when he died,聽聽
[754]
and it's already weakened because of that old聽
explosion. So today Jensen and Joe have been聽聽
[759]
calculating their attacks for them to land on the聽
weak spot, and now the rockets hit it for a final聽聽
[763]
blow that opens a hole and allows them to escape聽
the prison. Furious, Hennessey ends the stream聽聽
[768]
and sends all available cops after them before聽
pressing the bomb detonator, but nothing happens.聽聽
[772]
Coach and his men had already removed the bomb聽
from the car and deactivated it. Joe and Jensen聽聽
[777]
make it to the bridge, but the police cars are聽
getting closer, so it's time to pull the next聽聽
[781]
part of his plan: Jensen releases that extra half聽
gallon reserve tank, which hits the cars behind聽聽
[786]
them, causing an explosion and a wall of fire聽
that prevents any other cars from chasing them.聽聽
[790]
Both convicts manage to cross the bridge gates聽
and take two different roads so that all the聽聽
[794]
helicopters only follow Jensen, who is the聽
most important of the two. As Joe drives away,聽聽
[799]
Case agrees to help Jensen with聽
the last part of his plan because聽聽
[801]
she owes it to Frank and Hennessey has聽
already given her the release papers,聽聽
[805]
so they'll be obliged to let her go. When they聽
are passing by some construction cranes, Jensen聽聽
[809]
jumps off the car under their shadows and hides in聽
there while Case takes his place at the wheel. She聽聽
[814]
only gets to drive a couple of miles more before聽
the helicopters stop her with a wall of fire, but聽聽
[818]
when she comes out of the car with her hands up,聽
she's wearing Frank's clothes and mask. Since most聽聽
[823]
people don't know about the identity exchange, the聽
cops arrest her and take her back to the prison,聽聽
[827]
allowing Jensen to escape and meet with Joe聽
so they can board a freight train together.聽聽
[831]
Back in the prison offices, Ulrich says the聽
ratings are off the charts and congratulating聽聽
[835]
gifts are already arriving. Hennessey opens聽
the gift box he's brought and finds the bomb聽聽
[840]
Ulric had put under Jensen's car, which then聽
explodes, killing them both. Outside in the track,聽聽
[845]
Coach can be seen having pressed the detonator.聽
Six months later, Joe and Jensen have made a聽聽
[849]
new life in Santa Rosalia, Mexico. They work聽
together as mechanics in their own auto shop,聽聽
[854]
and Jensen has regained custody of his聽
daughter. Case visits them too after her聽聽
[858]
release papers finally get processed, bringing聽
with her a racing car for them to check out.
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