A forgotten Jason Statham sequel is getting a new jolt of life nearly two decades after its release in theaters. While it had been largely forgotten in the years since its release, it’s back for more, as it’s suddenly become a surprise hit on the global streaming charts.
Crank: High Voltage, the sequel to 2006’s Crank, first hit theaters back in 2009. Now, the movie is dominating on Starz, by far ranked as the No. 1 movie in the world on the streaming platform. This is due to its high viewership in various territories around the world, though this doesn’t include the United States. Still, Statham is the king of Starz, as his more recent action movie Shelter is also at No. 1 on the U.S. chart for the streamer. It’s also worth noting that Crank: High Voltage is streaming for free via Starz without the need for a paid subscription.
Jason Statham Returns as Chev Chelios
The first Crank stars Statham as Chev Chelios, an assassin who must constantly keep his adrenaline flowing to stay alive after he’s poisoned by a synthetic drug by his enemies. In the sequel, Statham returns as Chelios, whose heart is removed and replaced with an artificial one by Chinese doctors. He is given one hour to stay alive, and to make matters worse, must also continue keeping himself electrically charged to survive. Chelios aims to take out those responsible before he runs out of time.
Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor returned to write and direct Crank: High Voltage after their work on the original. The sequel also sees Statham joined by Amy Smart (Starship Troopers), Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite), Reno Wilson (Mike and Molly), Clifton Collins Jr. (Westworld), Bai Ling (Red Corner), John de Lancie (Breaking Bad), Corey Haim (The Lost Boys), Jose Pablo Cantillo (The Walking Dead), and David Carradine (Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair).
The sequel also features music stars Dwight Yoakam and Geri Halliwell, with a variety of celebrities making special cameo appearances. These include Chester Bennington, Keith Jardine, Maynard James Keenan, Lloyd Kaufman, Ed Powers, Glenn Howerton, Jenna Haze, Lexington Steele, and Ron Jeremy, among others.
Crank: High Voltage Was Called “Offensive” by Critics
Crank: High Voltage split the critics a bit, resulting in an approval rating of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many had labeled the movie’s violence as excessive and felt that much of the material was a bit too offensive. It went on to gross nearly $35 million against a $13 million budget, seeing a small decrease compared to the earnings of its predecessor, which made nearly $43 million. That may be partly why a third installment was never made, though with the sequel now blowing up on streaming, perhaps it was just too far ahead of its time.
Crank: High Voltage is streaming on Starz.