There’s a scene in “Drive Angry 3D” where a character nonchalantly pours a beer into shattered skull of a fallen foe and proceeds to have a drink, surrounded by dozens of still-smoldering corpses.
That single moment encapsulates the film’s unrepentant B-movie attitude: gleefully over-the-top, humorous and casually dismissive of its inherent absurdity.
After escaping from hell, John Milton (Nicolas Cage) sets out to find the cult leader who murdered his daughter and has taken his baby in order to sacrifice it. Pairing up with sassy waitress and nominal love interest Piper (Amber Heard), the duo sets out for some pump-action revenge with the Devil’s right-hand man, the Accountant (William Fichtner), hot on their tail.
In the spirit of “Crank: High Voltage” and director Patrick Lussier’s previous effort “My Bloody Valentine,” the movie is all about presenting its balls-out violence in the most amusingly crass way possible.
At one point Milton continues to have sex, smoke a cigar and drink whiskey while mowing down hordes of people.
Though Cage always excels in these sorts of roles, it’s Fichtner who steals the show.
Equal parts Grim Reaper and satanic assassin, his quest to return Milton to the underworld is immensely quotable and mesmerizingly bizarre.
However, the film’s downfall is its 3D. While “My Bloody Valentine” recognized the element as the gimmick it was and milked it for all it was worth, Lussier is content to do little more than launch the occasional bit of shrapnel at the viewer.
Other than providing some amusing 3D T&A, it does little more than make the movie harder on the eyes. 3D’s naturally darker, and it’s not worth the extra money you shell out for the dubious privilege of having a flaming car tire launched at your face.
