Blu-ray Review: DEATH RACE 2050 (2017)

DEATH RACE 2050
Directed by  G.J. Echternkamp
Distributed by:  Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

 Very seldom do I come across a sequel to a film that really captures the look, feel, and atmosphere of the original...especially a sequel that came out over 40 years after the original film.  That is just what DEATH RACE 2050 has succeeded in doing, though.

  Here is the basic plot from the Universal Home Entertainment website:

  Legendary filmmaking icon, Roger Corman, is back with his most outrageous film yet in this sensational, action-packed and darkly humorous reboot of the original Death Race 2000! It’s the year 2050 and America is controlled by an all-powerful corporate government ruled by The Chairman (Malcolm McDowell). The masses have been brainwashed with violent virtual-reality entertainment. The event of the year is the Death Race, in which a motley crew of violent drivers compete in a cross-country road race, scoring points for shamelessly running people over and driving each other off the road. The reigning champion and fan favorite, Frankenstein (Manu Bennett), who’s half-man half-machine, wants to take the crown, but his rebel spy co-pilot threatens his legacy.

 There is no doubt that this is a sequel to Roger Corman's DEATH RACE 2000.  It has the exact look of the original film with the crazy cars and even features the comically sped up footage of the race cars like the original film had.  The cars look about as futuristic as the ones in the original DEATH RACE 2000 which I found surprisingly satisfying.  The cars and the film overall have the exact same campy feel as the original film.

  The film also contains the awesome kills you would expect, including some that are pretty gory, like a guy getting sliced in half.  My only fault with this is most of the gore scenes are CGI, and don't look very realistic at all.   That doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the film, though, in fact it goes right along with the campiness of the rest of the film.

  Overall the acting in this film is excellent, with one of my favorite performances being that of the character, Perfectus, played by Burt Grinstead.   While at first I found the character somewhat annoying, he really grew on me and later became one of the highlights of the film for me.

  If you are a fan of Roger Corman's original DEATH RACE 2000, you should love this new film.   DEATH RACE 2050 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment and contains the following special features:

*  The Making of Roger Corman's DEATH RACE 2050
*  The Look of 2050
*  Cars!Cars!Cars!
*  Cast Car Tours
*  Deleted Scenes


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD