G.J. Echternkamp directed 2017's Death Race 2050. Manu Bennett, Marci Miller, Malcolm McDowell star. Death Race 2000 is a sequel. Roger Corman called both films "a car-racing picture with dark comedy."In what ways does Death Race 2050 differ from its predecessors?
It is the year 2050. The Death Race serves as both entertainment and population control in the United Corporations of America, which is beset by overpopulation and a 99.993 percent unemployment rate. The current Death Race features reigning champion Frankenstein, genetically engineered athlete Jed Perfectus, hip-hop sensation Minerva Jefferson, female cultist Tammy the Terrorist, and the evil, black, artificially intelligent, self-driving car ABE, which spans from Old New York to New Los Angeles. Each driver is given a proxy, a broadcaster who gives the viewers a virtual reality experience of the race. Frankenstein is instantly turned off by his proxy, Annie Sullivan, and dismisses both her efforts to interview him and her advice to let his opponents pass him by.
As the drivers race along the East Coast, Alexis Hamilton's rebels install traps. Tammy and Minerva compete over cult members to murder. ABE malfunctions, kills its proxy, and abandons the race to find its purpose. First, Hamilton instructs her spy Annie to assassinate Frankenstein. She fails to seduce him since he just worries about winning. The Chairman says Frankenstein's longevity is a problem, but Perfectus will urge his devotees to die.
On Day 2 of the race, the drivers go through the country's heartland, which is notorious for its gun-toting people. Tammy sends a suicide bomber to murder Minerva's proxy, Chi Wapp. On another road, Frankenstein takes a shortcut, but his automobile becomes stuck in a cornfield. While Annie is away, Frankenstein fights a gang of Resistance ninjas in order to collect extra points. Annie confesses to being a rebel and tries to recruit Frankenstein at the second checkpoint. Frankenstein, who is apolitical, insults both the rebels and the government, repeating his goal to win the race. Minerva explains to Annie at a bar that she is an educated academic who survives by playing a clichéd hip-hop persona. When Annie returns to Frankenstein's chamber, she protects him from Perfectus, who is envious of Frankenstein's fame and sexual attraction. Meanwhile, Hamilton and the Chairman are revealed to be working together behind the scenes.
On the third day of the race, the government creates "authorized" routes for the drivers to avoid Resistance assaults. As a result of his battle with Perfectus, Frankenstein's right arm is wounded, and Annie lends a hand. When Minerva goes after Tammy, she ends up falling over a cliff in order to dodge Tammy's suicide stand-ins. The ABE returns and runs Tammy into the wall, where she self-destructs, killing her and the ABE. Frankenstein and Annie annihilate Hamilton and her rebels, while Perfectus takes a covert path to the finish line. Both vehicles jostle for position until Perfectus loses control of his automobile and smashes into the VR control booth. Before he crosses the finish line, Frankenstein transmits a message to his admirers, indicating that the Chairman is worth 1,000 points. After murdering the Chairman, Frankenstein invites the viewers to leave their virtual world behind and begin their own Death Race. As the nation descends into anarchy, Frankenstein and Annie stand watch, arguing that they should repopulate the land after the mayhem has subsided.
The trailer for the forthcoming thriller Death Race 2050 is now available.
That are some of the actors who starred in Death Race 2050?
- Frankenstein, the cybernetic veteran and champion of the Death Race, is portrayed here by Manu Bennett.
- Malcolm McDowell as The Chairman of the United Corporations of America, a spoof of Donald Trump, replete with a "slight comb-over in his hair".
- Marci Miller plays Frankenstein's proxies Annie Sullivan and Mary Shelley.
- Gene-engineered athlete Jed Perfectus, played by Burt Grinstead, views himself as the ideal driver.
- Rapper-turned-racer Minerva Jefferson is played by Folake Olowofoyeku.
- Tammy "The Terrorist," a religious cult leader, is played by Anessa Ramsey.
- Yancy Butler portrays Alexis Hamilton, a former network producer who now serves as the leader of a rebel organization.
- J.B., a male Death Race commentator, is played by Charlie Farrell.
- Shanna Olson portrays Grace Tickle, a female Death Race pundit and interviewer.
- Leslie Shaw portrays Eve Rocket, Perfectus' surrogate, in the role.
- D.C. Douglas (voice) plays ABE, a self-driving racing automobile controlled by AI.
- A Japanese actor, Pierre Paolo Goya Kobashigawa, portrays Chi Wapp.
- Sebastian Llosa plays Steve, a regular person who watches the Death Race from Annie's point of view in virtual reality.
- Dr. Creamer, the ABE's programmer, is played by Helen Loris.
How did the film Death Race 2050 become made?
In an interview, an Italian journalist said that The Hunger Games reminded him of the film Death Race 2000. Universal Pictures, the studio behind the current film, was contacted by Corman to reinstate the dark humor from the original. "You did well, but you removed the pedestrian killings and broken-society themes," said Corman.
Filming started when Corman was 80 years old, just before the 2016 presidential election. That businessman is currently the chairman of the United Corporations of America. "The president does have a hair style which may be approaching Trump's hair style, but I don't want to go too deep into that, since Trump will come and go and the film will stay."
Was Death Race 2050 an enjoyable experience?
"Even though the Death Race movie series is drawing to a close, there are a surprising number of Death Races in the franchise. Roger Corman returns to the Death Race franchise with Death Race 2050, the follow-up to the Jason Statham-starring Death Race trilogy from the late 2000s and early 2010s. In spite of being excellent films in their own right, they had very little in common with the original Death Race 2000 from the 1970s. A three-day race through dystopian America, where pedestrian deaths are awarded points for their over-the-top personalities, is how Corman gets Death Race 2050 this burning disaster back on track! A 50 at the end of the title this time around." - Decker Shado
The movie was made available in the United States on DVD and as part of a combination pack that included both DVD and Blu-ray. The package also included three making-of documentaries: The Making of 2050, The Look of 2050, and Cars! Automobiles, automobiles everywhere! On March 20, 2017, it was made available for purchase in the United Kingdom.
The film has an 88 percent acceptance rating on RottenTomatoes.com based on eight reviews with a 6.8/10 average.
Chris Alexander called the film "loud, shrill, spastic, sadistic, stylish, slipshod, stupid and smart" Nerdist reviewer Scott Weinberg called the film "clunky, ramshackle, and kitschy, but that's part of its charm." Screenanarchy.com's Sebastian Zavala said it has "enough blood, guts, simplistic political commentary, scenery chewing, and terrible special effects to become a cult classic."