Jason Statham is carving out quite the little niche for himself in action films. Though he started his career in British gangster films, he’s recently starred in a number of high action spectacles that showcased his physical strength and charisma. There is a good actor under all of the action, though buried under physicality and aggression. Crank, the latest in Statham’s action résumé, is loud, violent, misogynistic, but also a lot of fun.

Almost literally a video game come to life, Crank feels more like an adaptation of Grand Theft Auto than another entry in the Transporter series. Beginning with a POV sequence straight out of a first-person shooter, Crank rarely lets the action stop, littering the screen with sex, explosions, and drug use. The film is almost surreal in its imagery and content, with a kinetic and dynamic visual style mixed with genuinely strange characters and situations.

For the most part the acting is good, though almost everyone is over-the-top. Statham plays his role well, though neither his acting nor his stunts are as impressive as his earlier work. Amy Smart seems like she should be in another movie, but that disengage works well with the surrealist tones of the film.

With its mix of weirdness, sex, and violence, I have a feeling this film will go on to grow a decent cult following. While nothing special, Crank is an entertaining way to spend 87 minutes, though I think I’d have more fun playing Grand Theft Auto.