SCREEN SHOT - Drive Angry ( 2011 )

John Milton ( Nicholas Cage ) escapes from hell in order to save his daughter's baby girl. She has been taken by Jonah King ( Billie Burke ), a charismatic leader of a Satanist cult, after murdering Milton's estranged daughter. He only has a short time to find his grand daughter and exact his revenge because The Accountant ( William Fitchner ) is in hot pursuit to return Milton to the prison of  hell ASAP. Along the way Milton saves Piper Lee ( Amber Heard ) from being beaten up by her boyfriend. As she gradually realises what Milton really is, and the purpose of his mission, she decides to go all in and help him.

By 2011 this was far from being Cage's first foray into occult movie territory. But whilst he has undoubtedly taken parts in some real plonkers in his late career 'dash for the cash' career strategy, this one is unexpectedly a really sparkling turd of a movie. It's story line is frankly ludicrous over the top nonsense, but it knows that, putting everyone's tongues firmly in their cheeks, and turns up the acting to maximum ham. As a consequence its a hugely enjoyable film to watch. It was made for 3D, but was not a huge box office success taking 40 million dollars, on a film Budget of 50 million. So lets say,this obviously never quite found its ultimate target audience. But, please, watch the trailer its priceless.

It has oodles of snappy throw away dialogue, particularly from Fitchner, who appears to be relishing playing a character who knows exactly how long everyone has to live. Encountering two local hicks, he tells them 'You, I'll see you in 73 years, and you in three months' then walks off. without any further explanation. He asks a woman from the satanic cult whether she would have really sacrificed the baby, if she'd be told to, she doesn't really reply, he departs saying 'See you in three minutes'. And the whole movie is just full of these sort of knowing winks and flourishes. It doesn't take itself remotely serious, except actually it does, deadly serious, and that's its trashy charm.

Nick Cage, is Nick Cage playing John Milton ( Paradise Lost 'n 'all ) with his distressed hair and serious purposeful face on, maintained unflinchingly throughout the entire glorious hour and forty four minutes of the movie. Its like someone told him the title of the movie, so decided, yeah, that's what I'll be like, driving angry, like that. Cage, so it appears, is always at his dead pan ironic best, when he's free to play up to the stupidity of the film he's making. And this film encourages Cage to go on the fullest tilt he's been in any such movie. Aficionados of late career Cage movies will find lots to love in this movie. A film so god damned bad, but boy does it know how to sell that to you.

CARROT REVIEW - 7/8  ( on the bad into good scale )