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Film Formulas: Drive Angry 3D

Nicolas Cage has made another movie, but believe it or not, we're not going to focus on Cage this time around, or what kind of hair he's sporting. In his new film, Drive Angry 3D, he's just one piece of the puzzle — one ingredient. The film follows as a vengeful father, Milton (Cage), who escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.

Full of cars, guns and even the devil, "Angry" feels like a cinematic hodge-podge, like filmmakers/writers Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier took elements from a number of other successful films, threw them together into one script and slapped a "NEW!" label on it. The first piece would be any crazy Nic Cage movie. Here's the rest. If we're missing an ingredient, let us know.

1.  The Fast and The Furious

The Fast and The Furious franchise has made quite a mint on thin storylines and flashy rides. With a diverse cast of hot young actors, the original film burst on the scene with a story of rebellion, violence, and friendship. It was colorful, loud, and testosterone-driven. The centerpiece was the cars, the way they sounded and the way they moved. Teens loved it and it spawned going on four sequels. Hopefully Milton only gets behind the wheel for one wild ride, but don’t rule out a Cage comeback.  

fast

2. Spawn

In Tinseltown, hell isn’t an inescapable pit of torture. No, somehow the devil will still strike a deal with a helpless human even after successfully entombing his soul in the fiery abyss. Escaping the grave and returning to life is mostly for the likes of zombies and horror flicks, but there are a couple of notable exceptions including The Crow and Spawn. The former is a cult classic while the latter is an underappreciated comic book movie about a vigilante who rises up out of hell to handle some business. Milton is on a mission of his own, and escapes to earth only to be followed by Lucifer’s henchmen.

spawn

3.  Taken

Liam Neeson is not the only one to get his life taken from him. After losing his identity in Unknown and his daughter in Taken, there is little territory left to cover in his butt-kicking saga. In Drive Angry 3D, Milton is not only out to avenge his dead daughter, but to recover his kidnapped granddaughter. A double dose of pain is coming for some unlucky folks. Too bad Cage does not play rugged the way Neeson does. Both of the actors have high caliber talent, yet are accused of working beneath their pedigree. I say continue on for the mirth of the nation. In fact, perhaps Neeson’s soul is up for grabs. Hollywood get to cranking out a script.

Taken

4.  Saw 3D

The 3D in the title is earned. Drive Angry 3D is one of the rare films of the past year or two to be filmed with 3-D cameras. This is no cheap knock off in the vein of Clash of the Titans or The Last Airbender. No, this is the real deal. And Drive Angry is just the sort of over-the-top action movie that benefits for this medium. It will use the technology in the same way the final chapter of the Saw franchise and The Final Destination capitalized on grisly images and gore. 3D makes blood, guts, and weaponry delightful and distracting in plot-hole laden popcorn flicks.

Saw 3d

So there you have it. What do you get when you cross The Fast and the Furious, Spawn, Taken, and Saw? Why you get Drive Angry 3D of course. Call it movie math or cinematic chemistry, but don't call it "originality."

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