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Drive Angry Review

Movies.com Critics

3.0

Dave White Profile

Wacky race with the devil. Read full review

4.0

Grae Drake Profile

The Citizen Kane of Exploitation Flicks Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    44

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 33

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    Even the film's one "original" twist is just a desperate attempt to link it up to Ghost Rider, the only lousy Nicolas Cage action film that is actually spawning a sequel.

    Read Full Review

  • 40

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter

    Director Patrick Lussier and his co-screenwriter Todd Farmer string together smash-up car chases, hyper-violent physical clashes, flying viscera and a dollop of sex and nudity with ludicrous dialogue and only a passing concern for logic in this high-octane trash.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    Apart from some half-cartoonish digital effects and the whole 3-D thing, Drive Angry could almost be mistaken for a raunchy, cheesy exploitation programmer of the same vintage as some of its cars.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    Here is an exercise in deliberate vulgarity, gross excess, and the pornography of violence, not to forget garden variety pornography. You get your money's worth.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times

    It all hangs together, more or less, which seems like enough.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Variety Rob Nelson

    Despite amply funded f/x, including some spectacular muscle-car stunts, the movie motors to the grindhouse with squealing tires and guitars, gratuitous nudity and gore, and a scantily clad greasy-spoon waitress endearingly played by Amber Heard.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    ReelViews James Berardinelli

    The appeal of Drive Angry is much the same as that of "Piranha": a willingness to revel in absurdity to the degree where the exhilaration is infectious.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Drive Angry reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

not for kids

Ridiculously violent grindhouse-style movie isn't for kids.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this gratuitous, over-the-top 3-D action/adventure movie starring Nicolas Cage is packed with grindhouse-style violence, as well as intense/graphic sexual situations, nudity, and language -- all of which is ratcheted up by the 3-D presentation. Things get even iffier when you consider that the "hero" is an escapee from Hell, there's violence against women, and the movie has mages of an infant in danger. In other words? Not for kids!

  • Families can talk about the movie's extreme violence. How do you think the filmmakers hope audiences will react to it? Why do you think that?
  • How does the movie portray women? Piper seems to be a strong, self-sufficient character, but what is the movie's attitude toward her? Toward other women? Are there stereotypes here?
  • The movie has several sexual situations and images of nudity. Are they gratuitous or essential to the movie's plot and/or mood?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: The movie's villains (the devil worshippers) are marginally worse than the "good guys," but only because they're willing to place an infant in mortal danger. Though the main character has a somewhat noble purpose, he executes it with great amounts of violence, and there are no real consequences for his actions.

  • rolemodels true0

    Role models: John Milton is definitely not a role model. He returns from Hell, after a messed-up life, in one last attempt to do something good and noble, but in performing these tasks, he has little regard for human life or much of anything else. The main female character is strong and tough and can take care of herself, but she's also vulgar (and a bit gratuitous).

What to watch for
  • violence false5

    Violence: The main character and his female companion shoot and kill dozens of people, both bad guys and cops, with no consequences. Heads and limbs are severed. Characters are stabbed with various sharp objects. There are fights with punching and kicking, plus car crashes and explosions. Violence against women, as well as images of an infant in dangerous situations.

  • sex false5

    Sex: Viewers see at least three naked women, as well as characters who are clearly having sex. In one sequence, the main character shoots and kills several intruders while still having sex with a woman. The heroine's boss touches her in an inappropriate way, and there's heavy innuendo. The female character's sex appeal is also played up with various sexy outfits.

  • language false5

    Language: Very heavy use of strong language throughout, including "f--k" and "s--t" (both in various permutations), "ass," "hell," "bitch," "t-ts," "horny," and "p---y," as well as "Christ," "God," and "Jesus" (used as exclamations), etc.

  • consumerism false1

    Consumerism: Characters drink Budweiser beer in more than one scene.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink beer and whisky from time to time, but not to drunkenness. The main character smokes a cigar, and the heroine is seen holding (but not smoking) a cigarette.

Fan Reviews provided by

3

Nudity claims by Cemmerich
To all the people claiming there is too much nudity. You are the example of how messed up our morals are in America. A movie that contains 50 plus murders (beheadings, linens blown off and much more). And you say the nudity was excessive?! I counted 5 women's breasts in this movie. Murdering of 50 people or 5 sets or human breasts. Yeah, you have your priorities straight! P.s. pretty good movie. Not a great plot and more Violence than was needed.

1

by geoelevation25

3

by mydoggylives

2

Driving Angry by CO Joe
Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Movie. I watched the whole thing just to see how it ends & to waste some time. Pretty bad movie. Stupid plot, nudity shots to get it to R rated, a few hot old cars, dumb gunfights. What else can i say........nothing good except Amber Heard is hot & sexy!!! I'd rather see a rerun of Willie Wonkas classic!!!

3

by TerpsFan72

2

by PirateVanRock

2

by bigdog9968

3

by Laseven34C

3

by clownnn

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