DEATH RACE 3: INFERNO

US, 2012,
Luke Goss, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, Tatin Phoenix.
Directed by

In the 1970s, Paul Bartel directed a futuristic film about the deadly car races, Death Race 2000, science-fiction political satire. Sylvester Stallone appeared in it. It was something of a cult success, echoing the feelings of the time, especially about violence and competitiveness and blood lust.

In 2008, it was re-made with action star Jason Statham in the central role. Surprisingly, Joan Allen was cast as the governor of the prison. In this scenario, the prison sponsored camel races with the convicts as drivers, in deadly competition, no holds barred, any trick, any violence, even to death.

The film was designed for action fans, macho fans. The governor was corrupt, commanding, caught up in deals, defeated. She was in league with a business company and the rights for televising death race.

Amongst the prisoners, there were sketchy characterizations rather than probing of personalities. The particular focus was on Jason Statham, his skills, his background, his team in the pits. There was some mystery with the death of a competitor, his being masked with the name Frankenstein, a key PR attraction for the fans.

The present director, Rene, directed a sequel for DVD distribution, Death Race 2, a prequel to the previous film, elaborating on the character of Frankenstein who was killed, but reprising the same kind of story, focusing on Frankenstein and his skills and the public’s adulation.

With this next sequel , it takes up from this point. Company owner, Ving Rhames, is out-manoeuvered by a Scots entrepreneur. He is played, very surprisingly, by Dougray Scott. He is an ambitious and ruthless character, without a single redeeming feature. Scott obviously relishes the opportunity to be a villain and chew the scenery. He takes over the company and decides to expand death race from the US and prisons to another highly secured prison in South Africa, in the Kalahari.

It is amazing to see the high tech of the prison and the setup for the televising of death race, Kalahari, even to the equipment for rockets to attack the drivers.

The films visuals rely a lot on televisual material, the fans, the details of the race, the country, filmed exotically in South Africa.

Luke Goss, from the previous film, is Carl Lukas, promoted as champion driver, Frankenstein. Has won four races and has been promised his liberty should he win the fifth. However, the entrepreneur has taken over, doesn’t want him to win, plans to kill him.

There are moments of characterization in this film, especially with Lukas and the revelation to his friends and team that he is still alive. Danny Trejo is his assistant, Tatin phoenix is his past love and driving partner, Fred Koehler is the young assistant, Lists.

There is a lot of violence, especially in fistfights, during the race, explosions, bombardments by rockets… There are also some other drivers who have a little characterisation, an Asian driver who helps Frankenstein at the end, a British man who comes on to his female co-driver and who talks, somewhat prophetically, that Frankenstein being replaced.

There is some gratuitous sex with the local manager of death race and her relationship with the entrepreneur. He bullies her – and she retaliates.
In case the film was too difficult to follow, there is a long explanation with flashbacks about all that happened, especially the double dealing of Frankenstein with Ving Rhames and their aims to bring down the entrepreneur. It included faking death for Trejo, changing military equipment, altering the branding on the face so that individuals could be tracked. Carl Lukas survives, escapes with the help of the nurse, has done a deal with Ving Rhames and lives happily ever after.

However, with his driving into the central control room for death race, Lukas drives into the entrepreneur himself who is identified as Lukas - and will become the new Frankenstein.

It is interesting to reflect on why the deaths race films are so popular and what it is in them, violence assault and battery that appeals to the macho audience.