Roger Corman, ‘King of the Bs’ (as in B-movies), would beproud of Paul WS Anderson’s Death Race 2000 remake only because it preserves the crucial elements of a B-movie: hot chicks, cheesy dialogue and lots of senseless violence (though I suppose there isn’t such a thing as sensible violence). Anderson, a veteran of the gory video-game flick genre (think Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat), seemed like a good contender to remake such a cult film. Unfortunately, the overall effect left me with a slight headache and palpable sense of nausea when I finally crawled out of the cinema 90 minutes later.

The film is set in 2012 in an industrial America whose penal system is privatised; wardens run jails like businesses and make money off the lucrative Death Race, a lethal car competition between prison inmates. Whoever wins five races gets to walk free. Jason Statham, as expected, fits snugly into the role of tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold Jensen Ames, wrongfully imprisoned and forced to participate in Death Race as masked driving ace Frankenstein. Throw in some corny one-liners, a vampy sidekick/navigator (a female inmate, of course, played by Natalie Martinez) and a crusty old mentor (Coach, played by Ian McShane),and you’ve got your standard Rocky-style tale of perseverance and glory.

Note to fans of the old Death Race 2000 (starring DavidCarradine and Sylvester Stallone): steer clear of this version if you want to preserve happy memories of the original Frankenstein and his nemesis Machine Gun Joe (played by Tyrese Gibson in the remake). The underlying sociopolitical message fromthe 1975 script –railing against fascism and socially accepted homicide in the dystopian ‘United Provinces’ of America– is barely present here, unless you count the self-evident critique of violence in the media and rampant consumerism. If you’re looking for some relatively mindless entertainment to pass the time, Death Race isn’t a half-bad way to go (just don’t sit in the front row). If you’re looking for stylish gore and smart action with a little finesse – think 28 Days Later or a George Romero zombie flick– this is definitely not the movie for you.