Death Race 2050 is a 2017 American political satire, action film directed by G.J. Echternkamp and starring Manu Bennett, Marci Miller and Malcolm McDowell. It's a prequel to Death Race 2000, which was out in 1975. Both films (Roger Corman's Death Race 2050) were made by Roger Corman, who characterized the film as "a car-racing picture with some dark comedy."In what ways does Death Race 2050 differ from its predecessors?
In 2050, the world is in the grip of a dystopian future. The Death Race serves both entertainment and population control in the United Corporations of America, which is afflicted by overpopulation and an unemployment rate of 99.993%. The current Death Race spans from New York City to Los Angeles and includes defending champion Frankenstein. Jed Perfectus, Minerva Jefferson, Tammy the Terrorist, and ABE, a black, artificially intelligent, self-driving automobile, struggle against Frankenstein in this action-adventure film. During the race, each driver is allocated a virtual reality broadcaster who gives the viewers a virtual reality experience of the race. As soon as he meets his proxy, Annie Sullivan, Frankenstein is turned off and refuses to speak with either her or her proposals to allow his opponents past him.
During the time when the racers are traveling across the East Coast, a group of rebels headed by Alexis Hamilton, a former network producer, have set up traps around the region. As a result of Tammy and Minerva stealing members of the other's cult in order to carry out murders, a bitter rivalry has developed between the two of them. After falling victim to a trap set by the rebels, ABE suffers a malfunction, which results in the death of its proxy, and then decides to give up the pursuit of figuring out its true purpose in life. At the first checkpoint, Hamilton gives Annie, who it turns out is working for her as a spy, the order to murder Frankenstein. Her effort to woo him is unsuccessful due to the fact that he is solely focused on the outcome of the competition. In another part of his speech, the Chairman says that Frankenstein's longevity has turned him into a liability for the company, while Perfectus will urge his dedicated devotees to perish at his hands.
Racer's second day of competition takes them across the country's gun-toting heartland. By way of a suicide bomber, Tammy's henchwoman Chi Wapp is slain. His automobile becomes stranded in the cornfield as Frankenstein attempts another shortcut. Frankenstein fights off a squad of Resistance ninjas as Annie walks off. Annie confesses to being a rebel and tries to recruit Frankenstein at the second checkpoint. Reiterating that his main goal in life is to win the race, Frankenstein condemns the rebels as well as the government. It is revealed to Annie at a bar by the educated intellectual Minerva who plays a stereotyped hip-hop role to live. A jealous Perfectus attacks Frankenstein as he returns to his chamber, but Annie intervenes and rescues him. Moreover, it is shown that Hamilton and the Chairman are working together in the background.
The government provides "authorized" routes for the drivers on Day 3 of the race to prevent Resistance assaults. Because Frankenstein's right arm was crippled in his struggle with Perfectus, Annie assists him in shifting gears. Minerva pursues Tammy, but in order to dodge Tammy's suicidal proxy, she jumps over a cliff. Tammy gloats over Minerva's murder before an ABE drives her into the wall and self-destructs, killing both of them. Perfectus takes a backroad to the finish line, while Frankenstein and Annie eliminate Hamilton and her rebels. Perfectus loses control of his vehicle and smashes into the virtual reality control booth as both cars battle for place. Frankenstein sends a message to his admirers before crossing the finish line, implying that the Chairman is worth 1,000 points. After murdering the Chairman, Frankenstein invites the audience to leave their virtual world behind and participate in their own Death Race. Frankenstein and Annie stand in the distance as the nation descends into turmoil, arguing that they should repopulate the land after the upheaval has subsided.
A trailer for Death Race 2050 is now online.
Death Race 2050 cast:
- Frankenstein, the champion of the cybernetic veteran division in the Death Race, is portrayed here by Manu Bennett.
- As the Chairman of the United Corporations of America, played by Malcolm McDowell, the role is a caricature of Donald Trump and is replete with a "slight comb-over on his hair."
- Marci Miller as Annie Sullivan, Frankenstein's surrogate.
- Burt Grinstead plays genetically enhanced athlete Jed Perfectus, the ideal driver.
- Folake Olowofoyeku plays rapper-turned-racer Minerva Jefferson.
- Ramsey plays Tammy "The Terrorist," the head of an extreme religious sect.
- As Alexis Hamilton, a former network producer who now heads a resistance organization, Yancy Butler steps into the spotlight.
- Charlie Farrell as male pundit J.B.
- Shanna Olson portrays Grace Tickle, a female Death Race pundit and interviewer, in this film adaptation.
- Perfectus' proxy Eve Rocket is played by Leslie Shaw.
- D.C. Douglas voices ABE, a self-driving, demonic racing automobile.
- Chi Wapp, Minerva's proxy, is played by Pierre Paolo Goya Kobashigawa.
- As Steve, a bystander who witnesses the Death Race from Annie's perspective, Sebastian Llosa portrays the role.
- Dr. Creamer, ABE's programmer, is played by Helen Loris.
Death Race 2050's production.
In an interview with an Italian journalist, Corman was told that The Hunger Games had parallels to Death Race 2000, which sparked the idea for a sequel. Corman got in touch with Universal Pictures, the studio behind the current remake (which, in Corman's opinion, removed much too much of the original's political criticism), and the two discussed putting back the film's dark satire. As Corman put it, "You did a fantastic job, but I removed the murdering of pedestrians and the broken-society themes." Corman said.
Filming started while Corman was in his 80s, just around the time of the 2016 election. One of America's most well-known businessmen is featured in this film. "The president does have a hair style that may be approaching Trump's hair style, but I don't want to go too deep into that, since Trump will come and go and the film will stay."
Are people excited about Death Race 2050?
"Even though the Death Race movie series is drawing to a close, there are a surprising number of Death Races in the franchise. Roger Corman returns to the Death Race franchise with Death Race 2050, the follow-up to the Jason Statham-starring Death Race trilogy from the late 2000s and early 2010s. In spite of being excellent films in their own right, they had very little in common with the original Death Race 2000 from the 1970s. A three-day race through dystopian America, where pedestrian deaths are awarded points for their over-the-top personalities, is how Corman gets this burning disaster back on track! A 50 at the end of the title this time around." - Film reviewer Decker Shado
In the United States, the film was released on DVD and a DVD/Blu-ray combination with three making-of documentaries: The Making of 2050, The Look of 2050, and Cars! Cars, cars, everywhere! The British release date was March 20, 2017.
On RottenTomatoes.com as of June 2020, the film has an 88% approval rating based on eight reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10.
Chris Alexander described the picture as "loud, shrill, spastic, sadistic, stylish, slipshod, stupid and smart in equal measures." in an article for ComingSoon.net. "All very clunky, ramshackle, and kitschy," remarked Scott Weinberg in his Nerdist review, "but that's just part of the'shaggy dog' charm of the production." "it’s got enough blood, guts, simplistic political commentary, scenery chewing and terrible special effects for it to become a cult classic." a website's Sebastian Zavala wrote.