Movie Review: Death Proof

Starring:
Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Sydney Poitier, Zoe Bell, Vanessa Ferlito, Tracie Thoms, Rose McGowan, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jordan Ladd

Director:
Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill)

Release Date:
April 2007

Synopsis:
Stuntman Mike is a serial murderer who uses his revved-up car as a killing machine. After transforming his Dodge Charger into an indestructible weapon, he climbs behind the wheel to terrorize a group of women on the road.

My Two Cents (Spoiler Alert!)
When I heard this movie was coming I knew I was going to watch it, having enjoyed both Kill Bill movies so much, so I avoided watching too many trailers. This payed off big time because I was completely shocked by the plot twist near the end. But if you’ve watched the extended Death Proof trailer, like the one in the Planet Terror DVD, then you pretty much know everything that’s going to happen. No surprises at all. Stupid spoilerrific trailer.

But let’s forget about the ending for now. The movie starts out slow, with a bunch of women talking about girly stuff, like making out with guys and… actually that’s all they talk about. You’ve got these four party-happy sluts talking and talking for about 45 minutes with little else going on. I’m serious, 65% of the movie is just women talking about random shit, and cocks. Now where was I? Ah yes, the sluts. So one of the whores, Jungle Julia, has a radio show and she tells her audience there’s this friend of hers that’s staying over for a few days in Texas and if you recite a specific poem to her she would give you a lap dance. Now that’s what friends are for. What Julia, or any of the other girls don’t know is that a creepy guy has been stalking them, taking pictures and just being weird. The guy’s name is Stuntman Mike, played by Kurt Russell, and he drives around in a black stunt car. Out of all the guys in Texas, Stuntman Mike is the one to recite the poem to the visiting slut and gets his free lap dance. A pretty good lap dance actually. Sadly, that’s not enough for the stuntman, he wants a little extra and I’m not talking about any sexual favors. After the girls leave the bar they were at, Stuntman Mike catches them on the road and… well, you probably know what he does.

I know the movie sounds like crap so far, but there’s something about the way Tarantino writes that makes the dialog bearable even when you know it’s shouldn’t be. The girls talk, and talk, and talk, then they get to the bar and talk some more, then they leave and are still talking, but somehow I wasn’t bored. How is that possible? I think it’s because while they’re talking about dicks and who should buy pot today, you know Stuntman Mike is out there, stalking them. You can’t wait for him to appear and shut them up, permanently. And when he finally shows up he doesn’t disappoint. Moving on.

So Stuntman Mike got away with murder because all the women were intoxicated with alcohol and pot, and he only had club soda at the bar, so the police passed this incident as an unfortunate car accident. Stuntman Mike knows his stuff.



Now the second part of the movie begins, with another four female friends who are a bit less slutty. Again, another 45 minutes go by with nothing but girl talk. And like before, I didn’t really mind because now you’re not only waiting for Mike, you know what he’s capable of. These four girls are cool, and I actually cared about them. My favorite character was Zoe Bell’s, who along with another of the girls plays a stuntwoman. Actually, Zoe is a real-life stuntwoman, and she had worked with Tarantino before, playing Uma Thurman’s double in Kill Bill. So you have two tough stuntwomen (Zoe Bell and Tracie Thoms), a harmless actress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and a make-up artist (Rosario Dawson). Stuntman Mike knows he’s facing tougher women, but doesn’t care and actually likes the challenge. What he didn’t know is that these girls are insane! The two stunt girls “borrow” a white Dodge Challenger by leaving one of their friends with the owner while they take it for a test drive and recreate a stunt from a movie. Rosario Dawson refuses to stay behind, so she tags along. During the dangerous stunt, Stuntman Mike meets them on the road and starts ramming their car from behind, almost knocking Zoe off the car. The girls are terrified, but they manage to survive Mike’s brutal attacks. He’s surprised and decides to let them go, but the girls have a different idea... payback.

Since I didn’t know the second part of the movie was about Mike’s victims turning against him, I was completely shocked and delighted. As much as I liked Stuntman Mike, I was very happy too see the girls fight back, and boy do they fight back. Tarantino is a very sick man, and that’s why I like his films.

So, the movie is worth watching but only once, and that’s why I can’t give it a better rating. The girl talk becomes unbearable when you know it takes almost an hour for the action to begin. Cutting about 30 minutes would have been a wise decision. Go watch it and decide for yourself.

Rating: