DEATH RACE 2 is a surprisingly entertaining little straight-to-video sequel to the Jason Statham starrer, itself a remake of a Roger Corman cult classic of the 1970s. I'd even go so far as to say this is as much fun as the first film, although it has only a fraction of the budget and only one returning cast member, as far as I can tell. For DEATH RACE 2 captives the vibrant, adrenaline-fuelled spirit of the first film and Dutch director Roel Reine, himself a veteran of a dozen B-movies, proves to be a better director than Paul W. S. Anderson.

To be sure, this is far from a great film and it falls down particularly in regard to the actors, all of whom are ill-serviced by their parts. Luke Goss is nothing more than a dome-headed dunderhead, an obvious stand-in for Statham but one that lacks that actor's trademark intensity and scowl. Lauren Cohan fares little better as an overly-obvious arrogant journalist type, while Danny Trejo has virtually nothing to do in the stock role of car mechanic. The two big names present in the cast, Sean Bean and Ving Rhames, are particularly wasted, given roles which require them to sit around and do absolutely nothing else. Each has about five minutes screen time tops.

Still, the screenplay is packed with violent incident, which is always good, and I like the way the smaller budget is disguised by having combatant vs. combatant fights early on instead of car chases. There's only one real chase here, towards the end, which is pretty decent, although I could have done without the laborious twist in which it turns out that…well, you'll have to watch it for yourself to find out. Even with the many detractions, DEATH RACE 2 is a B-movie done right, with all of the high-octane action you could hope for.

In the near future, prisons are private. The Weyland Corp is the new owner of the Terminal Island Penitentiary. unscrupulous reporter September Jones (Lauren Cohan) happens upon a prison riot and comes up with an idea for Weyland (Ving Rhames). Death Match is a pay-per-view event pitting competing prisoners in combat. After awhile, the ratings start going down. Getaway driver Carl 'Luke' Lucas (Luke Goss) leads a bank robbery for crime boss Markus Kane (Sean Bean). It goes wrong and Luke is imprisoned. Markus orders his murder before he can snitch. This is a prequel. Luke would become Frankenstein and die in the 2008 reboot.

There is some good action but everything in between is weak. Sometimes, the action becomes a chaotic mess. In general, the action is still there but inferior to 2008. Luke Goss is not charismatic as the lead. He's a no name actor more useful for support. There is a bait and switch with the bigger actors. Rhames and Bean are more or less supporting actors. This is pretty much what one expects from a straight to DVD fare.

What happens when you try to take the ring from Frodo? You go to Roger Corman hell and play the bad guy, although in this movie, they were all bad guys, just some bad guys with "honor." I was disappointed Malcolm McDowell didn't play the prison warden. The part seemed designed for him. Ving Rhames plays a corporate exec. although he would have been better as a prisoner. Luke Gross plays an unconvincing tough guy.

The movie is a prequel for one that I had never seen. It is designed to shore up some rough plot points by describing how the "death race" came about while ignoring the blatant disregard for the constitution. Oh wait. Private corporations run prisons so the constitution is suspended, just like in real life. What is it with Corman and Frankenstein in a Death Race? For those of you who would rate "Death Race 2000" at 5 stars, give this 4 stars. Luke Gross is no David Caradine.

PARENTAL GUIDE: Nudity, sex, and violence. Is there any real need to discuss the plot?