Crank could have gone disastrously wrong if it hadn’t starred Mr Jason Statham. Now that Jason Statham action movies are a staple of any movie fan’s diet, it’s hard to imagine a time when he was still figuring out his movie star persona.

This was still the case during the 2000s when, after the success of The Transporter movies, Statham was still finding his place. This led to misfires like War with Jet Li or a villain turn in Cellular, but Statham’s career kicked up a level with the original Crank in 2006.

This cast Statham as a hitman injected with a drug that forces him to keep his adrenaline pumping in order to stay alive. In essence, Crank is a live-action video game where Statham’s Chev puts himself in increasingly outlandish situations just to survive, including having Sєx in public.

Crank’s tragic ending seemed to rule out a sequel – until co-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor made one anyway. They found a kindred spirit in their leading man, Statham, who got to play to both his action and comedy strengths in the duology.

Jason Statham Was The Only Actor Who Could Make Crank’s Ridiculous Premise Work

Jason Statham commits totally to Crank’s adrenaline rush

Crank was actually written with Johnny Knoxville in mind, and it’s easy to imagine the Jackᴀss legend throwing himself right into the wild stunts. He wouldn’t have been as convincing with the action though, which is why Statham was the perfect choice.

The movie’s premise is intentionally ludicrous and only gets wilder as the story progresses, climaxing with a midair fistfight. Statham is obviously best known for his action skills, but it’s his dry wit that really sells Chev as a character. Statham brings a slightly cartoonish energy to Chev, making him feel like a Looney Tunes character.

Crank is a wild burst of adrenaline itself, rarely pausing for breath as Chev runs to the next objective. The action isn’t as slick as The Transporter or Expendables franchise, but few actors are as convincing as Statham while running, driving, punching or swearing.

Crank Isn’t Great, But It Could’ve Been An Absolute Disaster

I’d still take Crank 3 though

Crank is a real guilty pleasure, where viewers are invited to wallow in its excess and scuzziness. In hindsight, it’s a flawed little movie for many reasons, from the motion sickness-inducing camerawork to a lot of the “edgy” humor falling flat.

If the filmmakers had cast the wrong actor (say Vin Diesel) Crank could have been a total mess. Statham was totally on the wavelength of both Crank movies and appeared to have the time of his life with their frenetic energy and bad taste humor.

He’s a delight, even when the movies can be a little tiring or try hard. Still, a trilogy capper with Crank 3 would be most welcome, just to see if Statham is up to the wild energy of this franchise over 15 years after Crank 2: High Voltage.