MUKU OWNERS

Professional assassin Chev Chelios learns his rival has injected him with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops.

Directors: Mark Neveldine (as Neveldine), Brian Taylor (as Taylor)

Writers: Mark Neveldine (as Neveldine), Brian Taylor (as Taylor)

Stars: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Carlos Sanz

When the hit-man Chev Chelios is poisoned by the criminal Verona, his friend and doctor Miles advises him that he must keep his adrenaline levels elevated to stay alive. Chev meets his girlfriend Eve and together they look for Verona to kill him.

Budget: $12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: £450,141 (UK) (1 September 2006)

Gross: $27,829,874 (USA) (13 October 2006)

Wow, this is surprisingly excellent. I mean, its crap, but its good crap, and thats worth a lot. The premise is basically Speed meets D.O.A. (the 1950 movie starring Edward OBrien). Jason Statham (of the Transporter movies) is a hit-man who has a lethal Chinese poison coursing through his veins. If he slows down, if his adrenaline level drops, he drops dead. In his last moments, he rushes to find his killer and others responsible, snatching as many energy drinks and drugs as he can get his hands on along the way. This is some fun stuff, and hilarious, too. The editing is the MTV-style of many modern action movies, so avoid it if you cant stand that. I hope the directors, who also wrote the script, succeed even more so in the future.