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| Written By Rick
Ellis, Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 Some TV critics really only enjoy the high-end television programs. They'll wax poetic for hours about the last episode of "The Wire," or about the secret messages embedded in each episode of "Lost." But they're also the ones who sneer at just about everything else. They whine about the "lowest common denominator," or how cable networks cater to the intellectually lazy. As for myself, while I enjoy the smart stuff, I also appreciate the stuff that just exists simply because it's a non-stop fun time. There's nothing wrong with an entertaining time-killer, and after reviewing things for a lot of years, I can tell you that it's as hard to be entertaining as it is to be thought-provoking. Which brings me in a long roundabout way to "Crash & Burn," a new film premiering on Spike TV this weekend. It's a fun way to spend a couple of hours, and while it's not going to win an Emmys for screenwriting, you'll be thanking me when it's over. The premise will be pretty familiar if you've ever watched a movie featuring undercover cops, stolen cars, old girlfriends, street gangs out for revenge or mob bosses. Granted, that covers about 80 percent of the movies made in the past twenty years. But what makes "Crash & Burn" work is that while it's familiar, it's not idiotic. Erik Palladino plays Kevin, a former professional car thief who ends up in prison. He cuts a deal and works undercover for the FBI, secretly trying to bring down a major car theft ring while trying to protect his longtime friend Hill (David Moscow). Hill is also a car thief, and soon Kevin is introduced to Vincent (Michael Madsen), a dangerous crime boss who offers the duo a big payday is they can steal a long list of valuable cars in time for a big shipment. Not surprisingly, there are complications. A local street gang terrorizes the duo, Vincent begins to suspect Hill's motives and it all ends up in a big old-fashioned shootout. Despite its familiar set-up, there are some clever touches in the story. Particularly when it comes to the clever (albeit completely unbelievable) way the duo steal a valuable sports car from a room deep inside a high security museum. There are, however, a couple of problems with the film. Primarily, they have to do with Madsen, who is absolutely terrible in the movie. His acting is always wooden, but he shows even less range in his take on Vincent. You can literally hear the film grind to a halt everytime he appears on the screen. Which is not a good thing, when he's the primary bad guy in the film. But those moments pass, and overall, "Crash & Burn" is a fabulous
guilty pleasure. Aside from Madsen, the acting is solid throughout,
the driving scenes are realistic, and supporting actress Heather Marie
Marsden (who plays Hill's ex-girfriend Penny) is a real treat to watch. |
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