‘The Punisher’ Meets ‘Constantine’ in Nicolas Cage’s Bonkers Action Bomb Being Resurrected on HBO Max
Kids who’ve grown up on A Minecraft Movie probably wouldn’t know about Nicolas Cage‘s decade-long run roughly 15 years ago, when he was given a terrifying degree of freedom in mid-budget B-movies. To even contemplate that level of bravado coming from a studio would be unthinkable now, when slates are put together with an algorithmic clarity. Sony’s going to release another reboot of Resident Evil later this year, but let’s not forget that the same studio invested around $200 million in two Ghost Rider movies starring Cage back in the day. The second film, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, was released during perhaps the most unhinged 12-month run of Cage’s career.
This included the bizarre fantasy film Season of the Witch, a brutal hostage thriller directed by Joel Schumacher called Trespass, and the gonzo 3D action bomb we’re going to discuss in more depth here. Released in 2011, the film underperformed at the box office but, 15 years later, is enjoying a streaming resurgence. The film was directed by Patrick Lussier, a veteran of the direct-to-video industry, and it also featured Amber Heard, William Fichtner, and Billy Burke. The action film, in which Cage played a man who escapes hell after stealing Satan’s gun, grossed $40 million worldwide against a reported budget of $50 million.
Witness Nicolas Cage at His Most Unhinged
We’re talking about Drive Angry, which is among the most-watched films globally on HBO Max this weekend. It was shot in 3D, like so many other genre movies of that era. Studios were convinced that the format was going to change the industry after the record-breaking success of James Cameron‘s Avatar. However, they forgot the fact that they had to combine the technology with good storytelling. Drive Angry received poor reviews and is now sitting at a 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator website’s consensus reads, “It may deliver the over-the-top action pieces, but Drive Angry prefers to work safely within grindhouse formula than do something truly unique.” Cage will make his streaming series debut this month with Spider-Noir, which will be released on MGM+ and Prime Video on May 25 and May 27, respectively. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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February 25, 2011
- Runtime
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105minutes
- Director
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Patrick Lussier