Jason Statham’s $34M Action Sequel That Critics Hated Gets Resurrected on Streaming 17 Years Later

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The sequel to the action movie Crank: High Voltage, which many fans consider a hidden gem, is now a hit on Starz after being unavailable for a long time.

According to FlixPatrol, the action thriller starring Jason Statham is doing very well in the Middle East and North Africa, especially on the STARZ streaming service. It reached number one in Algeria, Morocco, and Oman in the last week and appeared in the top rankings in a total of ten countries. The movie continues the story of a man who miraculously survives a dangerous fall and receives an artificial heart that gives him only one hour to live. In the United States, you can stream Crank: High Voltage on Kanopy.

Jason Statham plays Chev Chelios, a man who miraculously survives a helicopter crash at the beginning of the movie. He’s then kidnapped by Chinese gangsters and wakes up three months later to discover they’ve replaced his heart with an artificial one. Chev quickly breaks free and embarks on a dangerous quest to get his original heart back and reconnect with his girlfriend, Eve (Amy Smart).

Despite having all the elements of a typical Jason Statham action film, Crank: High Voltage didn’t perform as well with viewers when it came out in 2009. Critics gave it a fairly positive score of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences weren’t impressed. With over 250,000 ratings from users, the film only received a 49% audience score on the site.

Despite strong praise for the lead performance, the film was ultimately hindered by excessive violence, objectionable language, and an unappealing visual style, preventing it from ranking among Jason Statham’s strongest works.

Honestly, after watching this film, I completely understood one viewer’s frustration. They said that Jason Statham’s dismissive attitude towards the audience – that little flick of the hand towards the camera – felt like it defined the entire movie. And you know what? I think they’re right. It felt like he was basically saying, ‘I don’t care what you think,’ for the whole runtime.

Despite the negative reviews, many Jason Statham fans still had a great time watching the movie. One fan encouraged others to ignore the critics, calling it a wildly entertaining action film from start to finish.

The First Crank Film is Acclaimed by Critics and Audiences

Though it took nearly two decades for viewers to discover Crank: High Voltage, the first Crank movie is still a fan favorite starring Jason Statham. Released in 2006, the film features Statham as a hitman attempting to retire who unexpectedly finds himself in a desperate situation. He wakes up to learn he must maintain a constant adrenaline rush and find an antidote to save his life.

The original Crank movie was a critical and popular success, earning much better reviews than its follow-up. Critics gave it a 62% rating based on over 100 reviews, and audiences overwhelmingly approved with a 71% score from more than 250,000 users on Rotten Tomatoes. According to the site, the film is a thrilling, high-energy ride starring Jason Statham.

Crank: High Voltage is streaming on STARZ in select countries.

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2026-01-16 17:08