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Speed Demon

A man escapes Hell to rescue his infant granddaughter from the same cult that murdered his daughter before he is captured and returned to Hell. That kind of premise takes no prisoners, and "Drive Angry" will make some feel like they've died and gone to Heaven, and others like they're in a living Hell.

Milton (Nicolas Cage) is the infernal escapee, and brings his A-level skills to this B-level character in a frustratingly familiar way. Though there is probably no better person to get behind the wheel of this movie.

Piper (Amber Heard) is a tough, beautiful, down-on-her-luck (and clichéd) waitress who Milton sizes up as a potential partner, more because of her '69 Charger than her beautiful waitressness. She is not a love interest, but a surrogate daughter figure, and somehow in the fast-paced mayhem and silliness that ensue, Milton and Piper do build something of an affectionate relationship with each other.

Pursuing Milton from Hell is The Accountant (William Fichtner), whose job is to keep Satan's books balanced by bringing Milton back. Well-spoken, well-dressed, and prone to well-timed profanity, The Accountant is politely menacing and a source of much of the movie's humor. Fichter is often guilty here of breaking the 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Steal Scenes.

Like the grindhouse 70s films it pays homage to, there is plenty of gratuitous violence and nudity in "Drive Angry." In one remarkably over-the-top scene, they occur simultaneously, as Milton finds himself in the middle of sex AND a shootout. "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" is never asked, but it seems the answer would be: "Yes."

As a man who's literally been to Hell and back, Milton reveals what it's like there. "It's not the flames. It's the video feed" is the unfortunately comic line for the disturbing notion of what makes Hell, Hell: continuously watching videos of loved ones suffering. The happy bits have presumably been edited out in Satan's cutting room.

Jonah King (Billy Burke) is the cult leader who killed Milton's daughter, and now intends to sacrifice her infant daughter on the next full moon. An unholy mix of Charles Manson and Jim Morrison, Jonah King wears leather pants, satin shirts, and walks with a cane that also happens to be Milton's daughter's femur bone (he's THAT bad).

The mission-from-Hell plotline is ironically a forgiving one, as it doesn't demand much from logic or believability. Nevertheless, as "Drive Angry" begins to put on miles, even this joyride becomes a pileup. The Accountant begins helping Milton on his quest, because Satan is a "gentleman" who is offended by sacrifices in his name. Or something.

Directed by Patrick Lussier ("My Bloody Valentine"), "Drive Angry" is also in 3D. And as usual there really is no reason for it. It can be fun (breasts!) or frightening (bullets!) to have things flying at your face, but the effect is counterproductive: they appear less real, not more. The 3D does its job, however, of reminding you that this is a cheesy movie. That is all "Drive Angry" aspires to be, and it's a fun trip so long as you don't care where you're going. Otherwise, you'll be taken for a ride.