Death Proof

All the Tarantino clichés, now with wilder whimsy than ever before, return in this feature on Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), who prefers to lend his driving skills to vehicular homicides rather than to movie stunts. In the first half, this murderous man of mystery casually observes his female prey as they enjoy a night in a dingy bar. After an abrupt changeover, the second part sees him take a more direct approach with his weapon of choice, the titular car. Neither tale is substantial enough to truly satisfy and the film’s success depends largely on the viewer’s patience. That may well run out soon after the halfway mark, when all momentum drops to introduce a fresh batch of victims for Mike and fails to do much with them besides kill time until he attacks. By the time they finally get in gear for the climactic car chase, it is almost too late.

Astonishing work from stunt-person turned actress Zoe Bell can’t help but captivate, providing the only real excitement of the whole film. Elsewhere the songs are as choice as ever, the dialogue is as sharp as expected, and Russell clearly relishes the role. Things proceed as though in a daze. It’s hard to think of a reason to bother with Death Proof beyond simply wanting to watch some Tarantino, yet it is the cotton to the silk of his first two movies. By this point he has nothing in particular to say, just a hard time keeping quiet.