"Death Race" * (out of four): Paul W. S. Anderson's noisy, nonsensical remake fails to hold together even in its own paper-thin world.

The year: 2012. The president: well, we're not told. What we do know, from a cheeky opening title card, is that the American economy has collapsed and the prison system is overflowing (isn't it already?). As a result the prisons are run by corporations (evil ones, being the implication) for profit. So begins "Death Race", writer-director Paul W. S. Anderson's noisy, nonsensical remake of Roger Corman's "Death Race 2000". Though the year is removed from the title (Mr. Corman remains as a producer), the plot, such as it is, still revolves around a nationally televised race to the death. This time around, instead of a cross-country event, the race occurs on an island-prison ominously, but appropriately, named Terminal Island. The title card goes on to explain that these prisoners are modern day gladiators and the road is their coliseum. Oh, and they also get assigned busty co-pilots from the local women's prison, but I digress. If I were the emperor, I know which direction my thumb would be pointing (hey, they started the analogy).

Read more on BigPictureBigSound...