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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Allumination
Salesrank: 61130
Released: January 13, 2004 |
| Our Price: $37.45 |
| Used Price: $25.53 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Toby Wong (Mark Dacascos) is on a martial arts mission impossible. With a bio-energy module placed in his chest, Toby's awesome martial arts skills are tuned to a super-human level. The only problem is that Toby doesn't want the power. Now, only an army can stop him, and that's just what's hunting him down. As he makes his escape from an ammo-packing posse of hitmen, Toby needs a hostage, Malik (Kadeem Hardison) to drive him to freedom in Los Angeles. It's double-power Jackie Chan-like super moves as the two unlikely heroes face-off with a new advanced killer in this amazing high octane hyper-action movie.
Drive Reviews:
ok show 
2009-09-21 - great show. seen it many years ago and decided to find and buy it recently. boyd
The Drive Of A Lifetime
2009-06-23 - Do not call yourself a fan of Mark Dacascos if you have not seen this movie: the man who brought capoeira to Hollywood, portrayed both video game and comic book heroes, and battled a mythological monster or two didn't really come out of his butt-kicking shell until he teamed up with director Steve Wang (The Guyver) and ex-"A Different World" star Kadeem Hardison, and until you see him in full action mode, you haven't seen anything yet. His proficiency in martial arts - merely glimpsed in films like American Samurai and Crying Freeman - come full scale in "Drive", making it the cumulative action package as far as Dacascos' career is concerned and definitely one of the better non-Hong Kong flicks I have seen.
The story: Toby Wong (Dacascos) is an enhanced human prototype on the run from his Hong Kong creators. Hounded by hitmen, he's forced to take struggling song-writer Malik Brody (Hardison) captive and, with his help, try to get across America to safety. Little is he aware that if the guns-for-hire fail, his malicious creator (James Shigeta, Die Hard) has a secret weapon he will employ to retrieve his loose creation...
By all means, "Drive" is a dumb action movie: kung fu and explosions take precedence over drama, the script is so loose that I ended up with the impression that the open-ended climax wasn't intentional, the main assassin (John Pyper-Ferguson, "Brothers & Sisters") is a long-haired hillbilly, and dumb brunette Brittany Murphy ("8 Mile") is forcibly inserted into the picture for literally no other reason than that all action movies call for a female hottie. With that being said, the film is very aware of its genre and doesn't bother trying to appear very intelligent overly important - it's merely fun, and great fun at that: the action isn't watered down with unnecessary editing or CGI, its pace is free-spirited rather than sloppy, and with the exception of Murphy, the characters are colorful despite not being especially defined.
Indeed, though he's obligated to fill the `funny black guy' stereotype, Kadeem Hardison proves himself capable of verbal, situational, and physical comedy, and saves Mark Dacascos drama-wise as much as much as Dacascos saves him within the movie. In this sense, the two are a great duo: Hardison talks the talk while Dacascos beats the snot out of people in ways that rival Jackie Chan and Jet Li. There are six fights within the movie, two of which exceed five minutes in length and all of which are fast-paced and filled with plenty of roundhouse and jumping kicks, sweeps, weapons, and environmental incorporation (i.e. Dacascos bounds off walls to deliver kicks, climbs furniture to evade blows, etc.): Dacascos battles his pursuers on a ship and then in a bar; he fights them again in a rock yard where he and Hardison are chained together at the wrist; this is followed by another masterpiece of a brawl in a motel wherein Dacascos puts boots on his hands to parry electrical weapons and Hardison saws a man's arm off with a chainsaw; it ends with a one-two encounter in a club wherein Dacascos takes on attackers on motorcycles before climatically squaring off against an advanced model (Masaya Kato, "Crying Freeman") in a fight that most definitely influenced the battles of The Matrix. Dacascos' moves are certainly inspired by those of Jackie Chan and John Woo, but despite the presence of a few obvious stunt doubles, he shines by making them his own and showing off just how physically capable he really is.
Shot for under[...], "Drive" is an excellent example of how very good direct-to-video cinema can be when an effort is made; other than a single green screen explosion, there are absolutely no indications that this movie was made cheaply. I can honestly say that this may very well be the single best film Mark has ever starred in, and both fans and kung fu fans in general ought not be without this film under any circumstances. Yes, I know it's a bit difficult to find these days and may cost more than the average movie, but don't let this deter you - it's 100% worth it (even if Brittany Murphy is in it).
far from a sunday drive
2007-06-15 - I never thought a film with simply the title of "Drive" would have such good martial arts action. Yes, Mark Dacascos stars in Drive, but the choreography and intensity of the fights is unlike anything I have evr seen him do before. Only The Strong is maybe the closest Mark gets with the Capoeira fighitng style in that movie. In Drive, it is obvious that wires are used quite a bit, but the results are Matrix-like effects that outdo alot of the compeition such as Romeo Must Die and The One. Mark's fighting is also combined with stunts in Drive, sometimes even resembling Jackie Chan.
The story is basically a no-brainer, where the main charcater (Toby Wong - Mark Dacascos) is always on the run from the bad guys. Once involved with a corporation in Hong Kong, Toby has fled to America carrying a high-tech piece of equipment in his chest that makes him nearly invulnerable. The corporation wants it back, sending a fleet of men after Toby, including another super-unit, played by Masayo Kato. While I am not familiar with him as a martial artist, his skills were quite impressive as well.
Other main characters include Malik Brody played by Kadeem Hardison, who provides the comic relief throughout the film accompanied with some agression of his own. Surprisingly, some of the humor was actually funny, for I don't expect B-action movies to make me laugh very much. Brittany Murphy plays "Delieverance", another person who gets tangled up in Toby's mess in the film. Her charcater is just silly, weird, and ditsy - running around laughing with a gun in her hand like its a game. Oh well.
Its the action that makes this movie most memorable, and makes it one of Mark Dacasco's absolute best. Long and plenty of action scenes fill the movie, right down to the exciting final fight that is just beautiful, set in a night club. Mark Dacascos fans will love this, and a fan of wonderful choreogprahy will love it even more.
Great movie!
2007-04-21 - I love this movie, AWESOME choreographed fight scenes that are very well filmed, great humor, and how can you say no to a love crazed Brittany Murphy and great martial arts! :)
Fun Movie with Lots of Senseless Action!!!
2006-12-07 - This movie is one sequence after another set-up for one reason, to display the martial arts of Mark Dacascos. The plot, lame, the budget - lame, the action - spectacular!!! The acting from support characters like Kadeem Hardison and a young Brittany Murphy as well as John Pyper-Ferguson are just fun.
Dacascos is one of the more exciting martial artists to watch, but he garners few quality roles. Even in movies that he does not get a good role, he generally makes the best of it. This movie is a great choice for action fans, silly plot, but one great action scene after another. Bring in the popcorn, soda, and chips. recline and enjoy.
