Drive Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
There ain't no cruise control.
Speed kills - if you ain't going fast enough...
They thought it couldn't get any worse... Then they met each other.
An irrepressible thrill ride combining the high-impact fight-action of "The Matrix" and the comedic interplay of "Rush Hour".
If you live for action... don't settle for anything less!
You can walk, you can run, you can limp, You've got to... Drive
A prototype enhanced human, on the run from Chinese-hired hit men, hooks up with a dread-locked bystander, and the two of them elude their pursuers narrowly each time.
| Mark Dacascos | Toby Wong |
| Kadeem Hardison | Malik Brody |
| John Pyper-Ferguson | Vic Madison |
| Brittany Murphy | Deliverance Bodine |
| Tracey Walter | Hedgehog |
| James Shigeta | Mr. Lau |
| Masaya Kato | Advanced Model |
| Dom Magwili | Mr. Chow |
| Ron Yuan | Razor Scarred |
| Clive Rosengren | Cantwell |
| Christopher Michael | Jeb |
| Ted Smith | Joss |
| Tedd Szeto | Receptionist/Assistant |
| R.A. Mihailoff | Singing Trucker |
| David Watts | Apollo Bartender |
| Steve Wang |
6.50 out of 10 (1522 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A fugitive from the Chinese government kidnaps a streetwise musician and they set off on an ass-kicking roadtrip.
posted on 19 Jul 2009Mark Dacascos became one of my favourite action stars after I watched this movie, but then unfortunately no other film with him in was any good (much like Rutger Hauer - see Bladerunner and Split Second).So anyway, the story is just right for this type of movie - they set up the plot: Mark Dacascos on the run from the Chinese government 'coz he's got a prototype bio-engine in his body that increases the flow of adrenaline or something ("A fire engine?"); he meets Malik Brody, a loser-wannabe-musician, and kidnaps him and his old car ("This ain't the Batmobile, it's an old car") so he can get to some other guys who'll pay him a million bucks to remove it.And then it's just all action, baby!Two low-lifes (who steal the show) chase him down but are unsuccessful; so the Chinese bad guys send a newer model bio-engine experiment to beat the crap out of him.They drive, meet Brittany Murphy in an empty motel, Mark sings karaoke badly.The new guy is hard, but eventually Mark Dacascos, through sheer willpower and thirst for freedom, defeats the baddie when the guy's heart overloads and kills him.The story is such a perfect vehicle for the absolutely incredible martial arts action. If Mark Dacascos had played his cards right he'd be where Jet Li is right now. The one-liners are brilliant, and the bad guys are two of the most eccentric characters since the Bond movie henchmen Oddjob and Jaws (see the amazing genius frog?!?)P.s. The DVD has commentary with the two lead actors and the fight coordinator which is almost better than the movie itself.
Good!!!
posted on 10 Jul 2009Drive was a very good movie. This is one of the few straight to home video movies that was entertaining. The plot was pretty good and the action was outstanding. This movie deserved more exposure than it got. This film should have got a theatrical release but it probably wouldn't did good. Oh well. Rent this movie and you wont be unhappy.
One of the best transitions from Hong Kong to America.
posted on 11 Apr 2009For some reason the retailers and rental companies in England seem to have completely ignored this masterpiece of martial arts /action/comedy. The simple fact is that you cannot see this film anywhere unless you make a special effort. Marc Dacascos is a well trained and practiced expert in martial arts and in "Drive" he gets to show off his skills which are usually overlooked in other films. Also a perfect pairing with Kadeem Hardison provides him with the chance to reveal a previously unseen comedy talent. For buddy buddy action comedy with a serious dose of people getting messed up then you can do no better
I can't say anything bad about this film
posted on 13 Feb 2009I thought that this movie was excellent, I watched it after a recommendation from a friend.After a slow first ten minutes when we get introduced to the main characters Toby Wong (an excellent Mark Dacascos)and Malik Brody (equally as good Kadeem Hardison) the action gets under way and doesn't stop until the closing credits.The jokes come quick and fast throughout and the film only gets better with the introduction of the fantastic but pretty unstable motel worker Deliverance Bodine (Brittany Murphy).Overall I give it 8/10
Stupid, but massively likeable
posted on 12 Dec 2008That's what I like about the UK's Channel 5: they show the obscure straight-to-video stuff that no other channel would lay a finger on, which means that sometimes, amidst all the dross, they manage to turn up a little gem. Drive, which I'd never even heard of before (and would have avoided like the plague in the local video shop with a cover like that), is impossible to dislike if you've got any appreciation of chop-socky and something resembling a sense of humour. Naturally, it's riddled with faults: calling the plot and characterisation 'sketchy' would be an understatement, and the whole thing takes a while to power back up to full momentum after the frenetic opening scene, but once the action gets into full swing again you're in for hyperactive entertainment the likes of which western cinema rarely manages to pull off. As for the cast, well, Mark Dacascos dishes out more ridiculous kickings than you'd think could possibly be crammed into the running time, being far better suited to this kind of raw action material than the would-be clever-clever sci-fi drivel he always seems to be getting himself caught up in (DNA, Redline etc.) - let's hope he gets more chances to show what an insanely bendy bloke he is in future efforts. Kadeem Hardison does well in the inevitable fast-talking sidekick role, while Brittany Murphy's completely mental turn as the potential love interest is all too short...Basically, of course, it's just an excuse for loads of fights in exotic locations. But if that's all you're after, then hey - they don't come much better than this. Where's the party at? Ho! Ho!
Best Buy!!
posted on 07 Oct 2008I bought this movie on DVD, without knowing a thing about it: basically I thought it would be a cheap, straight to video rip - off of the Matrix, something that you could have fun with. How wrong I was. This, alongside the Matrix is one of the best western produced Kung-fu films ever. While it lacks the story and effects of the likes of 'Matrix', 'Matrix: Reloaded' and the budget of 'Rush Hour', the fight scenes are excellent. Aside from the occasional visible wire ( if only they had had the budget to remove them digitally! ), this is the best chop-socky i've seen in a long while. The apartment fight and the opening battle are standouts, as well as the motorcycle Kung-fu scenes. Considering the paltry budget, this is remarkable. The actors are all effective and bring to life their occasionally cliche roles and the story, whilst slight, is a worthy framework for the action. Not bad.***1/2 out of ***** ( five )P.S. The Director's Cut DVD is a must have. Deleted scenes, Audio commentary, documentaries, interviews and biography notes and more all for £5.99 in the UK!
I can't drive 55...
posted on 26 Aug 2008Mark Dacascos stars as Toby Wong, a genetically altered soldier who escapes from the Chinese corporation that built him and is on the run from thugs looking to return him back, also on board is Kadeem Hardison who becomes Dacascos' hostage and partner while top notch martial arts action ensues. Drive is certainly a fun movie, filled with non-stop martial arts, kinetically staged shoot outs and a good performance from Dacascos in the role. What really hurts Drive is its far too jokey tone which is just too much to take. The dialog and would be humor is too obvious and the movie really only comes to life when Dacascos springs back in action. This of course isn't that much of a problem, as it's not much of a problem that the villains are underwritten and the movie is often vague in its science fiction elements, Drive is a very enjoyable B.movie, certainly among straight to video movies, however this could've been easily a four star movie had it just not strained so hard to be funny. Don't let me get the wrong idea that this is not a good movie, it is, in fact it's a great B.movie it's just a flaw that sort of bothered my otherwise pleasing viewing of Drive.* * * out of 4-(Good)
Sweet fight scenes
posted on 20 Aug 2008The fight scenes in this movie rock!! Mark is a fine martial artist and its a pity he hasnt hit the big time in Hollywood coz he certainly has the talent to make it on the big stage. He shows in this movie how acrobatic he is and shows off his martial arts skills. Kadeem adds in some funny lines along the way and overall, this is a great action flick. 9/10
Best b-movie ever
posted on 15 Jul 2008Drive borrows the origins from the HongKong-movies that means You can easily forget the story in this
movie, it's just an excuse for great fighting sequences.I hope the director of this film could get more
movies to direct(He can direct the action well, other than many people).
a B Action movie in a C Storyline !
posted on 27 Jun 2008A pretty disappointing movie from the talented thought very underrated martial artist Mark Dacascos. Mr Dacascos was gifted in a very unique style of fighting skills , what's makes his acting career such a tragedy . maybe not in his fault he always picked the wrong scrips to take part in - the worst action movies with the most pathetic plots. probably it's just a bad luck in choices that he had in his long time career , because his name could easily be in top martial artists in the world ,right next to similar characters that made it big in the business ,like : Jet Li and Jackie Chan.This particular movie demonstrate in the best way all the things i wrote up. the plot is simply ridiculous , and the action/fight scenes are simply fiction , i'm sorry but there's not any other word to describe it better.such a bad a B action movie i didn't see in along time . not recommended to the fans of the genre and surely doesn't give any honor to Dacascos himself. 6/10.
A low-budget treat
posted on 31 May 2008I discovered this movie after I fell asleep in front of the TV one night and woke up to see this to-die-for guy doing a horizontal spin off the side of a boat. I was hooked immediately. The excellent moves of Mark Dacascos are the main draw (even if you are a novice in the martial arts), but Kadeem Hardison pumps up the humor (and human) factor, and Britney Murphy shines as an endearingly loony teen. Dascascos' acting skills are limited, but he has a kind of shy, goofy sincerity that sells and even a certain amount of humor. ("What's your name?" "Samo Hong.") Also I don't think I've ever heard a martial artist sing that well (or at all, really.) Rather a shame that he has been reduced to playing the host on "Iron Chef America." I could do without the cartoon violence (a machine gun with a severed arm still attached to it.) Why bother, when you've got jaw-dropping fight sequences? And the last bit goes on wa-a-ay too long. Still the movie is highly original. I'm glad to see that there are so many others who appreciate it. Up to now I've always felt a little guilty about liking a cheapo chop-socky production, but it appears that a lot of people agree with me - this little gem is well worth watching.
Excellent Martial Arts for Straight to Cable
posted on 28 May 2008Drive is a good movie for straight to cable, which really doesn't say that much. While the plot was pretty much brainless, there were a lot of good action sequences in the film which more than made up for the lack of plot. It was pretty apparent that a lot of work went into the making of the action scenes. Mark Dacascos did a hell of a job in this film, and I even liked the chemistry between him and Kadeem Hardison. Dacascos is the type of actor that should be seen more on the big screen instead of the little one.
You gotta love this film
posted on 19 May 2008I was quite surprised when I saw this excellent film yesterday. Expecting a B-caper with the normal "script-written-in-half-an-hour" story line and bad actors, I was gobsmacked! The fight scenes in this film are some of the best I have ever seen. Jackie Chan eat your heart out! The film is thrilling, comic and just entertaining. Rent it now!
Hidden Gem!
posted on 01 Apr 2008This unknown movie maybe one of the best action movies I have seen! To my surprise everything works! Mark Dacascos is great! Kadeem Harrison isn't annoying in the supporting role and even Brittany Murphy performs well! The action is top notch! MD delivers on this front like he did in "Crying Freeman"! For a low budget production the movie looks great! The plot is adequate and provides a good background for the main characters. (At least it was in my version: director's cut)! The action is done in Hong Kong style which is always good! The martial arts sometimes is used in combination with wires! But it is not obvious! In this way it intensifies the action scenes! I must admit that the climax: fight between MD and other "super" man could have been much longer but still it is great finale! Once again it is a mystery to me that a gem like this didn't get the publicity it deserves! This B movie is far superior to crap what has been made by Hollywood studios! If you get the chance to rent it or buy it! You won't regret it!
This is wham bang thank you mam!! Amazing fights!!
posted on 11 Mar 2008Never mind the Matrix and the influx of Jackie Chan and Jet Li films. As far as martial arts films go this still has the best fight sequences outside of Hong Kong. The fights are amazing and capture the essence of Hong Kong chop socky flicks. Merely having great fights wouldn't be enough, this has quality in terms of look and sound that a lot of Hong Kong films don't and it is minus the cheesy dubbing. What it also adds is a genuinely funny, if wafer thin script. It is of course just a series of events that give excuse for elaborate fight scenes.Mark Dacascos stars in the lead and really shows his stuff. He moves like a cat, and really shines in the fights. The version you have to see of this film is the directors cut, the studio completely hacked away any sort of plot or character development. In the studio version we see Toby Wong
(Dacascos) as merely a mercenary, but Wang's cut gives far more insight into his motives and gives the character an extra dimension. We get the chance to see Dacasco's acting abilities as well. He shows that he is an action star with more talent than most on all levels. You compare him to bigger money earners like Arnie, Van Damme and Seagal and he can out act them all as well as being even more impressive with the physical acting. Kadeem Hardison co-stars as Malik, who is initially Wang's hostage but they turn out to be best buds, cliché yes, but hey this is an action movie. Kadeem is hilarious, most of his lines are ad-libbed and you can see the other actors trying not to burst into laughter. Also Brittany Murphy is a scream as Deliverance a rather wacky motel owner, who is extremely randy and has the hots for Malik. The three of them together have amazing chemistry and it really adds to the humour. John Pyper Ferguson is also very funny as one of the bad guys. He comes out with some great lines, and also some hilariously cheesy lines such as `look its my favourite cheese eating, dick monkey' WHAT?!!The film is pure mindless escapism, it's fast, it's funny, there's genuine chemistry there, and to hell with plot in a film like this, which features some jaw dropping fight scenes. Overall this is an action classic to savour. 8/10
This movie is awesome!!!
posted on 23 Jan 2008I don't know why some rate this movie as a "B" action movie. The martial arts in this movie is incredible. I would most definitely recommend this movie to all martial arts fans. Yes the story line may be lacking a little, but I would rate the fighting in this movie right alongside movies like Fearless, and any other Jet Li or Jackie Chan movie. Mark Dacascos is an excellent martial artist and deserves the respect as one. The reason he doesn't seem to get much recognition is because whenever he gets to be a big-time movie, he seems to play the evil character and he always seems to die. I say let him be a big-time martial arts production and he will not disappoint.
'Lethal Weapon' meets Bruce Lee?
posted on 20 Jan 2008At long last, there is a martial arts-orientated action flick made outside of the Orient that is -- brace yourself -- actually worth watching!'Drive' mixes sharp-edged and cliche-mocking humour with breathtaking action sequences and an excellent buddy-buddy relationship (probably the most watchable since the days of Danny Glover and Mel Gibson). There are no outstanding acting performances (is there such a thing in this kind of movie?), but the rapport struck up by Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison ensures that you won't give care about trivialties like the quality of the acting ... although that's not to say the acting is bad -- it is, in fact, pretty good.After a string of poor movies Dacascos finally shines, giving a performance that is part Bruce Lee and part David Schwimmer's Ross Gellar, and proves himself to be one of the most underrated martial arts actors around. Fight scenes aside, Hardison steals the show with his Eddie Murphy-esque performance, dealing out some of the best quips I've heard in years, and John Pyper-Ferguson gives us another reliable offering as the not-quite incompatent assassin.In 'Drive' you have a classic merger of Hong Kong and American action that I highly recommend to fans of the action-comedy genre (as well as those who aren't). It's well worth the retail price. Drive on!
Just relax...and Drive
posted on 17 Jan 2008I stumbled upon this film about 7 or so years ago in the video store, and on a whim picked it out. I must admit to being fairly entertained with what I saw. The fight scenes are gloriously over the top and well choreographed, so much so I think I was laughing at several points during the film.The plot is about as complex as a glass of water, but forget that for now, this is a film you watch for the action, for the cheesy comedy factor, for the hyper-kinetic, lighting quick scenes of martial arts mayhem. The fight scenes come frequent enough and do not disappoint. There are killer ninja robots, gun wielding assassins who burst through windows on stunt bikes, and a large supply of hapless henchmen who couldn't shoot a barn door at 3 paces.Marc Dacascos shows of his talents in the lead role as Toby Wang, the hero and scene stealer of the film, Kadeem Hardison is on hand as Malik, the out of luck barfly who gets caught up in the ordeal, then there is Brittany Murphy in one pre-famous roles as a the ditsy daughter of a Motel owning couple.
Roller-coaster Ride
posted on 09 Aug 2009A totally fun movie from beginning to end, Jackie. Mark Dacascos' best starring role. He plays Toby Wong, an experimental patient with a hyper drive piece of equipment in his body. He goes renegade from his keepers in Asia and runs (swims?) to San Francisco to meet with some American buyers who will pay $5 mil for the device. While on the run, he meets Malik (Kadeem Hardison), a down-on-his-luck songwriter and "kidnaps" him as a ride to escape the now-descending baddies. This qualifies as an action-comedy: the stuff of Jackie Chan, Arnold S. and some Stallone ("Demolition Man" and "Tango and Cash"). Hardison supplies the comedy spouting comical lines even getting the usually serious Dacascos in on the fun. The sexy Brittany Murphy, (who looks like a skinny crackwhore junkie in recent movies like "8 Mile" and "Just Married"), looks like a hottie as a vixen-ish brunette, co-stars as a motel manager who adds some cute and funny scenes. But it's Dacascos' action scenes that make this movie amazing. The son of a world renowned martial arts instructor, Dacascos is obviously one of his father's best pupil. His skills are legitimate and the choreography is a ballet of swinging fists and flying kicks. In one scene, he does a backflip from a second story balcony onto the ground below. This is done in one shot and he turns toward the camera in such a way as to prove this is no stunt double. Though it does boast wire work, "Drive" is pure entertainment in the mode of some of Jackie Chan's best work.