If the story of an escapee from Hell driving around the low rent areas of the US in a muscle car searching for vengeance whilst being chased by minions sounds familiar, then you'd be right. The Winchester brothers have been doing this for years in the Supernatural TV series.

This time, instead of wise-cracking Jensen Ackles in the driving seat it is Nic Cage, in long-hair mode, with the far more attractive (at least from a male perspective) Amber Heard in the passenger seat instead of Jared Padalecki.

Cage plays escapee Milton (clearly named after the writer of Paradise Lost and the subject of William Blake's epic poem that bears his name) who is out to exact revenge on Jonah King, the self-appointed leader of a satanic cult who killed Milton's daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter, who King wants to use as part of his plan to raise all sorts of demonic nastiness.

Milton, in turn, is being pursued by The Accountant, a sort of ruthless, sharply-dressed Infernal bailiff, played by the sharp-featured William Fichtner (Prison Break, Invasion). What we have is one helluva chase road movie filled with guns, sex, fast cars and corrupt – all the things we imagine to be the worst (or best, depending on your point of view) of the US.

The film is actually fun, in a misogynistic, gratuitously violent, petrol-headed way. Cage's performance may not be up to the level of what he did in Werner Herzog's BAD LIEUTENANT, but it is not surprising to see him in this role, although Mickey Rourke wouldn't have been out of place there either, in an ANGEL HEART/WRESTLER mash-up.

With 3D being such an integral part of the film's title, director Patrick Lussier makes sure it is in your face, although he does avoid excessive breaking the frame shots, but they are there. Lussier was also director of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, which got great reviews from horror aficionados. Did 3D add anything substantial to the film? Not really. It would have still been the same film, but as the debate about the relevance of 3D rages on, there is no denying that it works best with trashy genre movies (and I'm including AVATAR in there) or kids' CG animations.

If you've never invested the time in Supernatural, but like the concept, then this is an entertaining distraction that won't suck up huge chunks of your life. And if you are a fan of Supernatural then this will be right up your street, or open road.

DRIVE ANGRY 3D is in cinemas now.

DRIVE ANGRY
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