DEATH RACE 3: INFERNO (2013)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

Since all the principal actors from the previous film return, and the director and writers are all the same, INFERNO is inevitably more of the same as Part 2. Considering how some franchises have wandered aimlessly looking for inspiration, though, predictability has some charms.

The biggest change-up is that the script shifts the action from Terminal Island to a South African race course, presumably because some of the film was shot in that terrain. The Ving Rhames character from the previous entry serves two purposes before he disappears: he fixes Lucas's disfigured face (so main actor Luke Goss doesn't have to remain in makeup all the time) and he loses ownership of the Death Race franchise and signs it over to a rich British guy, Niles York, who insists on the change of venue. At this point all of Lucas's friends, including his lover Katrina, think he's dead, although they've had suspicions about Frankenstein after working with him. York tells Lucas that he wants the driver to lose one of his races, and Lucas capitulates to keep York from harming his friends.

Eventually Katrina and the pit crew find out Frankenstein's true identity, and all resent not being taken into his confidence, despite his excuse of York's blackmail. Katrina no longer wants to be Frankenstein's navigator, but she's obliged by York to compete with a bunch of other female prisoners for the privilege. (The battle is something of a reprise of the "Death Match" setup from Part 2, but with a melee of girls kicking the crap out of each other.) York and his female aide Satana find yet more ways to torment Lucas into obedience, but of course, by the final race Lucas comes up with a means to defeat not just his competitors but also the man pulling the strings.

The Lucas character is still underwritten, but the script gives the support players more to do, particularly Danny Trejo and Tanit Phoenix. These two prequels come to a predictable but satisfying end and the final entry in the remake series comprises a literal sequel to the 2008 DEATH RACE.