Adrenaline Drive
Adrenaline Drive
| 18 February 1999 (USA)
Adrenaline Drive Trailers

A gas leak explosion at a yakuza hideout provides a shy nurse and a rental car clerk with the opportunity to take a briefcase full of money. A cross-country chase ensues.

Reviews
NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!
GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
ramseyhong Rented this from Netflix. The look of this film is slightly low budget, but it complements the bizarre situations in the movie well. Think "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" only in Japanese and less overt violence. The acting is good and the story is very very good and funny. Cinematic ally, it's not much to look at. The movie concentrates on telling the story as clearly as possible and it does a good job doing it. Although the movie itself is pretty tame, there is some strong language in the subtitles that younger children probably shouldn't be exposed to. Another movie that you may like if you like this one is "Wasabi" with Jean Reno and Ryoko Hirosue. It's worth a rent!
queitus I've always liked Japanese comedy but this one tops my list. Very real characters combined with a very unreal situation can always bring out the best in a film. And reversal of roles is also prevalent: the head nurse getting greedy and the mob boss struggling with full body casts.There's dark, light, and every other kind of humor in this film, and the situation is very enjoyable. I've always liked mischievous dark comedy and if you're tired of what's come to be common "American Dark Comedy"(Very Bad Things, Something About Mary, etc. etc.)this will be a great and refreshing film to watch. It's so fun that you won't even notice the subtitles.
Cindy-39 Adrenaline Drive is highly derivative of existing genres: the on-the-run-from-the-mob-with-a-sack-full-of-money heist movie combined with a teen romance, but throws in such great slapstick humor and endearing characters that make the film completely entertaining to watch. It's got a sense of humor reminiscent of Beat Takeshi's films, but more lighthearted and broad. Everyone on the cast shows great comedic skill. My personal favorites are the pack of ditzy nurses who spend all their time slacking on the job, and Suzuki's boss, who taunts him relentlessly. The actor who plays Suzuki is quite a hottie, by the way.My main disappointment with the storyline was the transformation of the main female character from a mousy wallflower into the sassy chick after she gets a makeover and a new wardrobe. It was the loss of a great sight gag - the skinny, nerdy girl facing off against the mafia. Oh well. All in all this is a FUN movie. Even though you can probably predict the ending, every minute is worthwhile to watch.
lou-50 "Adrenaline Drive" is no "Run Lola Run". Rather it is a Japanese version of a put-on, an "It Happened One Night" in slow motion which does finally have one car chase. The film's intent is telling us how polite Japanese mannerisms can interfere with human nature. A car rental clerk who can't talk down his boss (Suzuki) and a young demure nurse fast approaching old maid (Shizuko) meet under almost imagined circumstances. The local mafia group accidentally blow themselves away leaving one badly injured survivor (Kuroiwa) and a cache of blood-soaked cash. Enter these two woebegone fugitives from a genteel world who seize the cash, run away from their jobs, and even contemplate marriage. The story would end there except for a series of chases filled with pitfalls involving Kuroiwa and a bunch of incompetent hoodlums that personify 'the gang that couldn't shoot straight' who want the money back. "Adrenaline Drive" is fun to watch because it doesn't do anything out of character. The car rental 'boss' runs away leaving Suzuki holding the bag rather than confront Kuroiwa after a minor fender bender. Shizuko can't hide the blood seeping from her locker so she yells her friends away when they attempt to help her. The shy and love-smitten Suzuki buys a ring for Shizuko only to throw it away in a jealous fit. "Adrenaline Drive" is a film to enjoy for its delicate characters and how being delicate may be more trouble than it is worth.