Redline

According to reputable estimates, the budget for Redline was some $26 million, most of it coming directly from the fortune of producer Daniel Sadek, who also donated the destruction of at least two of his own exotic sports cars, one (apparently) unintentionally. In any case this is a wholly believable figure that only goes to prove you can spend a whole lot of money and get not much for it, at least not much of any substance. Not that substance was ever a goal.

The goal is, in fact, the blatant display of avarice for everything, but mostly fast cars, girls and power. A group of millionaires (Eddie Griffin, Angus Macfadyen and Tim Matheson) bet on illegal races using their personal collection of exotic cars. Natasha (daytime soap actress Nadia Bjorlin) is a notch racecar driver/singer (because there are a lot of those) whom Michael (Macfadyen) blackmails and forces to drive for him in a dangerous race. With the help of an Iraq vet called Carlos (Nathan Phillips of Snakes on a Plane ), Natasha works all the angles to affect the outcome of the race and get herself out of this predicament.

Directed by stuntman Andy Cheng, Redline mostly feels like one long stunt intercut with the boring parts of a porn movie. Mostly, it's just a lot of incoherent cutting between action driving, scantly clad ladies and dudes posing—except for one good scene: When a member of comic/actor Griffin's hip-hop tycoon character's entourage gets a little to talky for his liking while on his private jet, he has the pilot land on a two-lane highway where he unceremoniously kicks her out, luggage and all, and takes off again. That joke alone might be worth the $26 million. Distributor: Chicago
Cast: Angus Macfadyen, Nathan Phillips, Eddie Griffin, Nadia Bjorlin, Kevin Levrone and Wyclef Jean
Director: Andy Cheng
Screenwriter: Robert Foreman
Producer: Daniel Sadek
Genre: Action
Rating: PG-13 for violence, illegal and reckless behavior, sexual content, language and drug references
Running time:
Release date: April 13, 2007