The straight to video action genre must be the fastest expanding percentage of the home video market I swear not. So these days with so much out there, it's hard to figure out what's worth your time, money and what's best left on the shelf for eternity. More times than not, most movies aren't worth either, but we're all suckers for something especially "us guys". Yes it may be a stereotype that guys like car crash movies, guns 'n babes flicks and any movie with the words "death" "kill" "gun" or "action" in it's title, but it rings sorta true. It's on this simple premise so many movies come out each year with titles that you expect to know what you're getting. The box naturally trying it's hardest to win you over too. Let's take a hypothetical situation. There's three movie boxes in front of you. All action titles.<br /><br />(1) First one stars a familiar face or two, but nobody special. The movie's box is predominately pretty plain looking (cheap). Two guys on top of a car firing guns right at us. The title screams "boring". The kind of box you've seen a hundred times before on your local video shelves.<br /><br />(2) A pair of sexy blonds (dillinger in stockings: optional) stand off to the side of the b-movie star holding a silenced handgun. In the background, an overlay of a building blowing up and a helicopter whistling through the air with a man hanging out. Title sounds action-like, the box is suggestive and the art sells it.<br /><br />(3) Box displays a fallen Hollywood star now resigned to doing B-movie leads lying in the grass in full cameo fatigues with a sniper's rifle. A sexy brunette assassin in the background showing ample cleavage and a mighty sharp blade. Off to the side a cobra gunship firing from the air and all this is surrounding by one large red rifle sight.<br /><br />The visual creatures we are, chances are you're thinking about (2) or (3) or maybe you're getting nothing from these choices. Alas in my deepest hopes of saving you from another disappointment, I recommend Drive.<br /><br />An absolute gem for all of us action movies junkies - the kinda flick that makes up for the twenty or so dog piles you've gone through previously. It's quite the action experience for direct-to-video fare, the fight choreography is great, Dacascos is at the top of his form and is better than anyone I've seen in the kick-kick genre of late. The explosions work, the acting is surprisingly decent for this sort of nonsense and the start, middle and end are entertaining. Yeah the story is somewhat of a test pattern, but everyone involved makes it work and god it's about time. Finally a buddy/action movie that's both action packed and funny too. Kadeem Hardison and Dacascos put together some funny stuff and if this is low budget it's not showing. The production values are crisp. All except maybe that fake, prosthetic arm.<br /><br />This is definitely one movie I could live with a sequel from. It deserves one because it overcame the odds. Do yourself a favor. Rent this. You heard me. If you're a fan of DTV action fare and you want it tight and refreshingly done then this is your meal ticket. Oh yeah and before I forget ... remember that hypothetical situation with the movie boxes? Drive was (1). The irony.