Guns, explosions, clichéd irony

Rating: 5/10 (21 December 2005)

Edgy and poignant for 1985, but we've seen this kind of thing too many times now. Pulp Fiction-y dialog and plot thread tie-ins--intentionally too clever and astute, but now with no effect.
Crash's fatal flaw is its lack of imagination, relying on the usual genre gimmicks. Guns = drama. Explosions = high drama. Muted action sequences = breathless drama. Sex = gritty. Racial dialog = tension. Imagination would be not including these elements and still engaging the viewer sensually and emotionally.
This is watchable on the basis of its production and acting qualities, but just barely.