There's something about 'Crank 2'

"Crank 2: High Voltage," starring Jason Statham, was given three different releases on Sept. 9, 2009:
- Single-disc, double-sided DVD edition,
- Fully Charged two-disc DVD edition with special features and a digital copy and
- Fully Charged two-disc Blu-ray edition with digital copy.

The DVD editions of the movie work fine without a hitch. However, there is a problem with the "Crank 2" Blu-ray that consumers need to know about.

It is possible that when you put "Crank 2" into your Blu-ray player, this will happen:
- You will see the loading screen, which represents a lightning bolt warning sign.
- It will disappear.
- It will come back and you will start to hear the Lionsgate opening sound.
- Then you will start seeing the previews through a small window where the loading graphic just was.

That means basically you will be able to watch the movie through a small window.

There are a couple things that will come to mind and no, your disc is not defective. And no, you do not need to update the firmware on your Blu-ray player. Well, I don't know if you need to update it, but that's not the problem.

It appears that it has something to do with your player's memory.

PlayStation 3 users shouldn't have this problem because the PS3 has a built-in memory already.

Standard Blu-ray players have a port for either an SD card or a flash drive. All I did to fix the problem was plug in a USB drive into the back of my player and the movie plays without a problem.

Since this issue with the Blu-ray disc exists, Lionsgate should have mentioned this on the back cover or included a paper insert to inform the consumer. Lionsgate should have also included the DVD edition with the movie instead of a digital copy. That way, you can still watch the movie (not in HD) without an external memory installed.

Basically, if you buy "Crank 2" on Blu-ray, make sure to buy a flash drive with it if you don't already have one.

I have read that the Skynet Edition of "Terminator 2" has a similar issue. However, I have never had a problem playing that on my Blu-ray player without a flash drive or an Internet connection.

Despite the issue, the video and audio quality of the movie is good. Like the first movie, it's an over-the-top action movie that's funnier than anything, so getting it in HD is something to seriously consider.

All of the features from the "Fully Charged" DVD are here. A bonus of the Blu-ray is a picture-in-picture commentary with the directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.

So is the Blu-ray worth it? Yes, if you have a flash drive in your player or have no problem buying one. Yes, if you have a Playstation 3.

If that's not your situation, don't bother. Buy the DVD. With the Blu-ray, you'll be watching the top of Statham's head most of the time at best.

The "Crank 2: High Voltage" Blu-ray is available on Amazon for $15.99. The single-disc DVD is also $15.99 on Amazon. The two-disc Fully Charged DVD is at Amazon for $19.98.

Best Buy's current sale has the "Crank" Blu-ray for $7.99 and the "Crank 2" Blu-ray for $12.99.