Today’s quick review: Faster. After ten years in prison, the driver for a bank job (Dwayne Johnson) sets out to get revenge on the crew that killed his brother. He begins hunting down the killers one by one, but his bold murders catch the attention of the police, who assign a washed-up detective (Billy Bob Thornton) and his new partner (Carla Gugino) to the case. Meanwhile, a hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) takes a contract on the driver’s life.
Faster is an action movie and crime drama starring Dwayne Johnson. Faster is a very direct movie in terms of its pacing and its protagonist. The nameless driver wastes no time in checking the names off his list, and his blunt efficiency gives the film much of its momentum. Along the way, the film also builds up a tidy mystery around the driver’s motives and who is on his list. The result is basic but satisfying action flick with a dark tone.
Faster’s main weakness is that it aspires to more drama than it can properly support. The movie goes out of its way to inject moral ambiguity into the driver’s kills, but neither the writing nor the direction is up to the task. Moments that are meant to be meaningful have only part of the desired effect, and Faster never breaks free of its action movie roots. Even so, the drama doesn’t miss the mark by much, and it helps to keep the tension high.
Check out Faster when you’re in the mood for an action flick with a slightly darker tone. The movie doesn’t take full advantage of the resources at its disposal, with missed chances for more effective drama and a role that only puts a portion of Dwayne Johnson’s talents to use. But in spite of these flaws, Faster serves up a nice mix of violence and plot, moves quickly, and delivers on its promises, making it a serviceable pick for action fans.
For a more stylized tale of revenge, try Kill Bill. For a moody action movie with another quiet, highly motivated protagonist, try Drive. For a crime drama that plays in the same space as the police side of the story, try Insomnia. For an action movie about a fighter’s life after prison, try Blood and Bone. For a much darker, more passive crime drama about an ex-con and revenge, try The Samaritan.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for solid action and a focused plot.