Faster

FASTER sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson returning to the fold of action cinema after wasting his time in dumb comedies and kiddie movies. This is a straightforward revenge saga about a man betrayed by a criminal gang who finally leaves prison and sets out on a path of vengeance. None of it is remotely surprising, but the story is handled with a certain amount of finesse and there's nary a dull moment along the way.

I've been a fan of The Rock since his days in THE MUMMY RETURNS and he acquits himself well with the material here, playing basically a brooding character who isn't much given to humour or dialogue. Supporting him is a typically kooky Billy Bob Thornton as a drug-addicted cop and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (WORLD WITHOUT END) as a dedicated hit-man. More briefly-seen cast members include Tom Berenger, Moon Bloodgood and Jennifer Carpenter, all of whom do well with the brief screen time they're allowed. Watch out for the opening song, a nice little shout out to the 1970s polizia sub-genre.

The problem with FASTER is that the material is rather light and there's not enough of it to fill out the running time; as a result, we get a lengthy and uninteresting sub-plot about the British hit-man and his relationship with TAKEN actress Maggie Grace. Jackson-Cohen is miscast and in any case the character is a waste of time who drags down the enjoyment factor whenever he appears. I had no idea what he was doing here but this sub-plot alone is enough to knock a couple of stars off the rating. Other than that, FASTER is enjoyable enough and has plenty of twists and action to keep you watching if not entirely satisfied.

(Synopsis) After serving 10 years in prison for bank robbery, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has only one mission in life, to avenge the murder of his older brother who was killed when they were double-crossed after the heist. Now a free man with the names and addresses in hand, there is nothing on earth that can stop him from killing all of them. However, two people are in the hunt to stop him, veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) only days from retiring, and a young hit man (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), both on Driver's trail. The race is on, and there can be only one winner.

(My Comment) The story is simple and straight to the point, Driver wants revenge. Driver gets out of prison after 10 years, and he starts hunting down the criminals who were responsible for killing his brother. However, things get complicated when a hit man comes after him. Not only does he have to avoid the cops, but now he is also a target. Physically, the Rock is imposing in this film, but he only speaks about 2 dozen words in the whole movie. The Rock does not have much dialog, but his tough mannerisms and cold blooded killer facial expressions are enough. Billy Bob Thornton's performance as the sleazy cop is excellent. If you want to see an action packed revenge flick, this is a good one to see. (CBS Films, Run Time 1:35, Rated R)(8/10)

Faster does not try to be anything it's not. It is a fast paced action flick with plausible performances from all round.

I've always liked Thornton as he is very good at playing a drugged out low life. He is perfect for this role. Forget Thornton though, nothing fits better than the role "The Rock" played. A cold mean*** man with big muscles looking for revenge. That's exactly who the Rock is and I could easily say there was no better man for the job! Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the hit-man also played a decent role and I really liked the addition to his role of being "challenged." Maybe I'm not expressing myself very well, but what I think I'm trying to say is that Faster didn't feel corny in any scenes. Like most action films go waaaaaay overboard or some try to mix too much drama into it when it's supposed to be an action flick. I didn't feel any negative element like that linger around in Faster. It's solid action that's believable and although it does have some drama in it, it's woven in quite well, but in any case, the action overpowers any other element the movie may have to offer.

Throughout the movie I was actually gripped with tension and it also has a good twist at the end, though the smarter movie goer would probably pick it up early on.

I really can't say anything bad about this film besides the fact it's just an action movie, and that's not a negative because that's what it set out to be and that's what it is. No academy performances, no sensational script (but much better than other actions movies because like I said no corny scenes, all plausible), no dodgy romance scenes.

By the way, without giving too much of a spoiler, I also really enjoyed the fact how Faster developed a scenario where I expected at least one character's life to turned to ruins, but instead, an unexpected but easily believable resolution was found. Everyone got what they deserved, which is great, and I also got what I deserved: enjoyable action! By the way, this movie no where near deserves a 6.7 rating on IMDb. I know action titles aren't given too much credit, but Faster deserves to be at least 7, probably about 7.2.

I was surprised by this somewhat. I expected a brainless revenge thriller. What I got was a nicely crafted caper, a throwback, a homage, to several genre films.

The storytelling was straight to the point, almost linear. A vengeful juggernaut-The Rock-gets out of jail and seeks revenge for his murdered brother. He's as focused as a laser missile. An eclectic cast of characters are in his way. A strung-out cop out for redemption (Billy Bob Thornton), a neurotic hit-man and various unsavory people.

I thought this was nice nod to 70s style vengeance driven movies and somewhat reminiscent of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake's PARKER character (seen, in its most recent incarnation in PAYBACK, starring MEL Gibson: one man seeking revenge against fellow criminals). A man focused on his mission. The Rock is a cold-blood murder machine. Nothing heroic or even sympathetic about this guy, which makes him fascinating to watch as he runs down his list.

This movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it is a nice cure for the sugar coated holiday releases flooding our cinemas. A nice balance of violence, solid acting and some great music provided by THE HEAVY.

Suspense and moving film with full of frenetic action , spectacular pursuits , crossfire and lots of violence . Action and suspense film whose plot revolves around two obsessions, the line of duty and the thirst for revenge . Stars a hunk , lone ex-con , named Drive (Dwayne Johnson) . He has been imprisoned for a bank robbery that was wrong . Being released from prison after talking to the warden (Tom Berenger) who tells him he should be a better person . In order to exact vendetta as he was imprisoned after being set-up, he violently goes into action . After ten years in prison, Driver has one single objective : to avenge the death of his brother (Matt Gerald) , murdered in the same botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment . While he follows in his footsteps , a veteran police officer (Billy Bob Thornton) tries to find out who is guilty of the murder . Later on, a nameless and cocky hitman 'Killer' (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is hired to kill Driver. As the contract killer tells his girlfriend Lily (Maggie Grace) , with whom he wants to marry , his next assignment . Drive becomes desperate as he discovers thorny tracks . This year, the holidays come faster. If you're on his list, you're already dead . Slow Justice is No Justice. Justice is swift. Vengeance is faster.

This is good thriller with lots of action , impressive scenes , strong violence , plot twists and suspenseful . A nail-biting and intriguing flick that results to be tense for the whole movie . An interesting plot in which a man who's paroled facing a relentless vengeance from an unjust robbery in which he's betrayed and executing a risked personal mission , acting as a judge , jury and executioner. This ¨Faster¨ manages to provide the right amount of thrill and action in a way it keeps you interested and expecting throughout all of the time . Brooding and provoking script by screenwriters Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton who are executive producers as well . In the picture there are thrills , violence , drama , tension and a little bit of action in the final chases among cars . The picture obtained success enough thanks to the great Dwayne Johnson who gives a stunning acting as a lonely man, recently released from prison , seeking out the delinquentes from his past who he believes betrayed him . Dwayne Johnson returns to action genre in which he's a main figure after some family films , such as : Tooth fairy and The game plan . Well accompanied by a great cast of notorious actors , such as : Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino , Oliver Jackson Chen , Maggie Grace , Annie Corley , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Moon Bloodgood, Jennifer Carpenter , and brief appearance from Tom Berenger, Xander Berkeley , Mike Epps , Jack Wallace , and Courtney Gans.

It contains an intriguing and suspenseful musical score by composer Clint Mansell . As well as adequate and some dark cinematography by cameraman Michael Grady . The motion picture was competently directed by George Tillman Jr . Tillman is a good director and writer, known for his excellent scripts and successful movies . This above average motion picture lavishly produced was competently directed by George Tillman Jr . He is a good writer , producer and filmmaker . His first feature film, Scenes for the soul , it was shot entirely in Chicago, using local talent and resources. Following the momentum of this success, George began to write a script, loosely based on his own life , Soul Food . George's next directorial effort was Men of honor . Going on other successes as Faster , Roll Bounce , Inevitable defeat of Mister and Pete . In addition to directing features, George helmed the pilot Love is a four letter world for NBC, along with episodes of Starz' Power , Netflix/Marvel's Luke Cage , and NBC's dramedy This is us , among others . Rating : 7.5/10 , better than average.