Faster

Revenge & Redemption

[Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen]

image from daemonsmovies.com

RANT: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 killed at the box office, leaving little else for any other film. Even rolling into the holiday week, we will see if any film can make a dent in the behemoth that is the J.K. Rowling's franchise.

SYNOPSIS: The man referred to as "Driver" finishes a dime in prison with a mission to kill the people responsible for the execution of his brother and the failed attempt on him.

2009 Notorious director George Tillman Jr. returns with the next Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movie vehicle. Aside from fast muscle and high-end sports cars, Faster brings action and vengeance back to the box-office.

Knowing what to expect from a Dwayne Johnson movie is half the battle. Just enjoy the stiff dialogue, bulging muscles, decent story, and lots of adrenaline! The major characters do not even have names. This is not true, of course, but proper names seems to only be on The Driver's hit list. In order to keep his rage fueled and our sympathies focuses, the men on his list are simply the Telemarketer (Courtney Gains), the Bouncer (Ski Cutty Carr), the Evangelist (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and the Old Guy (John Cirigliano). Adding to the mix are Rachel Weitz look-alike Carla Gugino as Detective Cicero, Billy Bob Thornton as the Cop, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the Killer.

Strange dynamics are afoot in this film. Johnson's Driver has a Terminator's icy revenge-filled demeanor over the assassination of his brother. Thornton's Cop is a man with days to retirement, a separated marriage with a drug addicted wife and an innocent son in the middle of it all. Jackson-Cohen's Killer is a adrenaline junkie whose mastery over everything to support his constant reinvention has left him wayward and wanting. Each thread serve as separate bullets, but with the same caliber. Each man is faced with what drives him, what decisions are made in their pursuit, and what is gained or found at the end of the road.

If you need an action flick fix, this may take the edge off for awhile. With shootouts, car chase, Johnson's smoldering dark eyes and extreme physique, Faster has enough of the goods to go well with popcorn. But after that, I have to leave this film in the hands the fans to see how fast it leaves the theaters.

Worth: Matinee

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!