Review: Faster Proves Dwayne Johnson Is More Than Just Muscle.
- Apr 2, 2017
- 2 min read
Starting out as a wrestler, Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, made his break into block busters in 2001's The Mummy Returns. Since then his acting career has been a series of ups and downs, mostly downs. It wasn't until he joined up with The Fast And Furious crew that he became a bonafide action star. But before he tried to bust up Vin Diesel, he made Faster, the one movie that shows exactly what The Rock can do.
Driver (Dwayne Johnson) is a newly released convict, a criminal with a mysterious past. Within a day of his release he's got himself a car, a gun and a thirst for vengeance for crimes unknown. Called in to investigate the case is Cop (Billy Bob Thornton), a drug addled law enforcer days away from retirement. But a third player is yet to join, Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a millionaire turned hitman with some deep seated emotional problems. It's convict vs cop vs killer and it's going to get messy.
To say I never expected a decent performance from Dwayne johnson would be an understatement. He's good at what he does, but all he does is have big muscles and look imposing. So to see him convey incredible range and emotion with very few words. He's imposing as always but as an aura of rage, coated in fury and anger. He doesn't take his time when he kills, he simply ends them and moves on. He's driven, determined and truly excellent. The Rock has never been better.
The plot of the film is equally excellent. While at face value it's little more than a revenge film, there's multiple undercurrents running through, everything from redemption to forgiveness. Billy bob Thornton is great as the man who's just trying to get by, stuck between The Rock and a hard place and he does a damn good job of it.
Faster is worth seeing. If you like action movies, The Rock or solid crime thrillers, definitely check it out. Sure, it might make everything Dwayne Johnson does after you watch it seem lesser but it's a price you should be more than willing to pay.
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