Review - Faster

Forgiveness Is Faster, But Revenge Rules

Driver (Dwayne Johnson) is out of prison and he’s got one thing on his mind, revenge. He was in prison for his role in a bank robbery. He was the only remaining survivor after the group was ambushed and killed for their loot. It was then he vowed to get even, and kill all those involved. Today, he begins to keep the vow.

His vengeance leads him first to a telemarketer and after walking into an office and gunning him down in broad daylight he as a Cop (Billy Bob Thornton) on his tail. The Cop and his partner for this case (Carla Gugino) try to put together the pieces and find out who this man is that committing cold blooded murder, and why.

There is one more thing that will make the next couple days a bit interesting. Someone has hired a Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) to take out Driver as they feel they might be at the top of his list. Now it’s just a matter of who will be killed next. Is anyone safe? Just how will this revenge plot play itself out?

This feels a bit like a classic revenge movie. There is the foreboding music, the washed out colors, and the really rough visuals. Dwayne Johnson sheds the lighthearted image he has recently led with in films for the rougher, tougher role. It works, as Johnson can do just about anything.

The rest of the cast rolls through the punches, even if only onscreen briefly. It’s a bit of a murky developing film; there is not much beyond the base plot line. I still found myself racing as the revenge played out. The faster it went, the faster I went. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Despite the fact that some may object to the film’s revenge story, it shouldn’t slow down. Faster is perfect for the audience it’s searching for, and still fun for just about all the rest of us.

C+

Faster
CBS Films

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Rating: R for strong violence, some drug use and language.
Runtime: 95 minutes.