Moviegoers got their first taste of Dwayne Johnson with a brief role in THE MUMMY RETURNS back in 2001.  At the time we called him “The Rock”, carrying over his wrestling persona from the WWF days.  He reprised his big screen role in THE SCORPION KING in 2002, proving he could potentially be this generation’s answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s CONAN THE BARBARIAN.  In the 2003 action-adventure THE RUNDOWN, The Rock even got an on-screen passing of the torch when Arnold made a cameo in the first few minutes of the film, telling him to “Have fun.”  I for one particularly enjoyed that film, and the wrestler showed he had effective acting chops in the roughest of scenes, all under the intense direction of Peter Berg.  Sadly, since then many of the big man’s movies have either failed to perform well at the box office, or just come across as pandering kiddie fare that many of his hardcore fans were repulsed by.  A few years ago he started officially going by “Dwayne Johnson” in the credits, which is a choice that has apparently stuck.  But many have wondered if we’d ever truly see the tough guy we all fell in love with back in a serious tough guy role.  The new movie FASTER is just that.  Dwayne Johnson takes the lead in this dark and gritty revenge flick, which would make Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin proud.

Our story opens with a man simply called “Driver” (Johnson) getting out of prison after a 10-year stint.  He wastes no time picking up a car, and using requested paperwork to track down a group of men.  The first one is found within a modest cubicle-filled office building, and Driver quickly disposes of him with a shot to the head. We meet another man simply called “Cop” (Billy Bob Thornton playing a detective with a drug addiction) and an Officer Cicero (the always stunning Carla Gugino), who end up working together on the murdered victim’s case, trying to establish why someone would kill a man so brutally and in such a quick fashion.  As the story unfolds we learn that Driver is getting revenge on the men responsible for his brother’s death… the same men who though they had killed him too.  We also meet a British thrill-seeking hitman simply referred to as “Killer” (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and his rather understanding girlfriend Lily (Maggie Grace).  Killer made millions early in life, and now constantly looks for the next big thrill, which may be getting married and leading a somewhat normal life with Lily.  But he must first hunt down his latest target, which happens to be Driver.  Both Cop and Killer begin to get closer to Driver, as the man continues exacting his revenge.  But with this many volatile people in the same space, can any of this possibly end peacefully?

FASTER is a revenge movie, plain and simple.  It doesn’t pretend to be much else, and it doesn’t need to be.  Films like these are what I call throwback movies, harkening to a simpler time of cinema, when tough guys did what needed to be done, and we all just went along for the ride.  Director George Tillman Jr. (NOTORIOUS) understood this, and took the script by Tony and Joe Gayton and made a tough as nails revenge flick… just like the good ol’ days.  What is interesting is how CBS Films is marketing this movie, making it look action-heavy and full of chases and shootouts.  There are some of those elements present, but only in sparing doses (see the article HERE for a bit more elaboration on this subject), making me wonder if folks will appreciate this film or leave wanting more.  Personally, I liked the overall presentation, with a few exceptions.  Dwayne Johnson is pretty damn perfect as Driver, despite using little dialogue he manages to gain our support as an audience, and respect despite his rather cruel on-screen actions.  There’s a fine art toward playing an anti-hero successfully, and Johnson has figured it out.  Sometimes your determination and personal reasons are enough, and Driver is a protagonist I found myself rooting for, though never really understanding why.  I guess it’s one of those “If I were in his shoes I’d do the same thing” sort of deals.  Billy Bob Thornton looks a little out of place here, though he plays the disheveled cop character convincingly, I just never could wrap my head around this casting choice.  Maybe it’s because next to Johnson, he looks like he never stands a chance, or maybe it’s he just playing things a little too relaxed for to convey enough tension… I don’t know, I like Thornton a lot, I just had a hard time buying him in this role.  Carla Gugino does fine as the determined female detective, mixing the right blend of sexiness with tough girl resolve.  Maggie Grace looks better than ever as Lily, the understanding but cautious girlfriend to Killer.  There’s something very captivating about Grace when she’s in the right role, and here she underplays her character, yet still makes a sharp impression.  Moon Bloodgood shows up as the ex-girlfriend of Thornton’s character, with a very unglamorous and multi-layered portrayal – the unglamorous part being all the more impressive since Bloodgood is easily one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on in real life.  The targets for Johnson’s character are also well cast and effectively creepy, each adding their own little nuances to their respective characters – Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (LOST) gets the most to work with of this bunch, playing a reformed Evangelist extremely regretful of his former group’s actions.  But perhaps the most impressive performance comes from Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and his portrayal of the adrenaline junkie hitman who has beat the odds in life, so much so that he doesn’t know what his next great adventure should be.  Oliver’s rugged good looks and big screen presence could make him an easy contender for the next James Bond, and at the very least should help lead him to much bigger things.

While FASTER isn’t anything revolutionary, or even anything terribly memorable, it is a solid testosterone film – a guy’s movie, that women will probably enjoy because of the good-looking male cast, and men will appreciate for the opposite reasons.  Did I enjoy this as much as THE RUNDOWN?  No.  Did I enjoy it more than WALKING TALL?  Yes.  This may not be the thrilling return of The Rock to action movies everyone is hoping for, but it is a return to a more serious type of movie for Johnson, and that’s a good thing.  Unlike his films of recent years, this is definitely not suited for kids, and some adults may find select scenes hard to watch.  But the gritty and dark aspects of FASTER are part of its charm, and give us an end result which is perhaps more effectively honoring the Grindhouse films of yesteryear than even GRINDHOUSE ever could.  If you’re a fan of movies like DEATH WISH or STRAW DOGS, then this will be a welcome addition to your tough guy film database.  The Rock is cooking again, and thankfully using the right ingredients.

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