Dwayne Johnson (Southland Tales) has become one of the biggest celebrities of our time. Johnson revitalized what it meant to be a modern-day action star. Before a career breakthrough in 2011’s Fast Five, he took on varying B-movie-esque roles. While several of those films were forgettable, diamonds were in the rough. Amongst those diamonds is Johnson’s 2011 action film Faster. The story follows Driver (Dwayne Johnson), an ex-con who goes on a series of random killings that may or may not involve his crime-filled past. Along the way, Driver attracts the attention of a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) who has his own secrets. That is on top of being tracked by a hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). What follows is a story akin to a ‘70s Charles Bronson-like (Death Wish) grindhouse thriller.
In the modern age, Johnson has received criticism for his larger-than-life movie star presence. This includes critics complaining that he has played the same character in every movie. Faster showed Johnson’s strength as a physically imposing and near-silent action hero. With minimal dialogue, he has to establish Driver as a metaphorical grim reaper. He has one mission and will do whatever he must, no matter the repercussions. The film establishes just how bad these people he’s facing are and his warpath helps deliver some incredibly exciting action sequences.
Besides Driver’s motivation, those on his hit list suffer from more archetypal roles. Cop (Thornton) and Killer (Jackson-Cohen) carry their emotional baggage in the film. The problem is that their motivations are significantly less interesting to watch. That is especially true when they do not intersect with Driver himself. In large part, that can be attributed to the writing from Tony and Joe Gayton (Murder by Numbers and Bulletproof, respectively). The writing seems less interested in the world when Driver is not on screen. Both Cop and Killer’s “backstories” simply seem to help extend the running time due to those motivations not being original. That includes some of the twists in the story that can be seen coming miles away.
Driver’s revenge mission thrives as the film’s central hook for audiences. When the revenge story is front and center, the experience becomes rip-roaring fun. Once the film spends time with other characters, it becomes less engaging. This mainly occurs in the middle portion where Driver does not get as much to do. Thankfully, as it enters the third act, the story helps redeem itself. Once all of these personalities intersect, it helps deliver what audiences want, including exciting bare-bones shootouts and relentlessly face-paced and exciting car chases.
With its new Blu-ray release, these sequences offer some exhilarating action set pieces. The film’s grainy ‘70s-like quality pops on the screen, feeding into the film nostalgia for the era. Besides a fantastic audio and visual quality, one detail holds back this home release. That, unfortunately, involves a lack of unique special features. This sort of B-Movie would have been fascinating with behind-the-scenes footage. That is particularly true with Dwayne Johnson not being quite at the level of superstar viewers now know him to be. Hearing from his early days as an actor could have offered insight into his process. No matter how enjoyable the film is, without it, there is no personal connection to audiences.
Faster delivers on what fans of classic old-school action movies love, like basic character archetypes (i.e., The Cop, Hitman Ex-Con) and making them cross paths. When they do cross, the action offers thrilling results. The moments of “characterization” will leave most viewers wanting more. Those wanting to reminisce about the early days of Dwayne Johnson’s career should look no further. The film shows Johnson can deliver an engaging performance with the right story. That could have only been helped by the inclusion of insightful bonus features. Hearing more from Johnson himself could offer new insight for folks tired of his current acting schtick. Regardless, on a basic action movie level, you cannot go wrong picking up with the release.
Available on Blu-Ray February 13th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Faster webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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