Faster

Starring: Dwayne Johnson & Billy Bob Thornton

Faster stars Dwayne Johnson as Driver, just released from prison for being the driver in a bank robbery gone wrong.  Billy Bob is the cop on his tail, trying to solve the mystery of the seemingly random killing spree Driver has embarked on upon his release.

This is how I like my Rock. Raw, and chock full of bad-assess.  Part of Dwayne Johnson's appeal is his charm and screen presence.  Dwayne has cashed in on this appeal with a slew of family friendly, Disney films.  And who can blame him?  But what I like about Dwayne is when he does a hard core action movie.  Initially, he would go by the moniker, 'The Rock' for the action films, and as Dwayne Johnson in his more serious or family film roles.  Well, it appears we've dropped the Rock identity all together, and delivered his first balls out legitimate R-rated action flick.  No, Doom does not count.

So is this Dwayne's Die Hard?  Not quite.  But it's not a bad first step.  It is a stripped down, ultra violent, revenge flick.  There really are no frills here.  I seem to have a soft spot for this specific film genre; Get Carter, Death Wish, Man On Fire, Harry Brown, et al.  Though it may not measure with the best of them, it's certainly in the middle of the pack.  There's an attempt at a twist ending that's telegraphed early in the film.  And it makes a play for redemption that ends up feeling a little hollow.  All and all, if you're in the mood for good old fashioned, raw, revenge movie, 'Faster' would be an enjoyable view.

Report Card: B-

Faster is still available in some theaters.  

No Blu-ray/DVD release date is available at this time.