Revenge – a dish best served quickly

Director: George Tillman Jr
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Ten years ago, Driver (Johnson) was part of a bank heist that went horribly wrong with his brother winding up dead. Recently released from prison, Driver is now determined to punish the men who killed his brother but settling the score won’t be easy.

With two men on his trail – a veteran cop (Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Jackson-Cohen) – the hunter is also being hunted and the closer he gets to his targets, the more he puts himself at risk. Just as Driver starts to think he’s gotten everyone on his list, he discovers one name that seems to be missing.

Johnson may not go by ‘The Rock’ anymore, but he’s still built like Stonehenge and has learned the difference between looking angry and looking focused. Like Faster itself, his performance is fierce and convincing, evoking a time when action films were more grit than fluff.

There is nothing subtle about Faster, and that may be its saving grace. This is not the best action film ever made, but it is a surprisingly satisfying one.

Genre: Action | Crime | Drama
Age Restriction: R
Runtime: 95 min