Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (April 17, 2024)
When I initially reviewed 2010’s Faster in 2011, I opined that I didn’t think Dwayne Johnson would ever become a true “A-list” movie star.
Oops.
In my defense, Johnson had been in movies almost a decade at that point and he’d failed to really break out as a leading man. Faster offered another argument for what I contended at the time.
Despite a prime circa Thanksgiving release date, the movie went nowhere at the box office. It ended up with a poor $35 million total worldwide, so even with a discount budget of $24 million, it bombed.
After a decade in prison, Driver (Johnson) gains his release. Through his entire stay, only one thought consumed him: revenge for the death of his brother, as he died when someone screwed them over during a robbery gone wrong.
Once he leaves prison, Driver immediately goes after his mission of vengeance. This leads him on a series of bloody excursions and sends a variety of folks on his tail, as both cops (Billy Bob Thornton and Carla Gugino) and assassins (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) pursue the single-minded ex-con.
When Johnson launched his acting career, I must admit I hoped he’d flop. I didn’t think much of the whole pro wrestling scene, so I didn’t expect him to be anything more than an obnoxious lunkhead.
To my pleasant surprise, Johnson displayed much more talent and personality than expected. Once he got past brain-dead he-man roles such as in 2002’s Scorpion King, we saw a bright personality and comedic flair.
For whatever reason, it took awhile for audiences to really warm up to Johnson as an action hero. Perhaps this stemmed from too many mediocre movies like this one.
Not that Faster offers a total loss or a genuinely bad film. As a basic revenge tale, it has its moments, especially during the first act or so.
The movie starts fast and brutal, as it depicts a true man on a mission. We see Driver as a single-minded killer with nearly superhuman revolve, and his backstory unfolds in a manner that keeps us intrigued.
For a while, at least, but then Faster forgets its purpose and gets bogged down in a surprising amount of touchy-feely character moments. When these stick with the relationship between Driver and his brother, they’re fine, but then they expand into other characters, and that decision leads to a massive “who the frack cares?” from the viewer.
This choice seems especially odd given the movie’s apparent preference to treat its main roles as archetypes. For instance, “Driver” isn’t the character’s name.
Instead, it describes his part in the heist that led to his brother’s demise. Two other prominent roles are simply called “Cop” and “Killer”.
When a script goes that way, it tells me the filmmakers don’t want to even vaguely consider character background and development. Had Faster stayed with the roles in such a basic manner, it would’ve worked better.
That does seem counterintuitive, as usually movies come with too little development, not too much. However, in this case, the added info about backstory and relationships just makes the movie drag.
These moments detract from the meat of the film and turn it flabby. We don’t go to see films like this for three-dimensional characters, as we just want big, booming action.
Which we occasionally get, and when that happens, Faster works pretty well. I prefer Johnson as a lighter actor, as for all his tough guy exterior, he’s a deft comedic talent, and I think he fares best in those parts.
Nonetheless, he’s more than acceptable here. I think Johnson prospers in action flicks when he picks better ones.
Faster just isn’t a particularly well-developed effort. When it sticks with brutal action, it boasts some bite, but it stretches itself too thin with ineffective thematic and character moments. Those just slow it down and make it spin its wheels.
