The movie Faster opens with a very muscular man pacing violently back and forth in his cell. He keeps looking at an old picture of him and his buddy with determination emanating from every pore of his body. This is a man who knows exactly what he’s going to do when he gets out. And we, the viewers, also know exactly what kind of movie is Faster. Slick, cool, no-bullshit action movie with one hell of a cast and quite an intriguing story. A story that even manages to touch upon some real events.
They’re revolving around the L.A. C.R.A.S.H. unit that served as an inspiration for a lot of movies, television shows, and even video games. Training Day, The Shield, and GTA: San Andreas are just some of them. Also, be sure to check out the upcoming movie Rampart starring Woody Harrelson. Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock has a certain charm and charisma that makes him much more than just a muscle man. The man can act, he’s capable of showing emotions and this makes him perfect for these kinds of roles. Opposite of him we have the old pervert Billy Bob Thorton, as nasty as ever.
So, this is an homage to seventies revenge movies with all the testosterone and cool cars that go along with it. Our main character, Driver drives a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a genuine pussy magnet to quote Borat. These almost grindhouse movies are starting to become really popular and I really like that. Just recently we had the opportunity to check out Machete and Hobo With a Shotgun. Both of these movies were produced after the huge success of the Grindhouse package consisting of Planet Terror and Death Proof. However, Faster is a much more streamlined and almost mainstream movie than all of them.
Just like its lead, it’s got only one thing in mind and that’s entertainment. Moreover, this movie is on from fucking minute one. And while we will get more thrills than action, I would still call it an action movie. However, I thought that you should know that. Especially if you’re looking for non-stop action. In that case, I recommend you check out The Raid: Redemption or Dredd. I also want to mention that I didn’t dig that Killer character. He’s just too unbelievable and over-the-top but what can you do, he’s in the fucking movie. Luckily, we got a pretty strong supporting cast to help with that.
Finally, I do have to mention the 1999’s Payback starring Mel Gibson. Mostly because it also features a story about a heist gone wrong, a guy left for dead, and vengeance. Now, I know that I’m still under the influence of last night’s viewing so some of you might not find Faster as a compelling movie as I did. Character development could have been better along with writing. Still, with a runtime of just ninety minutes, I’m sure you won’t regret checking it out.
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Writers: Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Mike Epps, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Fun Facts: For the fight scene in the club toilet, Dwayne Johnson’ spent two days learning “52 Blocks”, a fighting style originating from West Coast prisons.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1433108/
