Welcome back Mr. Dwayne Johnson.
After a few years away from the game, Johnson has finally returned to what he does best....kicking ass! Granted his triumphant return doesn't make Faster a good movie, let it be known that it sucks, but it is a comforting sigh of relief for his older fan base who appreciate the tougher side to the once famous wrestler.
Faster, Johnson's first R-rated film since 2005, tells the story of an ex-con who is out for vengeance. Traveling the country in an effort to avenge his brother's death, our leading man bears no pain, no fear and requires no second guessing. He is a shoot now, ask questions later kind of guy, and he will stop at nothing to see that his journey is complete.
Sound familiar? It should. The entire time I sat there watching this film all I could do was point out the similarities it bore to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, and that was a much better movie. Attempting to construct a story around semi-appealing visuals and a somewhat stylish color scheme, Faster failed to ever break the barrier and actually become unique.
Billy Bob Thornton and Carla Gugino serve as supporting stars, and while neither gave a hideous performance, the film was doomed from the script stage. The dialogue was too cliche and the story a bit too generic to generate much excitement; a requirement for any film that features a guy the size of Johnson walking into an office building and shooting a guy at point blank range.
The best thing about Faster is that it finally gives us a chance to remember why we fell in love with Johnson years ago. Granted I wish he had returned in a much better film, but I will take anything I can get. Hard R is Johnson's home, and while the box office is unlikely to welcome him back, his dedicated fans should be able to find some way to enjoy this film. Everyone else, you're on your own.
