Day 118: "God can't save you from me."

A throwback action/revenge movie, 2010's Faster was not exactly what I had expected.  It was a bit better.  A film completely unencumbered by things such as expansive character development, a deep storyline, and subtle acting, Faster is a movie that gets right to the point in the quickest and most direct way possible.  Every character in this is, in one way or another, completely reprehensible, and it's difficult to find anyone to root for as a protagonist.  The plot is straightforward: "Driver" is released from a ten year prison stint, and goes on a Terminator-esque quest to avenge the death of his brother, who was murdered in a double cross.  Hunted by a relentless cop, who is days away from retirement, and a self-centered assassin, hired to end the "Driver's" rampage.  If I had to compare this to other films, it would fall under the same category as ones like: Point Blank, Payback (itself a remake of Point Blank), Get Carter (either one), and even Vanishing Point.  The action is substantial, the kills are sufficiently gruesome, and, best of all, it is concise in telling its story.  No lengthy dialogues recapping the basis for the characters' pain here.  Simple storytelling.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Driver.  Seriously, that is his name, the writers were stripping the story down so close to the bone they couldn't even be bothered to name him.  Johnson is like Schwarzenegger, the less he talks, the better the movie.  See Conan the Barbarian then watch Junior if you don't believe me, and for Johnson, watch this then watch Tooth Fairy, I think my point has been made.  Billy Bob Thornton is the cop on Driver's tail, a man with a past of his own.  Rounding out the main cast is Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer (another no name character), the assassin with issues.

I wasn't kidding when I compared Driver to a Terminator: same look in the eyes, some of the same invulnerability.  If you're looking for art, look somewhere else.  Faster is a flat out actioner that doesn't stop until everyone is dead.  Having now watched my fair share of craptastic action movies, this is a long, long way from the worst.  I'd have to qualify this as a new addition to my guilty pleasures list.  Not going in the library, but I'll watch it again.  7.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!