Movie Review: Faster

Faster is an action thriller movie starring Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Moon Bloodgood, Tom Berenger, and Carla Gugino. When Jimmy Cullen leaves prison after serving his time for armed robbery, he locates three things: his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a gun, and a list of names. The people involved in their betrayal after their last heist, and responsible for the death of his brother. Soon those names start getting ticked off as the body count rises. But a hitman has been hired to eliminate Jimmy and so a game of cat and mouse begins. The story is a lot more complex than expected with nice twists and turns and some spectacular double and triple cross.

Dwayne Johnson as Jimmy is what we all expect of The Rock – he’s big and brawny, can knock down anyone, and is definitely the go-to guy when you need help in a bar fight. Although typecast, Johnson always manages to imbue his roles with a sense of integrity and realism so that you believe he is the character, in this case Jimmy avenging his brother’s death. Even when he plays the ‘bad guy,’ Johnson is always somehow a ‘good guy.’ Playing off Johnson is Billy Bob Thornton, always a superb actor. Anyone who likes little guy versus big corporation scenarios should watch him in Goliath. Here he plays Det. Slade Humphries who is a not-so-squeaky clean cop with a fervent desire to bring Jimmy Cullen in and put him back behind bars, where he surely belongs. He is partnered with Det. Cicero played by Carla Gugino. I haven’t seen much of this actress, but her performances are always solid and, as a supporting character, she is watchable and steady.

I thought this would be a nice mindless action movie to while away a few hours, with not too much thought required and a simple open and shut plot. Faster is anything but that and really surprised me. Yes, there is a lot of driving very fast, much bloodshed, bad guys getting their come-uppance, and Jimmy Cullen isn’t in a forgiving mood. But there are several unexpected moments, and this drives the often-surprising plot twists. The final revelation, when Jimmy realizes who set them up, who betrayed them, and who shot him in the head all those years ago and left him for dead, is jaw-dropping. The resolution with the hired killer is also quite intriguing as the killer’s subplot unfolds. Overall, not your average wham-bam-kill-’em-all movie. Very well worth watching. Make popcorn. Lots of it.

Movie review: San Andreas

 

San Andreas is a 2015 American disaster/thriller movie starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Ioan Gruffudd, Alexandra Daddario, Archie Panjabi, and Paul Giamatti. A massive earthquake caused by the San Andreas fault devastates the West Coast of the US. The movie tracks the efforts of Ray Gaines, a recue helicopter pilot, as he tries to save his wife and daughter from the terrible destruction unfolding before his eyes.

I love disaster movies. However, with only SFX and no heart or bad acting, these can end up being just a parade of clever, hi-tech, dramatic, and expensive stunts that soon get boring. One example of this is Twisters 2 which had fantastic scenarios of storms and the aftermath but a wooden leading actress and thus no heart or warmth. San Andreas has 100% and more of drama, tension, suspense, gasps, and nail-biting moments as the characters struggle to survive. There are tons of incredible special effects and action sequences. The opening stunning helicopter rescue scene alone sets the tone and establishes the main character. Filming was no walk in the park for the actors with collapsing skyscrapers, a spectacular tsunami, submerged high rises, sinking buildings, flying debris, capsized boats, and more.

Dwayne Johnson isn’t going to play Shakespeare any time soon, but he does the manly action stuff very well and infuses the right amount of energy and credibility into his roles. I have seen most of his movies and I like him. Carla Gugino plays his estranged wife Emma and is a very competent, complementary foil. The utterly gorgeous Alexandra Daddario plays their daughter Blake with loads of energy and enthusiasm and if I am ever in an earthquake scenario, I want her on my team. Ioan Gruffudd plays Emma’s self-serving boyfriend who leaves Blake trapped in a car in the underground parking while he saves his own slimy skin. He is not a bad actor but seems best suited for the ‘creepy guy’ roles. Paul Giamatti as Dr. Lawrence Hayes, a Caltech seismologist, is a solid, dependable actor. I have seen him in a variety of roles, from historical to modern day. My favourite is The Illusionist, set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, where he plays the Inspector. He is a fine actor and the best of the bunch. There is also plenty of room for nice cameo roles. Two stand out for energy and loads of charm. Hugo Johnstone (Ben Taylor) and his ‘annoying little brother’ Ollie (Art Parkinson) meet Blake and save her from being crushed to death in the parking garage. Ollie is just adorable as Hugo’s cheeky wingman at the age when a smitten youngster can tell a young woman she is ‘just beautiful’ and not get his face slapped.

San Andreas is a good go-to movie for disaster fans like me. I have watched it five times now and always spot something new. The soundtrack includes the fantastic California Dreamin’ (The Mommas and the Poppas) and the movie version is quite haunting. So, if you’re looking for a nailbiter of a movie for a Saturday night, with loads of popcorn (you’ll need it), this is your movie of choice.