Category Archives: Reviews

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” brings ’80s action figures to life more effectively than its predecessor

Duke (Channing Tatum) and Roadblock (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) carry out a covert operation in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation". Photo by Jaimie Trueblood.

For fans of the G.I. Joe toys, cartoons and comic books of the ’80s and early ’90s, 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was disappointing on many levels. And even though G.I. Joe: Retaliation is technically a sequel to The Rise of Cobra, there’s really no need to revisit the first movie since Retaliation does as good a job as possible of pretending like The Rise of Cobra never happened.

That being said, Retaliation is everything the first G.I. Joe movie should have been. Gone are the Star Wars-like script and those stupid accelerator suits. Inexplicably absent are General Hawk, Scarlett, the Baroness and other characters prominent in the first movie, but that’s OK. The nanomites are used sparingly and much more effectively here, especially in the case of Firefly (played with a brilliantly Southern accent by Ray Stevenson), whose swarming mites are integral to a few explosive scenes.

Cobra forces prepare for war in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation". Photo by Jaimie Trueblood.

Disguised as the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce), Zartan carries out Cobra’s mission to rule the world by starting right at the top of the proverbial Mount Olympus. Though Olympus Has Fallen beat Retaliation to the punch when it comes to enemy forces assuming control of the White House, seeing the American flag replaced by the Cobra insignia is a dreadful sight G.I. Joe fanboys have been excited to see for decades. And apparently the rest of the country also likes the president’s aggressive change of attitude as his approval ratings have been up since Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) locked the real president away in a secret underground cell. Still, the real president refuses to tell Zartan where Cobra Commander and Destro are being held, but Cobra always has a snake in the grass. This time the plan is to not only destroy G.I. Joe’s reputation by framing them as traitors, but to use this frame job as an excuse to literally destroy the team and send its most mysterious member Snake Eyes to prison.

Roadblock (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) plan the attack on Cobra. Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures.

With the Joes seemingly out of commission, and some stealthy help from Cobra’s resident ninja Storm Shadow (once again played by Lee Byung-hun) and Firefly, Cobra Commander (played by Luke Bracey and voiced by Robert Baker) soon finds himself out of prison and at the president’s side. And this time he’s wearing his iconic shiny faceplate and sinister helmet rather than that weird respiratory thing Joseph Gordon-Levitt wore in the first movie. With the general populace on Cobra’s side, the president arranges a peace summit to eliminate the world’s nuclear weapons, which is actually a ploy to drop hi-tech Zeus bombs on the world’s major cities from space satellites.

As luck would have it, a few Joes survived Cobra’s attack. Roadblock (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) track down the original Joe, a retired Joseph Colton (Bruce Willis). But like so many other things in Retaliation, appearances can be deceiving with this Joe, whose suburban lifestyle is just a cover for a hidden arsenal of futuristic weaponry. Meanwhile, Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Storm Shadow have an epic ninja battle at an Arashikage mountain retreat, which also introduces Jinx (Élodie Yung) as an impressive new member of the clan. Considering that this movie’s release was delayed by almost a year, supposedly so it could be converted to 3-D, it’s strange that the 3-D effects are hardly noticable aside from a few times during these ninja fight scenes.

Cobra Commander's iconic costume is one of director John M. Chu's many nods to the original G.I. Joe toys. Photo by Jaimie Trueblood.

Director John M. Chu (best known for directing a couple of the Step Up movies) is either a longtime G.I. Joe fan or at least did his homework before helming this film, as evidenced by the inclusion of the Blind Master (RZA) and the story of Storm Shadow’s true origins, among other details that will please fans of the old Larry Hama-penned G.I. Joe comic books. And these characters stay true to what has been established in previous G.I. Joe mythos, though I don’t understand why the otherwise-mysterious Firefly seems so eager to reveal his face every chance he gets. And though The Rock fills the imposing frame of Roadblock incredibly well, I wish at least some of his trash talking was in rhyme like the Roadblock from the original animated series. I mean, The Rock has proven his mic skills in WWE, but maybe having a colored character jive-talking wouldn’t be politically correct these days (though it’s apparently OK if Michael Bay does it with robots).

Unlike The Rise of Cobra, Retaliation follows the source material pretty closely, capturing the look and feel of G.I. Joe with sleek costumes, military vehicles just advanced enough to be believable and distinct personalities in keeping with those that have kept G.I. Joe popular from one generation to the next. Retaliation could also be The Rock’s best performance to date. I know that’s not really saying much considering the other movies he’s been in, but he still seems to have found the role that will establish him as a true action hero, assuming more G.I. Joe movies are in the works. And if they are, let’s just hope Chu (and not Rise of Cobra director Stephen Sommers) is the one to bring even more of our favorite action figures to life.

www.gijoemovie.com

“The Call” dispatches units of high tension and suspense

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Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) takes on some disturbing responsibilities in "The Call". Photo by Greg Gayne.

WWE Studios‘ The Call is a six-month slice in the life of Los Angeles 911 dispatcher Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) who is overcome with grief and anxiety after a call goes terribly wrong. Turner steps away from the emotionally-crippling life of an active emergency dispatcher and takes a position as a trainer at the facility, until an emergency call from Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) pulls her back into fray. What follows is a tense and violent trip into the California hills as Welson’s abductor (Michael Eklund in his third WWE Studios film) attempts to elude police who are being aided by Turner who is on the phone with the girl who is locked in the car’s trunk.

From the very opening sequence the film attempts to give an accurate description of what can be the hellish existence of a 911 operator in a major metropolis. When a trainee asks what happens on Friday, Turner simply responds, “All hell breaks loose.” Though there are moments of levity throughout the film, 911 calls about bats in the house or fast food orders being wrong are few and far between. Much of the film takes place in the state-of-the-art emergency dispatch center known as The Hive. The background of constant ringing and phone chatter serves as much of the film’s score, though Taco’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and the Culture Club are used with beautiful dissonance.

WWE's David Otunga plays one of the rescuing cops in "The Call". Photo by Greg Gayne.

The Call continues a change in direction for WWE Studios. The films were previously used as vehicles for the wrestlers themselves, but the lone WWE superstar in this film (David Otunga) is a bit player at best. He is the police partner of Turner’s love interest Officer Paul Phillips (Morris Chestnut). Early in the film it seems as if this relationship will be a much larger focus of the plot, but it is barely recognized as the action picks up. That is just one of the choices made in this film that separates it from some of the studio’s previous efforts. There’s very little distraction from the main story arc and the constant focus on the kidnapped girl and the operator trying to save her creates an incredible tension that makes the film engaging and uncomfortable without relying on gore and effects.

As the story plays out, more and more is revealed about Michael Foster, the film’s antagonist and Casey’s abductor. Michael Eklund makes Foster a detestable, albeit at times stereotypical, maniac who’s intentions are held very close to the vest. It is well into the film before you find exactly how sick he truly is. Foster provides a darkness to the film that no trailer comes close to conveying. His periodic violent outbursts and nearly instant unraveling in the face of opposition enhance the Helter Skelter world in which the story takes place. His unraveling reaches its peak along with the plotline when we find out why he is such a whack job and exactly what he plans to do to his victim.

Kidnapper Michael Foster (Michael Eklund) terrorizes Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) in "The Call". Photo by Greg Gayne.

Visually, The Call doesn’t break any new ground. But there are scenes that stand out, for better or for worse. Oftentimes when Foster is on the verge of a meltdown, the frame will freeze just before he boils over. Likewise, a number of the film’s most tense scenes feature grainy slow motion spots. These techniques hearken back to director Brad Anderson’s work on the series Fringe and are a bit of a distraction. In a film whose stand-out component is the tension it creates, these stylized breaks just don’t quite fit the mood and ultimately break the tension if only for a moment.

To say very much about the details of the plot of The Call would only serve to take away from the experience of watching it unfold. The film does not necessarily break any new ground, but it does take a very different path to get to the finale. As I mentioned, this movie is completely under-served by its trailer, which is actually refreshing. Each act of the story is starkly different and the ending almost feels like it is from a different movie. However, this is pulled off seamlessly and provides an excellent landing pad from the emotional tightrope walk that preceded it. Being a WWE Studios release, The Call doesn’t have too much of a legacy to live up to. See No Evil, 12 Rounds and The Marine’s 1 through 25 failed to register with moviegoers who reside outside the WWE Universe. While The Call is not likely to set any box office records, people who give it a chance will be pleasantly surprised. If the studio can keep putting out films of this quality, that surprise will become expectation.

www.call-movie.com

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is a surrealist prequel in keeping with the original “Oz”

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Oz (James Franco) is enchanted by Theodora (Mila Kunis) upon his arrival to Oz in "Oz the Great and Powerful".

Creating a new film based on the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz would be quite an undertaking for any director. And given the original film’s surrealistic visuals and absurdly cerebral plot, Sam Raimi is definitely one of a handful of people who could see this vision through properly. And thus it is Raimi who takes us over the rainbow in Oz the Great and Powerful, a prequel that focuses on that infamous man behind the curtain and how he came to be the unwilling savior of the merry old land of Oz.

James Franco plays Oscar Diggs, the sideshow magician otherwise known as Oz, whose parlor tricks are impressive even if they are more slight-of-hand than actual magic. But like any carnie performer, Oz isn’t the most trustworthy person, a fact that is quickly exposed when he is unable to magically make a crippled girl walk, and when the resident strongman (Tim Holmes) realizes that his girlfriend (Abigail Spencer) has been seduced into performing in Oz’s act. Just as Oz scrambles to escape the wrath of the strongman, he and his hot air balloon are whisked away by a tornado.

Finley (Zach Braff), China Girl (Joey King) and Oz (James Franco) plot to steel the witch's wand in "Oz the Great and Powerful".

It’s at this point that it suddenly becomes apparent how much The Wizard of Oz must have influenced Raimi’s aesthetic approach to his Evil Dead films. Oz’s tornado ride is much like that of Dorothy, with recognizable pieces of where he’s going swirling around with the uncertainties of where he’s about to be. But when we see things from the point of view of a section of picket fence flying towards the shocked Oz in his balloon, one can’t help but be reminded of the similarly silly perspectives Raimi offered in his earlier films. (This moment is one of many that utilizes 3-D technology better than almost anyone else has yet to do.) And while the opening credits and frugal quality of the sets are obvious nods to the original Oz film, once Oz is literally (and subtly) carried over the rainbow, we see Raimi’s most obvious ode to Oz as the film goes from black-and-white to vivid color and the narrow aspect ratio expands to a full-screen experience.

Things are not as they appear wth Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Theodora (Mila Kunis) in "Oz the Great and Powerful".

Oz immediately meets a lovely woman named Theodora (Mila Kunis), who devines that he is the prophesied savior of the land of Oz. A natural swindler, Oz plays along with all this wizard stuff, especially once he is taken to the Emerald City and Theodora’s sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) introduces him to the power and treasure that await him as ruler of Oz. After inadvertently saving the life of Finley (a very recognizable flying monkey voiced by Zach Braff, who also played Oz’s circus assistant in Kansas), Oz gains his first sidekick. Tasked with obtaining the wand of a powerful witch in order to claim his thrown, Oz is off for the biggest adventure of his life.

Along the way he finds a China Girl (Joey King) whose entire village has been destroyed by the witch’s evil minions. And to a girl whose porcelain legs have been shattered, the Wizard’s tube of glue seems like real magic when it helps put her back together again she can miraculously walk (fulfilling the task he was unable to do in Kansas). And once Oz tracks down the witch whose wand he’s supposed to deliver to Theodora and Evanora, he discovers that nothing is quite as it seems in Oz (imagine that). Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams, who also plays Oz’s love interest in Kansas) opens Oz’s eyes yet again, introducing him to the Munchkins (look closely and you might recognize Puppet “The Psycho Dwarf” and other Half Pint Brawlers wrestlers), the Tinkerers and other residents of Oz hoping he truly is the one whose magic will bring order back to Oz.

Munchkins tremble at the site of the Wicked Witch in "Oz the Great and Powerful".

As Oz realizes who is truly good and evil, Theodora’s heart is broken, causing her to turn into the green-skinned, pointy-nosed broom rider previously portrayed by Margaret Hamilton. And with his illusionary talents and the resourcefulness of his new friends in Oz, the Wizard is able to not only deceive the Wicked Witches and their army, but he’s also able to convince the denizens of Oz (and himself) that he actually is a powerful wizard, and a good man. Oz’s journey parallels that of Dorothy in many ways and this film incorporates some of the iconic elements of the original (puffs of red smoke, the Wicked Witch’s soldiers, color-changing horses, the yellow brick road). Like Wicked (another Oz prequel that follows a completely different continuity), Oz the Great and Powerful lends an entirely new perspective on the events that take place in the original film. Though this film is not a musical like the original, Danny Elfman’s score provides the whimsy and wonder we’ve come to expect from Oz. And while many might complain that some of the backgrounds and props (both real and green-screened) look artificial, they usually maintain the surreal quality of the what we’ve come to love about the original film. I mean, isn’t it the realistically unreal feel of the original film that has made generation after generation want to visit that dreamlike world of fantasy and wonder? And who better than Raimi to recreate a fantasy rooted in dreamlike realism?

www.disney.go.com/thewizard

“Dead Man Down” is an intriguing love story wrapped in violence

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Victor (Colin Farrell) and Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) develop a twisted and tender romance in "Dead Man Down". Photo by John Baer.

With its recent slate of releases, WWE Studios clearly wants to be taken just as seriously in the film world as it is in the realm of sports entertainment. And with the stylish gangland romance Dead Man Down, WWE is pulling out all the stops to prove that it can be associated with films that have more depth than your average action or horror thriller.

With his American theatrical debut, Danish director Niels Arden Oplev (best known for directing the original Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) creates a dark and twisted love story centered on the vengeful motives of two scarred souls. Colin Farrell plays Victor, one of the top members of a gang led by Alphonse (Terrence Howard). Unbeknownst to Victor, the alluring Beatrice (Noomi Rapace, who starred in Oplev’s Dragon Tattoo), who lives in the skyscraper across from his, has not only been watching him, but caught one of his violent acts on camera. Rather than turn him in, however, she uses this footage to blackmail Victor into helping her seek revenge on the drunk driver who received minimal legal punishment after causing the accident that left half of her face (and much of her psyche) horribly scarred.

Alphonse (Terrence Howard) is a gang leader receiving cryptic messages in "Dead Man Down". Photo by John Baer.

But Victor’s already has a plot of his own in the works as he pits rival gangs against each other as he picks off the guys who killed his family and unwittingly left him alive. As Victor and Beatrice’s emotionally-driven desires to kill become more entwined, they develop a morbid (yet tender) attraction for one another that looks as if it will climax just as they carry out their dirty deeds. It’s not the best recipe for love, but it seems to work until Victor’s plan begins to fall apart and Alphonse gets closer to figuring out how close his would-be assassin is.

The entire cast puts in commendable performances, including Dominic Cooper, who plays the overzealous rookie who unknowingly causes Victor’s plot to unravel, and current WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, whose presence as Alphonse’s lead henchmen is quite imposing. The film culminates with a spectacular shootout that, despite a glaring continuity error, is both captivating and poetic. If Dead Man Down is the type of film we can expect from WWE Studios in the future, it could become a championship contender in Hollywood before long.

www.deadmandownmovie.com

“Jack the Giant Slayer” rises much higher than you might expect

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Elmont (Ewan McGregor), Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Jack (Nicholas Hoult) plot to escape the giants in "Jack the Giant Slayer". Photo by Daniel Smith.

Jack the Giant Slayer looks like a terrible movie. The fact that it’s based more on the Jack and the Beanstalk folk tale than he 1962 film Jack the Giant Killer was a bit of a letdown from the get-go. Not because there’s anything wrong with Jack and the Beanstalk, but just because I was really hoping to see a remake of a film that includes a leprechaun in a bottle and Ray Harryhausen-like stop motion effects. Despite my reservations, however, it turns out that Jack the Giant Slayer is a really fun adventure movie that blossoms from the moment it begins thanks to clever dialogue, amazing costumes, better-than-expected computer effects and commanding performances by an understatedly all-star cast.

Recently seen as a lovable living dead guy in Warm Bodies, Nicholas Hoult (read my recent interview here) stars as the farm boy simpleton Jack, whose head is full of adventure that his real life doesn’t normally live up to. Though it is forbidden for a commoner like Jack to associate with the princess, it turns out he and Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) are both very imaginative people looking for ways out of their current predicaments. When Jack stumbles into the type adventure he has previously only read about in the form of worthless bag of beans, and when the princess flees the castle to avoid an arranged marriage to Lord Roderick (Stanley Tucci), the two unexpectedly end up in Jack’s shack one night. With all the ingredients for adventure now in one place, just add water for instant fairy tale excitement.

Elmont (Ewan McGregor) is about to be a snack for the giants!. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

Good thing it’s a rainy night, which makes it easy for one of Jack’s mysterious beans to come in contact with water after falling through a crack in the floor. The beanstalk that erupts, carrying his house (and the princess) to the land of the giants in the clouds, is just the type of adventure starter they’ve both been awaiting. The king (the always delightful Ian McShane) sends Elmont (Ewan McGregor in a dashing suit of armor) and his men up the beanstalk to rescue the princess. During this treacherous climb, Roderick’s intentions to usurp the throne become evident (especially to Jack, once Roderick realizes he has the magical beans). And once they reach the top of the beanstalk, they soon realize that those legends about battles between humans and giants have been real all along.

After Roderick assumes power over the giants (thanks to a crown that has powers similar to The Hobbit‘s ring), Jack becomes the unlikely hero tasked with rescuing the princess and warning the king of Roderick’s plot. The king, in the meantime, has reluctantly ordered his people to chop down the beanstalk (after Jack and Elmont send an afroed giant plummeting to his demise), potentially sacrificing his own daughter in order to save his kingdom from a giant invasion.

Fallon, leader of the giants, is voiced by Bill Nighy and John Kassir in "Jack the Giant Slayer". Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

The race to save the princess before the beanstalk falls is like a cross between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Wizard of Oz, with the surviving adventurers traversing gigantic terrain and avoiding becoming dinner for their slovenly superiors. But the head giant (a two-headed monstrosity voiced by Bill Nighy and John Kassir) isn’t as dumb as he looks and figures out a way to take his battle back down to his diminutive enemies. The scenes where giants dispose of humans can be pretty brutal, but Jack ends up with the best kill as his inventiveness makes for the best use of a bean you’re likely to ever see in a film. The fairy tale ending is suitably unpredictable (something director Bryan Singer has done well with previous films such as X-Men and Superman Returns) and even though there is no leprechaun in a bottle, there is a brief appearance one of fantasy filmdom’s most famous little people, Warwick Davis.

www.jackthegiantslayer.com

“West of Memphis” reveals chilling new details in the case of the West Memphis Three

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Damien Echols looks on from behind prison glass in 'West of Memphis". Photo by Jeff Dailey, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

To say that the case of the West Memphis Three is an example of a corrupted justice system failing us would be the understatement of, well, the past 20 years. Following the murders of three 8-year-old boys in the small Arkansas town of West Memphis in 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. were convicted of the crime the following year, mostly because of their love of heavy metal, aversion to Southern societal norms and collectively rebellious demeanor. If only they’d known that listening to Metallica and wearing black clothes would have resulted in them spending almost 20 years in prison for a crime they almost certainly did not commit.

This story has been well documented previously, namely in the HBO trilogy of Paradise Lost documentaries. But the findings presented in West of Memphis make it clear that Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin were innocent of these horrendous crimes. The most unsettling evidence, however, is the more recent discoveries making it almost undeniable that Terry Hobbs, stepfather of one of the young murder victims, seems like the most likely suspect. And with no indication that he will ever be tried for these crimes, the fact that the West Memphis Three spent the better part of their young adult lives behind bars becomes more unforgivable than ever.

Lorri Davis met and married Damien Echols while he was still in prison, as seen in "West of Memphis". Photo by Olivia Fougeirol, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Ever since the West Memphis Three were first arrested in ’93 they’ve garnered a good deal of support from the entertainment community, and West of Memphis is yet another attempt by musicians and filmmakers to let the rest of the world know why these guys should be set free (and should never have been convicted to begin with). Produced by The Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson (as well as Echols and his wife, Lorri Davis) and directed by Deliver Us from Evil director Amy Berg, the film features appearances by the likes of Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins, Johnny Depp and Patti Smith (with a soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis). But West of Memphis isn’t about movie stars and rock stars with some sort of political agenda. All of these people have volunteered their time and talents over the years to help justice be served. Oddly, while this film was being made, the closest thing to justice that could have happened did happen as the three men were finally released from prison (though that didn’t come without compromise as the plea that got them out basically forced them to admit some level of guilt).

West Memphis Three supporter Henry Rollins talks to "West of Memphis" director Amy Berg. Photo by Olivia Fougeirol, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Aside from evidence that Hobbs may have likely been the actual murderer (including his confession of this “family secret” to his own nephew), West of Memphis provides more than a reasonable doubt of the West Memphis Three’s guilt. So where were the three teens during the time of the murders? According to many townspeople, they were “at wrasslin'” that night. And if satanic rituals weren’t the cause of the genital mutilation and other abuse to the bodies of the young victims, then what was? Well, it turns out that the various scrapes and cuts were clearly done after the boys were already dead since there is no evidence of bleeding. And since their bodies were in a creek, turtles most likely nibbled on their softer parts (lips, ears, genitals) after their bodies were dumped in the ditch. That’s not even touching on the flawed investigation tactics of the local police, Hobbs’ abusive past and the on-camera regrets of a few people who now admit to having lied in their testimonies against the West Memphis Three.

As grim as all these details are, West of Memphis offers hope for the three men now that they have been released. It’s a moving story that just happened to have a somewhat happy ending, though there was no way the filmmakers could have known that when they started filming. And even though the fight still isn’t (and probably never will be) completely over, at least these guys have an opportunity to experience something akin to a normal life that doesn’t involve shackles and jumpsuits.

www.westofmemphisfilm.com

The Rock is a working class hero trapped in a superhero’s body in “Snitch”

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John Matthews (The Rock) urges U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to let him do whatever it takes to free his son. Photo by Steve Dietl.

For The Rock, the Road to WrestleMania 29 entails more than just fending off challengers to his WWE Championship. With Snitch, the first of four new films over the next few months for the man otherwise known as Dwayne Johnson, The Rock goes toe-to-toe with the likes of Susan Sarandon, The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal and Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael Kenneth Williams. But even though he holds his own in a more dramatic role than we’re used to seeing from his WWE and action movie career, Snitch still leaves a few things to be desired.

Though it’s marketed as an action movie, Snitch is more of a drama about John Matthews (The Rock), a construction business owner determined to free his teenage son (Rafi Gavron), who is wrongfully arrested when he reluctantly receives a package containing drugs from a friend. The Rock’s performance is convincing, as he decides to put his own business and life at risk by using his company’s new semis to infiltrate the local drug underworld, offering to transport illegal substances in order to keep his struggling business afloat. But the biggest problem is that he’s a working class hero trapped in a superhero’s body, making it somewhat hard to believe his trepidation considering he could easily crush the thugs he is now encountering. I suppose anyone would be afraid of suddenly entering a world populated by a bunch of gun-toting gangsters, even if you’re carrying The Rock’s muscular guns. But it’s still a bit unconvincing to see a man as imposing as The Rock flinching at his much punier aggressors.

Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams) and John (The Rock) make arrangements in "Snitch". Photo by Steve Dietl.

After enduring some decidedly cheesy dialogue (I’d like to think it is intentionally bad, but that doesn’t really fit with the otherwise serious tone of the film) from the menacing drug dealer Malik (Williams), The Rock proves that he has what it takes to help bring down some of the biggest criminals around. So he makes a deal with U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Sarandon) to help bring in Malik in exchange for his son’s release from prison. Thus begins his Smokey and the Bandit-like adventure, only the load he’s carrying is a lot more valuable (and dangerous) than Coors.

Once he realizes he is being taken advantage of by Malik and Keeghan alike, Matthews is forced to improvise in order to save himself and to protect those he has inadvertently dragged into his plot. And the resulting chase scene, in which The Rock finally fires back at his aggressors while steering his truck at full speed, is reminiscent of a similar scene from The Road Warrior, resulting in a climactic crash that leaves The Rock upside down on the side of a highway.

John (The Rock) gets banged up in his heroic adventure. Photo by Steve Dietl.

The Rock clearly has plenty of charisma, which definitely helps carry Snitch to something more than just another fast-paced action film. Considering that the point of the film is to illustrate the harsh (and sometimes unfair) laws against first-time drug offenders in comparison to crimes such as rape and murder, Snitch doesn’t really need to be an over-the-top adventure. Aside from being way too physically intimidating to adequately portray the everyman he is meant to be, The Rock clearly knows his role here. And rather than shut his mouth (to continue borrowing from one of The Rock’s own catchphrases), he puts the muscle flexing aside and lets his charisma shine in new ways.

www.snitch-movie.com