Finally! The Rock gets a movie that makes sense for him. Enough of this Tooth Fairy, Escape from Witch Mountain bullshit. (Did Disney execs like their kids cast their friggin’ movies?) The Rock is much more believable as a hardened criminal looking to get revenge for his dead brother.
Initially, the movie seems to be a pretty standard and well-paced revenge flick. The filmmakers try to expand it a little by adding Billy Bob Thorton as a drug-addicted cop and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as a Mark Zuckerberg-type millionaire turned hired killer out of boredom.
From there, it gets a little too comic booky, but the Gayton brothers who wrote the screenplay, wisely pull back on the stick and keep the movie (mostly) in reality. The third act is probably the weakest, as there is a moment that is foreshadowed a bit too directly. Kind of makes for an ending you see coming a mile away. However, there’s a moment in the movie which I love where Oliver is taking about how the Rock is just so “pure” in his instinct to kill and that somehow gives him an edge.
The Rock has a surprising range in this movie, mostly because (again) it’s a part that makes sense for him to play. There’s a really good scene where he confronts his mother and family baggage just comes pouring out. Billy Bob gives a subdued performance, which I like. He’s been so over the top with some of his roles of late. This character seems more a challenge for him to play.
As long as you’re not expecting too much at the end, I think you’ll really enjoy Faster for what it is. A pretty decent revenge flick that doesn’t leave the confines of that, but does stretch the boundaries of that kind of movie just a little. Really nicely paced. Worth seeing and a definite rental. I give it 7 keggers out of 10.
Frat Boy At the Movies: Tangled in 3D
by tonyd on November 29, 2010 at 12:02 amI didn’t want to like Tangled, mainly because I have an anti-Disney biased. And not just because they kept putting The Rock in crappy movies. Disney’s take on Rapunzel is tight, funny and totally worth seeing.
The basic premise is that Rapunzel is a lost princess with magic hair that can heal you and keep you young. As a baby, she’s kidnapped by an evil woman who wants the magic to keep herself young. Thus, neatly, they explain the tower and why they can never cut her hair (cutting her hair ruins the magic).
Enter Flynn Rider, a dashing rogue you only see in fairy tales. He stumbles upon the tower after stealing the lost princess’s crown. Sure, he falls in love with her, but the ride there is pretty damned entertaining. It’s full of funny animals, sight gags, songs and great pacing and animation.
Normally, when I hear stuff like “an instant Disney classic”, I roll my eyes and think to myself, “Man, this must stink.” But, it’s really good. Fun. And while the ending is pretty predictable, it won’t feel predictable when you get there. The filmmakers neatly get around what would probably be the most gruesome moment at the end, so don’t worry about taking the kids.
The songs were original and didn’t veer off on any tangents. Even though they were sappy at times, they were relatively short and Mandy Moore does a pretty good job as the voice and singer. The character even looks like Mandy by the end.
So if you’re looking for some harmless fluff that will actually entertain you, you should check this out bros. I give it 8.5 keggers out of 10.