Faster [Blu-ray]

"Faster" is the perfect example of how to turn a simple premise and bad script into an extremely entertaining flick, an action flick in this example.Mr. Johnson does a phenomenal job at being intimidating without saying a word, and bringing a very real sense of emotional gravity and turmoil into his role as "Driver." The plot is so thin that if it where an object you'd have to weigh it in microns. "Driver" gets out of prison and immediately goes on a violence-soaked warpath seeking revenge on the people who killed his brother. Along the way, he is hounded by the police, as well as hunted by a hitman who turned to contract murder because he'd already perfected everything else he sought to do in life and perceives the dynamic nature and adrenaline rush of hunting men down to kill them as all that's left to challenge him on this planet. The men "Driver" is targeting are all of varied personalities and activities. Bouncers, pedophiles, dealers, insurance brokers, and even a preacher. The characters are all sufficiently alive with personality, no matter how short their tenure in the film is. Billy Bob Thornton blends into this fast-paced murder ride seamlessly as the grizzled detective with a drug problem and possibly some serious skeletons in his closet.The snub-nosed Ruger Alaskan that "Driver" uses is the perfect "no-nonsense" weapon for his character, while the Chevelle practically personifies the powerful driving force behind our protagonist's crusade for vengeance. The cinematography is fantastic for a movie that wreaks of midling budget issues, and the actors are all perfect for their roles.This is one of those movies, if there was any hair out of place in this wig, it wouldn't be fit for a pig. However, everything is perfectly in order, and as such, it makes it extremely entertaining for what it is. I've watched it many times, never shut it off after I put it on.No, it's not a deep, introspective movie, or an emotionally eviscerating drama about the holocaust, no you're not going to have your humanity or intellect checked anywhere along the ride. It's not the same kind of 5-star movie heavyweight piece of thematic art are, it is however a perfect, succinct, action and revenge movie.

We had never heard of it and caught a little bit of it while on vacation and I ordered it when we got home. It is good. It tells the story from many different angles that you will need to watch it again to catch a few nuances. A great story, a great group of actors and while not a sit down with the entire family kind of film, it is a good one.

I only looked at this movies because of 'THE ROCK'. I LOVE this man's acting and he is soooooo fine.I don't like prison pictures, but it was a short view of that, and it went to the real action.I had never heard of this movie or seen it before, but I sure love that Amazon had it on the Black (AA) movie list that I searched. I've seen so many I never heard of and have a list of more movies to see.The Rock was fierce in this movie, and he did not care who saw him killing all the people that 'killed his brother'. That was his focus when he got out of jail from a setup by friends, for 10 yrs. He got them back and he had no mercy. I don't like violence in movies but this was well played and I loved it.Saw it for $.99 cents. Can you believe that. Bye, bye Comcast. Hello Amazon. I'm a fan for life, just keep the good movies coming. I love the rental.You will not be disappointed in renting or buying this movie. Guys you will really love this...it's all manly and macho for you. LOLBuy, rent. Just see it. You will not be disappointed. Tell others about it so they can see this movie also on Amazon. No I'm not getting paid to advertise Amazon. When a good thing comes along, I like to pass it on, share. DON'T YOU?Great movie.

Pretentiousness is something I absolutely can't stand in movies. For me, pretentious films, like Never Let Me Go, Sucker Punch, or Meek's Cutoff are much, much harder to sit through than bottom-of-the-barrel BS like Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star, The Roommate, or Vampires Suck. Why? While the BS makes you feel sorry for yourself for ever having sat through it, pretentious flicks just make you mad, because their overinflated egos are right in your face.So, where am I going with this?Because, in the movie-going world, Faster is a revelation of sorts. It is gracefully not BS and thankfully not pretentious.Now, that's not to say it is awards material (although I'd argue the Cinematography is), but in a cinema plagued with trash, Faster is the kind of film you're glad to see because it knows what it is, knows what it isn't, and just tries to make the most out of its B-movie story.Yeah, this is a B-movie. You're not going to stare at the screen and 90 minutes later learn something profound about Humanity's place in the universe. This ain't that kind of movie. From the first shot of The Rock's built up pecs, you're going to see a man's kind of movie with guns, chases, and blood with a neat little throwback to Film Noir and the revenge flicks of the 1970s in between. It is all style and practically no substance.This is the kind of movie you either like or you don't, and there isn't much more to say than that. If what you want in a movie is something the Oscars would fawn all over, this ain't really for you unless you appreciate Cinematography most in a movie. If what you want in a movie is something modest, this is one great way to spend an afternoon.Now, regarding the Blu Ray, the manufacturers did a hell of a job here. The picture is pristine, with a fine layer of grain (the film was shot on 35mm). Colors and Shadows are dead on, with no digital noise and no weird-ass DNR. The sound is a kick to the woofers, with dialogue perfectly audible and sound effects perfectly triumphant and full of oomph!. A bang-up presentation. Regarding Special Features, the main mini-docs on the cast and crew and cars are practically promos, so they're skippable. What you want to see is the deleted scenes. While they're not merely filler or beats that are take-it-or-leave-it like most deleted scenes, these scenes are so terrible you have to see them to believe them (the alternate ending in particular).However, I must put out something of particular note. While I can't say this is a film I love, it is one I like, and a movie I've managed to have seen more than 10 times. The Blu Ray I received is different than the DVD, almost like a different, more rougher cut of the film. A hymn plays during the opening music number where once there was none. The guards now have dialogue when they didn't before and the prisoners now are audibly clear, where once they were but intimidating and muffled growls and shouts behind glass. Some of the cuts seem more stilted, with the music cues being almost out of place. With the Private Investigator, there are different shots used. This is all within the first 20 minutes. While I didn't see the movie in theaters, this is something I couldn't help but notice in comparison to how I've typically seen the movie before on a DVD. A great presentation still, but one I couldn't help but notice the differences with.