Faster
Sony Pictures, Rs 499
Rating: ***
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson finally gets a role that doesn't turn him into a male version of Xena the Warrior Princess (The Scorpion King) or a tough guy with a sensitive soul (Why Did I Get Married Too?) or a plain and simple idiot (Tooth Fairy). In George Tillman out-and-out action movie Johnson plays the vengeful anti-hero with aplomb. And no, thankfully, there's no trademark Dwayne-raising-one-eyebrow scene in the film.
He plays the mostly quiet driver who is out of prison after 10 years and is immediately on the trail of those who brutally murdered his brother. Part of the reason for the film's tautness is the characters of a bent cop (played with unusual dexterity by Billy Bob Thornton), a sexy detective and a hitman flitting in and out of the story. Johnson is no Charles Bronson in Death Wish, but he makes it as a avenger on a mission. Watch out for the twists in the tale. And if you're into nasty bits, enjoy.