Snitch

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As a reader, could you please tell me what you see in the poster to your right? What kind of movie do you think Snitch is? (I hope that none of you are actually talking out loud as both of those questions were rhetorical.) I'll tell you what I see: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a strong, "I'm-going-to-kick-some-ass" pose, and a semi truck crashing in the background. Looks like a typical action movie poster and if it's starring Dwayne Johnson it seems like a safe bet then, right?

I'm sure that being the smart readers that you are and after all of this obvious lead-in you can guess that that is not right. Snitch plays out far more like a drama than a action movie and (here's the surprise) is actually all the better because of it. 

My first comparison of Snitch would be to the hit TV series, Breaking Bad. Now, as some of you may know, I freaking love that show...one of my all time favorites. Snitch is no where near as good as Breaking Bad, but it shares a lot of similarities. A man forced to participate in drug runs for family reasons, tension between the drug runners finding out his real reasons, etc. Granted, in this movie, Johnson, who plays John Matthews, is working with the DEA to reduce his son's jail sentence, but the tension of something going awry at any moment is still there. Especially once the cartel is involved. 

"Go ahead...pull my finger."

The plot itself is nothing special in and I do question the "true events" part of it. I'm sure that some guy, somewhere, helped bust a drug runner in order to reduce his son's sentence but I sincerely doubt that any cartel members were involved. Despite that fact, the story still kept me interested and the reason for that is Johnson. Personally, I love The Rock. At the start of his career he was awkward and just there because he was huge (which he still is..I mean have you seen the guy's shoulders!?). But he has grown significantly into his Hollywood shoes and can carry a movie. Recently he has been used to inject life into dying franchises (and with great results as seen in Fast Five) but I sincerely believe that it is time for him to helm his own action franchise. Hollywood, I'm pitching it right now: make a God of War trilogy with Dwayne Johnson as your Kratos. A few years ago I would have said he couldn't handle it, but the guy has come a long way. Make it happen. 

Went from zombies to drug lords. Come on Shane! Get your life
together!

The rest of the cast does largely pretty well here. You will recognize Jon Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead), Susan Sarandon, and Benjamin Bratt, as well as a few others if you are well-versed in TV. They all give appropriate performances and I can't complain. The action suffices as well. It won't be anything you remember next month but seeing Johnson drive a semi-truck into other cars on the highway is always entertaining. But really I think the other standout of the movie is the original score. I found myself to be far more moved by events than I had any right to be as well as far more tense than I should credit the movie with being able to produce. Both of those can be attributed to the very unique, simple, but effective score. I always say that a good score/soundtrack can help to make a movie far better and this is a prime example. 

"My neck is bigger than your neck."
"No it's not."
"YES IT IS!"

It hurts me to say, but I really dont think I will remember Snitch once this summer rolls around and the big time movies start coming out. And frankly, I have no need to see it again. But I am glad I saw it. It's nothing like the commercials and poster imply...instead it is actually fairly moving, intense, and above all it shows that Johnson can act and carry a movie effortlessly. 

It sure won't be on any critics' Top 10 lists, mine included, but sometimes it's nice to just go into a movie and see something like Snitch; a movie that surpasses your expectations because it's not what you expected and regardless of that, takes you on an enjoyable ride that you can be happy to say you experienced.

Pros:

• Johnson is a star. He is no longer the wrestler-turned-actor. He is an A-list celebrity in my opinion. Snitch gives him an opportunity to act and show emotion and I think he mostly excels. I am confident that he can carry a franchise (fingers crossed for God of War) should Hollywood give it him
• The original score is subtle, simple, and made up of mostly long orchestral swells. It fits perfectly and helps to give the movie a lot more heart and emotion than you would expect
• The plot remained intriguing the whole way through and the action, while nothing special, is fitting and not too over the top for a movie that seems fairly grounded in reality
• Remaining cast members do their jobs
• The decision to make it more of a drama and less of an action movie was risky, but the right call
• Perfect movie for a matinee screening

Cons:

• Bernthal's story line is far less intriguing (and emotional) than Johnson's. The movie isn't very long, but it could have probably cut out these sections
• I think the whole "Based on a True Story" is a bit of a ploy...I feel like the "true story" was probably about the first 30 minutes of the film and once the cartel is involved that plausibility starts to decrease
• Ultimately a one-time view movie

Rath's Review Score: 7/10