Parents' Guide to

Faster

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Violent but surprisingly thoughtful revenge thriller.

Movie R 2010 98 minutes
Faster Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Hermanes V.
Hermanes V. Adult
March 27, 2017
age 13+
mariannp
mariannp Parent of 8, 9, 12 and 15-year-old
March 12, 2011
age 16+

A lot of the same thing

I got a little bored while watching this. It was alot of the same thing over & over again.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A man known only as "Driver" (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is released from prison and immediately embarks upon a revenge plan: He wants to kill everyone responsible for the death of his brother, which happened after a botched bank job 10 years earlier. Driver's first few targets are dispatched quickly and easily, but he starts doubting himself when he begins to understand how his intended victims have redeemed themselves. Meanwhile, a drug-addicted cop (Billy Bob Thornton), a homicide detective (Carla Gugino), and a slick, good-looking hit man (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) are all after him. Who will survive when these characters inevitably collide?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (9):

Directed by George Tillman Jr., FASTER may look like another brain-dead action picture, but it's surprisingly thoughtful and emotionally effective. There are no clear "good guys" and "bad guys"; instead, the story paints the main characters -- an ex-con bent on revenge, a drug-addled cop, and a slick, successful hit man -- in intriguing shades of gray. Each gets an interesting and affecting history that fleshes him out. Only Gugino is shorted in the character department, but she makes up for it in attitude.

It follows that the performances are very strong, with Johnson getting by on sheer, wounded presence (and very little dialogue). Over the course of the story, the movie begins to wrestle with fascinating themes of forgiveness, family, and even spirituality. Only the last few minutes fall a little short, mainly because of an obvious effort to provide a satisfying Hollywood ending. Until then, it's quite good. You'll believe a "Rock" can cry.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the film's violence. How did it affect you? When was it thrilling, and when was it scary or disturbing? What's the difference between these kinds of scenes?

  • The Rock's character is shown to have survived a troubled childhood, as have many of the other characters. Have they overcome their troubles?

  • Is Billy Bob Thornton's character a good person or a bad person? Do you think he has a chance at redemption?

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