SNITCH: A Review

Details

Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon, Barry Pepper
Certificate: 12A
Runtime: 112 mins
Budget: $15,000,000 (estimated)

Review

So the lead character’s the 6 ft 4 inch giant known as The Rock. Better prepare ourselves for another action packed cheesefest, right? Well actually, no...

As soon as the name ‘Dwayne Johnson’ is heard along with ‘new film’, nearly everyone gets an idea of what the movie is going to look like. But with Snitch, this preconceived idea couldn’t be more wrong. Ok, it’s not a movie about a lovable family dog that goes missing, but it’s certainly refreshing.

Johnson stars as John Matthews, a father who goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.

If Snitch followed the same pattern as Johnson’s other flicks, you would expect Matthews to be an expert in martial arts who sets out to kill anyone who stands in his way. However Snitch is different in that it plays on suspense and drama, and doesn’t soak the film in action.

Johnson’s portrayal of Matthews is solid. It’s not award-winning, but it’s good to see him in a different role and showing us that he’s not just a one trick pony. Matthews is a realistic family man in the sense that he is not a superhuman brawler. He shows fear and concern, and doesn’t through a punch throughout the whole film. His role is believable and engages the audience.

Other cast members worthy of note include Barry Pepper (Flags of Our Fathers, Saving Private Ryan, and The Green Mile) as Agent Cooper and John Bernthal (The Walking Dead) as Daniel James. The Emmy Award winning Pepper puts in another great performance and fails to disappoint yet again. John Bernthal stars in his first major production since The Walking Dead, and looks as though he’ll be sticking around. He plays a similar sketchy role to TWD’s Shane, but does so with more finesse.

The overall plot is reasonable enough, yet at times it felt rushed and too fast paced.  Matthews gets involved with the gangs at an unrealistic speed, and in no time he is working with the top drug cartel. The ending also shows glimpses of Johnson’s usual self as he fights off gangsters with a truck and a shotgun, but is nothing more than what you would expect from the WWE star.

The film as a whole is fairly predictable, but with this type of film it can only be expected. There are a few little surprises along the way, and the writers have done well to plug little plot holes with subtle explanations.

Verdict

Snitch is the perfect film for those lazy evenings when you just want to slob on the couch and be entertained.  If you’re looking for solid action then this is not for you. But if you’re looking for an easy watch with likeable characters and a good plot, then you might just have found your film. Snitch offers cheap thrills without the cost of overworked action scenes, and allows the audience to get involved with the characters. It’s nothing to get excited about, but is it's not one to dismiss.

Please feel free to comment below and let me know what you think of Snitch!