Review - Snitch

On DVD and Blu Ray - "Snitch" - Snitch is a passable diversion that suffers from a bit of an identity crisis over what exactly it wants to be- a Dramatic condemnation concerning the U.S. legal system and the ridiculousness of mandatory minimum sentencing laws (regarding first-time drug traffickers) or an action vehicle for it's star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  It's the tonal shifts between the two that aren't handled well by Co-Writer, Director and former Stuntman, Ric Roman Waugh (Felon). The film is entertaining enough, though it never could quite break out of "middling" territory.  Although the ending was a bit too "pat" for my tastes, there's nothing in Snitch that I could call outright dumb- it's biggest crime is that it's ultimately forgettable.

After his teenaged son is nabbed by DEA agents for receiving a  package of narcotics and sentenced to prison for 10 years, Dwayne Johnson's "John Matthews" finds himself desperate and decides to work as an informant in an effort to reduce the boy's sentence.  Johnson shows surprising flashes of acting abilities here and there, though it's ultimately his hulking stature (listed as 6'5" and 260lbs) and Action-Star/Wrestler notoriety that hampers the believability of certain scenes- a sequence where a handful of adolescent drug-dealers (all literally half his size) successfully beat down "The Rock" will have most of his fans shaking their heads. This would have been a perfect vehicle for a rugged everyman Actor (those that could naturally pull off being a trucker) such as Nicholas Cage, Russell Crowe, Thomas Jane, Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey or an Aaron Eckhart "type"- Johnson, though obviously growing by leaps and bounds as an Actor, is simply miscast in this particular story and at this juncture of his career. 

The ever-lovely Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: New York) plays Matthew's distraught ex-wife and mother of his son- she's very good here and I never could quite understand why we don't see more of her in feature films.

Jon Bernthal (AMC's The Walking Dead) essentially co-stars as a former convict trying to stay on the straight-and-narrow who reluctantly aides our Hero, while Michael Kenneth Williams (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) pops up a few times as a menacing, hardcore hood.  Both are excellent in support. 

Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan) is fine as an undercover vice squad operative, while Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order) puts in solid work as the Kingpin of a drug Cartel.  Meatier roles for both Actors may have worked wonders towards a substantially better film.

Susan Sarandon (Bull Durham) is OK, though ultimately rather stereo-typical, as a shrewd District Attorney. Rafi Gavron (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) plays Johnson's incarcerated son, while Nadine Velazquez (Flight) portrays our protagonist's current wife. Lela Loren (Reign Over Me) has a few, brief scenes as the wife of Bernthal's character.  Rounding out the notable faces, David Harbour (End Of Watch) and Harold Perrineau (The Edge) have disposable roles as Lawyers.

Expect a couple of shootouts and a climactic Big Rig versus autos chase scene, though the film's PG-13 rating leaves the action scenes rather muzzled and bloodless.  Overall, I thought this release was O.K., though I don't know if I'll ever want to revisit it...

Looking at "The Rock's" filmography, I realized that I've seen close to 20 films that featured the star, though I've only truly enjoyed one of them: 2003's "The Rundown".  That film was released a decade ago.  Johnson will Star or Co-Star in five films in 2013 (Snitch, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain, Fast & Furious 6 and Empire State), and although I'm a big fan of the individual, I wish he'd slow down a bit and be a little more selective. He has the talent, ability, presence and charisma to dominate Hollywood- I just hope he cooks up a quality run...

6.5 out of 10