Snitch

Self-justifying kitsch that touches on problems that are addressed in incomparably greater depth and more broadly in Breaking Bad. Snitch appears to criticise the system, but it actually reinforces the foundations on which the system is built. The interests of the family are of primary importance, so for the good of your family you can, with the government’s blessing, brazenly rat people out, endanger the lives of your neighbours, kill people with readily available firearms and destroy other people’s property. But for the love of God, just don’t deal drugs! What the hideously amoral screenplay didn’t destroy in this film is finished off by the dull directing (a very shaky camera doesn’t make an action scene out of a non-action scene) and Dwayne Johnson’s rudimentary acting (dramatic parts suit him about as well as comedy suits Schwarzenegger). In ideological terms, Snitch is similarly twisted in the manner of Olympus Has Fallen, but it’s not nearly as entertaining. 45% (18.04.2013)

The Rock has gone through a lot in his life, but I still didn’t expect his son to cause trouble and then make a vow not to rat out his accomplices. What’s even worse is that the only one able to save his son is The Rock himself, and only if he manages to infiltrate a drug cartel. Dwayne Johnson doesn’t really get into that many fights. There’s actually not much action in this movie. But that doesn’t matter, because it’s a great thriller where The Rock portrays another amazing character. It’s better to see him amidst drug dealers than amidst kids. I need to see him with the kind of bastards who make this world into a horrid place. Because when I see him with them, one glance is enough to see what he thinks about such people and that he’ll tear them into pieces in the next five seconds. (18.12.2013)

The mediocre screenplay prevents Snitch from being any better. The pitiful message about exploiting loopholes in laws and the fatherly attempt to fight for the old family (at the expense of risking the lives of the new one) is just lucky that it was written by life itself, because otherwise the viewer would never buy it. But what I was pleased about was the excellent casting. The Rock is pleasantly ordinary, terrified, gets beat up more than once, his face rubbed in the mud. The complete opposite to those “untouchable" hard guys who he beats up blindfold, beating up ten more hard guys with his other sturdy fist. His partner (good old Shane from Walking Dead) Jon Bernthal is also excellent and his ambiguous character is almost the best in the whole movie, together with the bearded Barry Pepper. The scuffle in the truck at the end is filmed excellently and I wouldn’t be afraid of entrusting the director with something bigger. (29.05.2013)

It could have been a beautifully depressing film with Rock in the lead role, which could have surprised even more. However, this film simply fits in, there's nothing to be done about it. Lately, not many great hits have been coming from Britain, but whether it's any crime film from the outskirts, the social status of the protagonists is always portrayed absolutely brilliantly. In "The Cracker," it just comes off. It's still quite Hollywood-like, there's still something polished about it. It lacks rawness. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/09/praskac-2013-50.html (15.09.2013)

Ugh, that was quite tense! Moreover, everything seemed very realistic, which is not often seen in action films. I was a bit disconcerted that they have such crazy loopholes in the US laws that basically allow you to bypass standard court proceedings. Then I guess there is nothing left to do but take twisted justice into one’s own hands. This is exactly what the rather naive Dwayne Johnson tries to do, with a lot of help from Jon Bernthal, who gives quite possibly the best performance of all involved. (75%) (03.08.2021)