The biggest problem with “Snitch,” starring Dwayne Johnson,
aka The Rock, is director Ric Roman Waugh doesn’t know if he wants an
issue-oriented drama or action-adventure blowout. And, unfortunately, he tries
for both, which just doesn’t work. The movie, loosely inspired by events
recounted in a 1999 PBS series, argues forcefully against the severity of laws
that mandate a lengthy sentence for receiving a package of drugs, even
unwittingly. And by casting action star Dwayne Johnson as the protagonist, the
expectation is that there’s going to be a lot of adrenaline-pumping,
fist-swinging action. What you get is a heavy-handed drama with Johnson as an
anguished father (who gets beaten up by a street drug dealer) and a car-truck
chase at the end. And although The Rock’s acting has improved, “Snitch” would
have been more effective with a different actor.
John Matthews’ (Johnson) son, Jason (Rafi Gavron), has run
afoul of the mandatory drug sentencing guidelines. The only way for Jason to
reduce a 10-year jail term is by snitching on someone else, which he refuses to
do. So John makes a deal with the prosecutor, Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon):
he’ll bring down the local drug dealer if she reduces his son’s sentence. When
Keeghan learns that they might also get a cartel leader by the name of ‘El
Topo,’ (Benjamin Bratt), she changes the deal by offering Jason’s freedom in
exchange for more danger to John. “Snitch” is long on dialogue and predictable
narrative and short on action and adrenaline. The relationship between John and
his son feels forced, but is not nearly as hard to believe as the one he shares
with ex-con and new employee, Daniel (Jon Bernthal). Ultimately, the social
issue gets buried in the shift to action and I, for one, wasn’t sure what I was
watching. 3/1/13
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