Dwayne Johnson Goes Undercover In An All-Star Action Thriller
Given how prolific of a filmography Dwayne Johnson has under his belt, it’s easy to occasionally overlook some of his features. In 2013 alone, The Rock starred in five feature-length films, and we wanted to point our crosshairs directly at the Rick Roman Waugh action thriller film, Snitch, which can be streamed on Peacock at the time of this writing. Snitch is a full package deal and will certainly satisfy your craving for a solid drug-smuggling adventure full of deception, action, and, most importantly, redemption.
One of Dwayne Johnson‘s overlooked movies is the criminal thriller Snitch, one of five that he starred in during 2013 alone.
Much like the Fast and Furious franchise, Snitch’s plot is very much driven by family. Dwayne Johnson’s John Matthews finds himself stuck in a difficult spot between a ruthless drug cartel and the DEA after his estranged son gets in trouble with the law on a drug trafficking charge. Matthews, who owns a successful construction company, makes a deal with the government agency to smuggle a high volume of drugs undercover while operating as an informant to reduce his son’s 10-year sentence, and get him released from prison unharmed.
In the typical Dwayne Johnson fashion, Matthews quickly gets to work to help US Attorney Joanne Keeghan and DEA Agent Cooper assemble a task force that will monitor his activity while working with the cartel. Matthews looks through his own company’s database and finds an employee named Daniel James, who may possibly have connections to high-ranking drug dealers, so he pays him $20,000 to help him meet the right people.
Through the use of wire-taps and his own construction company’s trucks, Matthews successfully delivers the drug shipment while fighting off hijackers, but Keeghan learns that there is potential to investigate higher-ranking cartel members and renegotiates her agreement with him.
The above scenario leads us to the primary source of tension in this Dwayne Johnson movie. Not only does Matthews now have to do another mission under the direction of Keeghan and Cooper, but the cartel was impressed by his ability to move so much product successfully that they want to offer him a position in the cartel’s inner circle if the next mission goes well. Daniel doesn’t take long to learn that Matthews is an informant for the DEA, and he becomes worried that if the cartel finds out, they will both be killed along with their families.
Snitch wasn’t one of Dwayne Johnson’s biggest hits, bringing in $58 million, but it’s a fun action movie that deserves a look.
At this point in the film, Matthews finds himself stuck in an impossible situation. But we’re talking about a Dwayne Johnson movie, so it’s safe to say that Matthews comes up with a plan that will free both himself and Daniel from the cartel’s violence and the government’s abuse of power, but not before we get to witness some gnarly action sequences that carry us well into the third act.
Snitch went on to earn $58 million against its budget of $25 million upon its release, but was ultimately met with mixed reviews. But don’t let the 57 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes fool you. Action movies are more often than not polarizing by nature, and this Dwayne Johnson flick is no exception to this one golden rule. It has all of the typical trappings of your average action movie, but sometimes you need to consider the journey, and not the destination.
In other words, like many Dwayne Johnson movies, it all comes down to a matter of taste; you’re either going to love it, or you may find out that it’s not for you.
For every reviewer that calls Snitch a “slick and intense thriller,” somebody else suggests that it’s “neither clever nor stupid enough to work.” The most glaring criticism of the film is that its tone is inconsistent at times, but we’re willing to forgive this flaw if we get to see enough things blow up. In other words, like many Dwayne Johnson movies, it all comes down to a matter of taste; you’re either going to love it, or you may find out that it’s not for you.
If you want to witness a modern action movie that has great pacing and compelling action sequences, sometimes you’re just better off watching it for yourself while ignoring the naysayers. Despite its supposed flaws, Snitch has a lot of great things going for it, and Dwayne Johnson delivers a performance that’s a little more thoughtful than Doom’s Sarge, and a lot less one-dimensional than his Luke Hobbs character from the Fast and Furious franchise.
All you need is access to Peacock and an affinity for action movies to enjoy Dwayne Johnson’s Snitch. So what are you waiting for?
