SNITCH: If The Glove Doesn't Fit, The Rock Will Shove It Up Your Candy-@$$!

SNITCH
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh
Starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon

3 out of 5 Stars on the Schwarz-O-meter

Action heroes shouldn't cry. They might shake their fist at the heavens after the death of a loved one -- they may even stare off into the distance contemplating the mindless cycle of violence they're incapable of stopping. But they shouldn't cry.

In Snitch --- the first in a train of upcoming roles for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson --- there is a lot blubbering. Like a lot. It all starts when Jason Collins (actor Rafi Gavron) gets arrested for intent to distribute. Turns out that the kid was embroiled in a sting operation and was rolled over by his drug dealing buddy. Now it's Jason's turn, but the kid won't give up the next guy. This forces poppa John (Johnson) to make a desperation move: Set up a drug connect that's valuable enough for the US Attorney (Susan Sarandon) to minimize his son's sentence.

Mandatory Maxim: Snitch star Nadine Velazquez

Snitch really takes you through the motions of this elaborate yet true-to-life (or “inspired by real events,” I can’t keep track anymore) drug bust. Exhaustively, John travels up the food chain at what can at times,feel like a glacial pace. Still, it makes great drama. As his web of lies starts to entangle co-workers and family, the desperation really latches onto you, giving every scene a sense of hopelessness.

And then there are the tears.

Director Ric Roman Waugh seems to uphold the same idea of “man pain” as Christopher Nolan. With a behemoth like “The Rock” as Waugh’s main protagonist, a tearful scene with Dwayne Johnson seems inevitable. When it happens, Waugh and Johnson manage to put you in the moment, turning our favorite pro wrestler-turned-action hero into an honest to God dramatic actor. I’m not saying Johnson is Cate Blanchet-good, but he’s at least willing to take a chance while sharpening his acting chops --- much in the same way as Sylvester Stallone (he did win an Academy Award, kids).

Is it Action A Go Go or Action a No No? ACTION A GO GO

Director-writer Ric Roman Waugh let's Snitch do what any good crime-drama should do: Push the audience to contemplate what they would do in this situation. It makes for tense entertainment.

In addition, The Rock’s reinforced sincerity carries the film into unexpected territories. It makes me very curious as to what else the actor is capable of putting on his back. With the upcoming films, Pain and Gain, Fast and Furious 6, and GI Joe: Retaliation, I think we might continue to be pleasantly surprised by him.