Snitch (2013)
TOMATOMETER
Critics Consensus: Though it features one of Dwayne Johnson's more thoughtful performances, the presentation of Snitch's underlying message is muddled by lackluster storytelling and some tonal inconsistencies.
Critics Consensus: Though it features one of Dwayne Johnson's more thoughtful performances, the presentation of Snitch's underlying message is muddled by lackluster storytelling and some tonal inconsistencies.
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Movie Info
In the fast-paced action thriller SNITCH, Dwayne Johnson stars as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug distribution crime and is looking at a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Desperate and determined to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. attorney to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel on a dangerous mission -- risking everything, including his family and his own life. (c) Summit- Rating:
- PG-13 (for drug content and sequences of violence)
- Genre:
- Drama , Action & Adventure , Mystery & Suspense
- Directed By:
- Ric Roman Waugh
- Written By:
- Justin Haythe
- In Theaters:
- Feb 22, 2013 Wide
- On DVD:
- Jun 11, 2013
- US Box Office:
- $42.9M
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Cast
-
Dwayne "The Rock" Jo...
as John Matthews -
Barry Pepper
as Agent Cooper -
Susan Sarandon
as Joanne Keeghan -
Jon Bernthal
as Daniel Cruz -
Michael K. Williams
as Malik -
Rafi Gavron
as Jason Collins
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Critic Reviews for Snitch
All Critics (140) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (61)
Snitch runs close to two hours, and it's a credit to Summit Entertainment that they didn't reduce it to 90 minutes of Mexican drug loons trying to run John's truck off the highway.
The film tries to paint in shades of gray with vague criticisms of the war on drugs, but the absurdity of its he-man Everyman plot ends up turning its moral palette a muddy brown.
In the end, this is a movie that lives or dies on Johnson's performance, and luckily, the actor is perfect ...
Despite its apparent compromises to noble finger-wagging (initially) and requisite fist-pumping (eventually), Waugh has fashioned a sturdy character-first entertainment out of Snitch.
Dwayne Johnson tries so hard to be taken seriously in the ponderous and preposterous drama Snitch that it hurts to watch him in much the same way it hurts to watch the weightlifting competition at the summer Olympics.
Ultimately, unfortunately, this is a property that probably would have been better as one of Johnson's old, less ambitious films - straightforwardly violent, and crammed with two-fisted revenge - than as this more polite, issue-oriented thriller.
Effectively illustrates the great heights we occasionally rise to for the ones we love.
Although hardly original, this tightly paced story will keep you invested through to the end
A pseudo-serious hand-wringing action drama that uses social importance to disguise its unoriginality.
It's intense and involving from the start, even when it turns preachy.
Snitch wants to be Breaking Bad. When the camera's on Johnson, it's just bad.
Teeth are gritted, shaven-heads stroked, families hugged, moist-eyes blinked - but it's the sight of big things getting smashed to pieces that endures, and ultimately bores.
Its smaller, quieter moments instill hope that Johnson can stretch even further and become worthy of much stronger material.
Dwayne Johnson tries to flex his acting muscles in this smarter-than-usual action movie, based on a true story that gets under our skin.
Directed by stuntman Ric Roman Waugh, Snitch is also a surprisingly thoughtful affair.
If Snitch ultimately perishes from over-ambition, at least it's an honourable death.
Good intentions are all but submerged in nonsense.
Spurious isn't the word. Po-faced anti-drug film based on the silliest legal loophole ever.
Neither clever nor stupid enough to work.
Overall Snitch aims to entertain and yank a parental heartstring but events unfold, it lessens the effect and cultivates in a forehead-slapping ending that does raise the odd snigger.
Johnson has the acting chops for this more dramatic fare and the story is exciting and thought-provoking.
Consider it time well served.
The script can't quite decide whether it's a serious emotional drama or a pumped-up action flick and it ends up disappointing on both counts as a result.
Overall it's a solid thriller that hints at a life beyond blockbusters for its leading man.
What's undeniably credibility-cracking is the idea of The Rock as an Ordinary Joe in jeopardy.
Audience Reviews for Snitch
An enjoyable if very flawed vehicle concerning an everyday man (Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson) and how his son (Rafi Gavron) is arrested after being set-up by his best friend in a drug sting, even though he had no intent to sell or obtain as much as he did by accident. After he is sentenced to the law's minimum requirement, ten years in prison, his father decides to cut a deal with the federal government and try to capture a big fish in the cartel drug market, which would dramatically reduce his son's sentence. Although it has some big, big problems, mostly the believability of this kind of situation, this movie is clearly made to be entertaining, and for that it largely succeeds. It does try to take a tough stance on the drug war in our country, but sadly this is not the kind of movie in which this serious perspective makes a lot of sense to make any sort of impact. "The Rock" is great like he always is in films like this, and the ending chase scene brings the goods, with a terrific supporting turn from Jon Bernthal as one of his workers who decides to help him out not knowing what he is getting himself into. Overall, decent, but nothing outstanding.
MoreSuper Reviewer
4 stars in it's genre; I just enjoyed the hell out of this one. A nice movie for a Saturday evening, you won't be disappointed. And you can bring your girlfriend too.
MoreSuper Reviewer
A pretty good action flick that gets bonus points for being based on true events. I thought "The Rock" did a good job in this. I am usually annoyed with wrestling actors since 99.9% of them cannot act. But "The Rock" seems to be that 1% that can. I enjoy watching him in movies.
The story is pretty intense and really puts you at aw that a father went to such extremes to save his son from prison life. Father, I applaud you.
It was nice seeing Jon Bernthal. I miss him in The Walking Dead. He brought the crazy and I miss it.
The movie is definitely worth seeing if you get the chance. =]
Super Reviewer
It's The Rock! Three stars : ) Is it believable? No, of course not. How they ever got Susan Sarandon to play along in this is beyond me, but I say again: It's Dwayne Johnson! Three stars.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Snitch Quotes
- John Matthews:
- Trust me.
- John Matthews:
- Every move I make, or don't make, Jason will have to live with for the next ten years of his life!
- John Matthews:
- There is no way I'm going to let either side dictate our fates.
- Juan Carlos "El Topo" Pintera:
- What if I did it for him? What if I helped you make arrests?
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