Snitch (2013)

I do not know the story of how Snitch came into being, but I suspect it went something like this. Screenwriter Justin Haythe wrote a message movie about mandatory minimum sentences that included the story of one man’s quest to get his son out of jail. I doubt it was called Snitch at the time. In fact, it was probably some long, pretentious title. Then this project fell into the hands of Ric Roman Waugh, who did his own rewrite that turned it into an action movie starring one Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As you might imagine, these competing creative forces would likely lead to a film that isn’t entirely sure of what it wants to be, and with Snitch that is indeed the case. It is always watchable, and Johnson continues to prove himself as a shockingly great leading man, but the smart elements and dumb elements of the film are never quite able to cohere.

First, the mandatory minimum stuff. Johnson’s estranged son (Rafi Gavron) is arrested in the film’s first scene, as he is asked by his drug-dealin’ best friend to look after a big old box of pills and stuff. When the big old box of pills and stuff arrives, the feds come swarming in and our young Mr. Collins is looking a 10-year jail sentence right in the face. In order to get out, he must be able to help the cops make additional arrests. The problem is that he’s an otherwise nice young boy who has precisely zero connections in the drug world. That’s when Johnson’s John Matthews comes in, as he decides to infiltrate the drug scene and help the authorities bring in the dealer Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams) and the mysterious kingpin “El Topo,” played by Benjamin Bratt. All this is done with the help of the ex-dealer Daniel (Jon Bernthal), who’s trying to get his life back in order.

Whenever Johnson is in full-on “snitch” mode, the film is at its most predictable. Most of the shootouts and car chases are rather conventional—and strangely somber, thanks to an unnecessary discordant score by Antonio Pinto—and while there’s nothing actively bad about this material, Johnson is the only person that elevates it beyond mediocrity. The film is much more fascinating when explores the predicament that this family finds itself in, and how the authorities—specifically District Attorney Susan Sarandon—are completely unsympathetic to his plight… unless Johnson is able to scratch their back as well. Snitch is a much smarter movie than its generic title and advertising campaign would suggest, but it’s not so smart that it's able to find a creative way to reach its climax. When all else fails, bring out the guns.

Grade: B