"An ex-con sets out to avenge his brother's death after they were double-crossed during a heist years ago. During his campaign, however, he's tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1433108/Set aside the the total "frontal-violence" the gratuitous and graphic mayhem... and you pretty much have a great storyline of precision and focused vendetta. I had to watch this movie a few times to get what I got... a storyline right out of the Old Testament. It appears that the falling down point is that these guys were not only brothers, but partners in a crime... and this may not have happened the way it did had they not been on the wrong side of the law. That is where the new entertainment has us cheering for the "bad guy" ...because he is not as bad as the worse guy!
I couldn't help but have compassion on the traumatized brother (Dwayne Johnson), having to watch as someone slit his brother's throat... and if it wasn't for a miraculous recovery, his threats to avenge his dead brother (Matt Gerald) would have come to nothing. It was as if God Himself was in on this case of vengeance, enabling the surviving sibling to do His bidding. OK, let's not et carried away... or let's!
I watched this movie with my 16 year-old son, who hasn't slept since (not), but had a discussion with him about the way things were done in the Old Testament, verses the way God would have it done now. IN the Old Testament God provided for the avenging of the death of a family member... so that the nation was pretty much self-policing. However, if one was really innocent they could flee to a city that God provided,
that would protect those causing an accidental death...
at least until a court could determine if indeed it was accidental.
IN "Faster", the surviving brother is focused, he did his time for the crime he committed, and sets out to avenge the death of his brother... not unlike some stories in the bible, one in particular of Joab (2 Samuel 3:27) ...here Joab avenges the death of his brother, and Amaziah (2 Kings 14) ...kills those who killed his father.... and in both cases with zero collateral damage. NO innocent by-standers were harmed... as in the storyline of FASTER... but why the seeming change in the Biblical direction towards one's enemy? From "eye for an eye" to "love your neighbor?" Has God gone soft?
Actually GOD hasn't changed... He has now in this age of grace reserved all vengeance for Himself... now that there is no impartial ruling court on earth, and that Jesus is established Himself as the only impartial Judge, all Judgement will be served through Him. Does that mean everyone gets off Scott-free because Jesus died for all? NOT a chance... only those who humbly receive His Salvation are pardoned.
In this "age of grace" the penalty is greater than that of the Old Testament... how so? Then the mere spilling of blood was payment enough... now in the New Testament, only the spilling of the Savior's blood is payment enough. As the innocent (Jesus) for the guilty (us)... as the payment is greater, now so is the punishment. It is no longer a "temporary life" (in this flesh) for a temporary death (eye for an eye), but an Eternal Life (God's) for an eternal death (Lake of Fire). As you can see this age of grace is more severe. Seeing as Jesus died for all... all are made guilty of His Blood trough any sin,
no matter how "big or small" ...all are made guilty through sin, that all may be saved equally through the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
"...We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
(2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
This is the way the vilest sinner can receive a pardon along with the "smallest" of sinners. WE are credited, if you will, with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, by merely believing and trusting in Him. However, the severest flip-side to that is, if we reject His provision for us we become guilty of the Blood of Christ and will be judged accordingly. What will we, who know the message of salvation be counted worthy of, if we accept or reject this incredible offer of God?
"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him."
(Hebrews 2:1-3)
IN CONCLUSION, and a personal note, having my own brother killed...
...the paralleled picture between the premise of this movie FASTER, and that of the one presented in the Bible, seems more of a question...
Do we want to be seen by God as the one who spilled His precious child's blood...
OR do we want to be seen by God as His precious child?