FASTER

FASTER (R for the usual strong violence, profanity, some drug use for this genre):  It's a worthy try on the part of director George Tillman, Jr, and Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson to elicit 98-minutes of thrills as Johnson portrays a former ex-con out to avenge his brother's death while being dogged by detective (Billy Bob Thornton) on one hand and a slick assassin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) on the other.  Over-hyped as he usually is in such flicks, Johnson gives it a good try, but with the emphasis on character over action, and a lack of the real high-octane maneuvers we've come to expect from him, the movie is not much more than just that - a good try.  (Grade:  D+)