Walking Tall (2004)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Kevin Bray

Writers (WGA):

Mort Briskin (based on a screenplay by)
David Klass (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 April 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

One man will stand up for what's right.

Plot:

A former U.S. soldier returns to his hometown to find it overrun by crime and corruption, which prompts him to clean house.

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Sheriff | Trial | Football | Jury

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Dwayne Johnson	...	Chris Vaughn (as The Rock)
Johnny Knoxville	...	Ray Templeton
Neal McDonough	...	Jay Hamilton
Kristen Wilson	...	Michelle Vaughn
Ashley Scott	...	Deni
Khleo Thomas	...	Pete Vaughn
John Beasley	...	Chris Vaughn Sr.
Barbara Tarbuck	...	Connie Vaughn
Michael Bowen	...	Sheriff Stan Watkins
Kevin Durand	...	Booth
Andrew Tarbet	...	Jimmy
Patrick Gallagher	...	Keith
John Stewart	...	Rusty
Eric Breker	...	Deputy Ralston
Ryan Robbins	...	Travis

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence, sexual content, drug material and language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:18SG | Denmark:15 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (No. 39989)

Filming Locations:

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

DVD includes deleted scenes and an alternate ending.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the hospital, and in the courtroom, Chris can be seen to have huge scars across his stomach and chest, all the way up his right shoulder. When Deni and Chris take off their shirts in the police station, Chris has no scars.

Quotes:

[Ray is visiting the injured Chris' hospital bed]
Chris Vaughn: Nice homecoming party...
Ray Templeton: I dunno if haven't noticed, but this ain't exactly home any more.

Movie Connections:

References "Cops" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Tell Me

An enjoyable action film, but it felt a bit thin

Walking Tall is The Rock's fourth foray into major motion pictures, and different turn then his previous three trips to the box office. What separates 'Walking Tall' from his other films to date is The Rock is left alone as the sole 'draw' of this film, without a major franchise (The Mummy Returns, Scorpion King) or other star power (The Rundown with Sean William Scott and Christopher Walken) to draw an audience. Is it a success?

Yes and no.

Overall, it's an enjoyable action film with good a plot, decent characters and acting, and some hard-hitting action sequences. It centres on Chris Vaughn (The Rock), returning home from the Army after many years of service, only to realize it isn't the place he left all those years ago. A former friend and casino owner Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough) controls much of the town through gambling, prostitution, and drugs. After Vaughn is attacked in the Casino, and his nephew overdoses on drugs, he teams with his best friend Ray (Johnny Knoxville), becomes the town's Sheriff, and goes about trying to set things right.

It is The Rock's movie first and foremost, and his natural charisma and personality are what carries the movie at its core. The Rock plays Chris Vaughn and delivers as well as can be expected, after four films he is definitely looking more in his element. The Rock is supported wonderfully by the surprising Johnny Knoxville (of Jackass fame) who turns in a wonderfully solid and funny performance as Ray, Vaughn's best friend and later deputy. Neal McDonough plays the main villain of the picture, and although he doesn't have much to work with outside of being just "the bad guy", he handles it well, and is matched well against The Rock.

This movie is decidedly 'heavier' then Rock's previous outings, dealing with more significant topics like prostitution and drugs, which gives it a more serious edge. It certainly doesn't feel like a 'fun' film, like all of The Rock's other movies to date.

The action scenes are solid, and are a firm connection to the plot. Unlike Rock's previous films, the fight scenes are more traditional 'realistic' looking fights. That being said, for action junkies there's definitely something here for you, with The Rock getting into it with his hands, and guns, there's definitely something for everyone.

That said, I felt Walking Tall was a little bit thin. First and foremost, it ran at a meagre 85 minutes, which was simply not enough time for a movie like this. Although all the necessary plot points were properly established, I felt the movie needed another 20 minutes or so to `breath'. Everything progresses logically, just much too quickly to build the level of suspense and anticipation I think the movie was capable of. As a result, leading up to the climax of the movie, it almost feels like a race to the finish. More character development and background was definitely warranted, as well as greater explanation on certain plot points.

I felt that this was a movie that a studio may have cut for time reasons or ratings (it also felt like it was being squeezed into PG-13), and if that were the case, I'd love to see the full version. I feel it would be a much more complete film, with a better build up, therefore making the payoff mean all that much more.

Overall, I enjoyed Walking Tall, and would recommend it to anyone despite its faults. The Rock is being championed as the next big action star, and I have to agree, he has the charisma, looks and moves to make it far, with Walking Tall being a major 'step' in getting him there.