Barnes & Noble

Phil Karlson's 1973 cult classic starring Joe Don Baker as southern sheriff Buford Pusser has been thoroughly (and skillfully) overhauled in the making of this satisfying vehicle for rising action star Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock). Retaining little more than the original's title and basic premise -- a determined citizen becomes sheriff to single-handedly wrest control of his small hometown from the lawless element -- it supplies a surfeit of the bone-crunching action we've come to expect from the Rock. He portrays Chris Vaughn, a U.S. Army Special Forces operative who, after completing his hitch, returns to his rural Northwest community, which is being ravaged by petty crime and widespread drug use. Upon learning that these depredations are byproducts of the outwardly glamorous casino run by his childhood buddy, Jay Hamilton (played by the sublimely smarmy Neal McDonough), Chris ousts the corrupt sheriff and runs for office himself, declaring war on Hamilton and his minions after he wins the election. You can imagine what happens next, and it ain't pretty. In place of Pusser's baseball bat, Vaughn totes a six-foot-long wooden beam, which helps equalize the multi-adversary confrontations he faces at a rate of one per reel. MTV's erstwhile "Jackass," Johnny Knoxville, makes a surprisingly effective second banana as Ray Templeton, and gorgeous Ashley Scott brightens the screen as Deni, the former girlfriend forced by economic hardship to become an exotic dancer at Hamilton's casino. Director Kevin Bray realizes that he's not working with top-notch story material, so he focuses on maintaining a semblance of credibility during the well-staged but highly improbable action sequences. The Rock's pro-wrestling background doesn't qualify him to play Hamlet, but he takes movie work seriously, gets better with each film, and with this raucous popcorn movie demonstrates that he's ready for a shot at the big time. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

A man fights to bring decency and the rule of law back to his hometown in this action drama. Chris Vaughn (The Rock) left his home in Washington State's timber country to join the Army, where he distinguished himself as a member of the Special Forces. When his hitch is over, Vaughn decides to return home to help run the family business, a sawmill, but he soon makes the unpleasant discovery that things aren't what they once were. Vaughn learns that the town's lumber industry has all but dried up, and an old high school buddy, Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), has turned the city into a den of vice, running a large gambling casino and strip club while selling drugs and women on the side. Angry at this turn of events, and frustrated by local law enforcement officials who are willing to ignore Hamilton's crimes in exchange for kickbacks, Vaughn decides to run for sheriff, and with the help of another old friend, Ray Templeton (Johnny Knoxville), he wins the election. But Hamilton doesn't take kindly to Vaughn's attempts to clean up the town, and Vaughn discovers Hamilton's henchmen are willing to target his friends, his family, and the woman he loves (Ashley Scott) in order to have their way. Walking Tall was based on Phil Karlson's 1973 action hit of the same name, which was in turn inspired by the true story of Buford Pusser, who was sheriff of Tennessee's McNairy County between 1964 and 1970 and gained fame for his tough tactics against the local criminal element. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 027616910745
• Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 1:26:00
• Sales Rank: 9,511

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Out of Time/Walking Tall

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