Back To Index Walking Tall
 Barnes & Noble Phil Karlsons 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 originals 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 weve 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 aint pretty. In place of Pussers 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. MTVs 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 Hamiltons casino. Director Kevin Bray realizes that hes 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 Rocks pro-wrestling background doesnt qualify him to play Hamlet, but he takes movie work seriously, gets better with each film, and with this raucous popcorn movie demonstrates that hes ready for a shot at the big time. Ed Hulse Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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