The Rock looks nothing like Sheriff Buford Pusser, the Southerner whose real-life battles inspired the 1973 film “Walking Tall” and two sequels. And the new, Rock-fortified “Walking Tall” even transfers the setting from Tennessee to the Pacific Northwest.
Even this mediocre remake, though, can’t bungle the pleasure of seeing a hero right wrongs with the help of a two-by-four. And in the Rock’s meaty paw, that wood resembles an oversized toothpick.
If the first film typified that era’s “Dirty Harry”-style backlash against hamstrung law enforcement, the remake reflects the modern action film’s illogical chasms.
Don’t blame the Rock, who appears to be inching his way toward a legitimate acting career, and by legitimate we mean attaining the level of Schwarzenegger, Reeves and Kutcher. Paired here with “Jackass’s” Johnny Knoxville, the Rock manages to look far less wooden than his weapon of choice.
The erstwhile Dwayne Johnson stars as Chris Vaughn, a solitary ex-soldier coming home after nearly a decade of service. The genial giant can barely recognize his old stomping grounds. The mill which once kept friends and neighbors employed is no more, replaced by a casino run by his old high school rival, Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough).
The two renew their hostilities peacefully on their high school’s football field. But when Jay invites Chris and his pals to a night at the casino, Chris spots a crooked craps dealer and tries to straighten him out with his fists.
War is unofficially declared between Chris and Jay, whose criminal reach spreads all the way to the local police. Soon, Chris is running for the sheriff’s office hoping to clean up the town with the law and that mighty cudgel by his side.
The source material hinged on much darker injustices, including the death of Pusser’s wife. Here, Chris’ biggest personal problem is keeping an eye on his weed-smoking nephew.
Chris also reunites with an old friend, or as it’s written in the script, his Comic Sidekick (Mr. Knoxville, playing a former drug user who’s seen the light). Even those horrified by Mr. Knoxville’s antics on the notorious MTV stunt show will appreciate his disheveled appeal here.
Director Kevin Bray never misses a chance to punctuate a scene with exclamation marks. That approach means Chris’ big moment, addressing a courtroom of his peers after being arrested for administering vigilante justice, rings false no matter how earnest the Rock may seem.
We’re talking action formula 101 here, right down to the romantic interest (Ashley Scott, playing a stripper with a heart of gold) slipped in with zero dramatic impact. The film’s efficient fight set pieces can’t delude us into thinking otherwise.
“Walking Tall’s” simple themes still resonate. It would take a pretty cold heart not to inwardly root for Chris, no matter how roughshod his approach.
Still, the only thing novel about this “Walking Tall” is the superficial facelift applied to a shopworn tale of vengeance.
**
WHAT: “Walking Tall”
RATING: PG:13 (Violence, sexual situations and coarse language)
CREDITS: Directed by Kevin Bray. Written by Channing Gibson, David Klass, Brian Koppelman and David Levien, from a screenplay by Mort Briskin. Executive produced by Vince McMahon and Keith Samples.
RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes
WEB SITE: www.walkingtallmovie.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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