Movie Reviews

Walking Tall is about as lean as filmmaking can get. This is a film with almost nothing in the way of sub-plots, side-stories, character development, or anything else that would interfere with the plot moving directly from point A to point B.

"Point A" involves The Rock as an ex-U.S. Army Special Forces soldier returning home after almost a decade away. Things aren't quite the same though: the old mill -- once the biggest employer in the town -- has been closed down, and a new casino has become the town's biggest money-maker, much to the dismay of many of the residents. "Point B" involves The Rock kicking a whole lot of ass with his bare hands and a two-by-four, after discovering that the casino, its management, and its 'security crew' are peddling drugs to the town?s teenagers, including his much-younger brother. In between, Vaughn discovers that the casino is owned and operated by a wealthy high-school rival of his, and he also manages to get himself voted to the position of town sheriff.

I liked how straightforward the whole thing was: a man comes home to find that home has changed for the worse, he finds out who is responsible, and then he beats them up. It's certainly not very deep, and it only runs for a brisk eighty-or-so minutes. It's also a bit more serious in tone than The Rock's previous starring vehicle, The Rundown, which I liked just a bit more because it took advantage of The Rock's respectable comedic talents. But I appreciated Walking Tall it for what it was trying to do, and The Rock continues to impress me as a movie star. I'm looking forward to his next film.