Release Date:
04/02/2004
Around Hollywood, the term remake holds all the cachet of a Emilio Estevez–comeback rumor, and Walking Tall doesn’t seem too interested in changing that. But if we have to watch someone beat the original film’s nuances to a pulp with shoot-outs, explosions, and arched eyebrows, it may as well be The Rock. When Chris Vaughn (Mr. Rock) returns home after eight years of military service, he hardly recognizes the small town he left. Now, his old buddy (Neal McDonough) runs the lone moneymaker in town, a dirty casino peddling gambling, lap dances, and drugs. But Vaughn wants to restore the city’s cozy glory days and, after abruptly earning sheriff duties, he enlists the only friend left on his side (Johnny Knoxville) to right the wrongs. The rest of the film features classic rock and The Rock meting out justice with a cedar log like Barry Bonds on steroids. With a running time under 90 minutes, all semblance of cohesive storytelling sails right out the window—save for one soft-core sex scene with hottie Ashley Scott!—and the mindless action doesn’t cease until The Rock and Knoxville are trading one-liners over the closing credits. As a credible remake, this ranks right up there with Blues Brothers 2000. But as a Rock highlight film, it’ll do the trick.