Review of Walking Tall (2004) by Stevenf — 11 Aug 2013

Walking Tall comes down to the simple fact that if you want to see a popcorn flick and loads of guys getting kicked around by a wrestler, this is the film for you.The real issues with the film are its attempt at a serious and relatable plot, yet it only clocks in at 86 minutes, leaving very little time to relate to anyone because of the high-octane pace of the film, therefore creating a film with some fine performances, but an ultimately forgettable flick that is heavy on violence and light on pretty much everything else.

We are reminded how this is based on a true story, but I doubt it played out like this, we see Chris (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) returning home after serving in the army, to his surprise, the town is now a haven for pretty girls, casinos and of course, drugs. Chris gets reacquainted with all his childhood friends, including Ray (Johnny Knoxville) and the successful Jay (Neal McDonough), who we can immediately sense tension with as Chris shakes his hand. We then see first hand how the town works as Chris exposes many crooked things when visiting the casino Jay owns that night, something he pays dearly for.

The "clean-up" that happens after this sort of ends up like a superhero flick when the hero realises the powers he has, lets go and cause havoc. Sufficed to say there is very little brain but plenty of brawn after this, with a welcome blend of humour from Knoxville and The Rock. But there are a few opening plot points that were never fully explored, Chris' dad and his refusal to shoot a gun, the repercussions of the young boy taking drugs, and the seemingly far-fetched descent into maniacal thugs, it simply didn't make sense or was never fully explained.

The length of the film is also a middle-finger to any sense of character development or reasoning for some of its decisions for that matter, the relationships break down too quickly and supporting characters are grossly under-used. Don't view the film with much thought in your head, and it will be very enjoyable, but wanting to see a dramatic and sensical flow of a film will leave you wondering what just happened. The performances are neatly on par, put short run time and brawn over wit approach will leave the film as a brainless popcorn show.