Review: Walking Tall
April 2, 2004; Loew’s Boston Common # 16
* * ½ (out of 4)
I have a secret. I love pro wrestling. I always have. It’s one of those things I grew up on, and even after I came to realize how fake it was, I grew to appreciate the athletic talent and in some cases the characterization by the performers. This is why, when Duane “The Rock” Johnson started to get movie offers, I was enthused. His character was always dead-on and he was one of a few wrestlers who always looked like he enjoyed what he was doing. Johnson brings that energy and talent to big screen in his 4th outing, Walking Tall; sadly, he doesn’t get much help in making this what it could be.
Johnson plays Chris Vaughn, a Special Forces soldier returning to his hometown after eight years of service. He finds a town drastically different than the one he left; the lumber mill, which was the primary employer when he left, has been closed, and the streets are filled with drug peddlers and crooked cops. The town now revolves around a casino, owned and operated by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), a high-school buddy of Vaughn’s who has become the most important and powerful man in town. It also seems that the drug trade is centered in the casino. On his first visit to the casino, Vaughn witnesses some foul play, and being the moral, upstanding guy that he is, starts a fight about it. The result of this is him being left for dead after being overpowered by Hamilton's flunkies. He recovers, but upon his nephew overdosing on crystal meth, an irate Vaughn grabs a 2x4 and exacts his own style of revenge on the casino workers, this time dismantling them and the casino itself, but getting arrested in the process. In his trial for the damage he inflicted on the casino, Vaughn promises to run for Sheriff and clean up the ailing town if acquitted. Entrusting his wise-cracking, convicted felon of a best friend Ray (Johnny Knoxville) as his one and only deputy Vaughn sets out, 2x4 in hand, to restore the respectability to the town.
This film has two things going for it: Duane Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Chris Vaughn is essentially breaking more crimes than anyone else in the movie – the brutality in his fights with casino employees is shocking at times, and goes well beyond self-defense – and yet Johnson plays him with such a passion and drive for what is ‘right’ that it doesn’t matter; you’ll still walk out feeling that every singe broken bone, every single dispatched scumbag was completely justified. Knoxville’s Ray is, basically, the comic relief in the movie, and there are a few scenes of him having a great time that are fantastic; watching him “search” a prisoner’s truck for drugs had me nearly in tears.
Beyond these two, the acting suffers. Most of this is the product of shamefully underdevelopment. Most severe victim is Ashley Scott as Deni, who is apparently a former girlfriend of Vaughn’s. Mind you, this is never said directly, but between knowing looks between Vaughn and his mother, and the fact that the second time they see each other in the movie, they’re on Vaughn’s office floor within two minutes, I think it’s a safe assumption. Otherwise, Deni is flat, there only to serve as a romantic interest and possible ‘damsel in distress.’ All of the villains are evil cardboard cutouts, not showing any motivation for anything beyond their own personal gain. McDonough tries to hide his lack of character with at least a bit of charisma, but he can only do that for so long.
Sending this movie to its death is the directing. This is Kevin Bray’s second outing in features, the first being All About the Benjamins. The man loves his close-ups. I feel like I know every inch of Johnson’s face much, much better than I need to. Most aggravating, however, was the handling of the fight scenes. It seems to have become a trend to zoom in far too close on fights, and make camera cuts so quick that it is impossible to figure out what is happening, let alone who is winning. This is The Rock… he rose to stardom doing matches lasting 10 minutes or more, and they had to look good from every viewpoint. Why would you be afraid to show this man doing what he does best?
The 72-minute running time is a factor as well, but with the way the story was presented, I’m not sure what else they would do with it anyway. If you can fight through some unwatchable shooting, there are good performances here from the two good guys. Johnny Knoxville is starting to come into his own in mainstream comedy, moving away from his Jackass antics, and Duane Johnson is without a doubt the next big action star, provided he can get some decent directing. Walking Tall is a near-hit, but not quite. If you’ve liked Johnson so far in his film outings, you’ll enjoy this.
April 2, 2004; Loew’s Boston Common # 16
* * ½ (out of 4)
I have a secret. I love pro wrestling. I always have. It’s one of those things I grew up on, and even after I came to realize how fake it was, I grew to appreciate the athletic talent and in some cases the characterization by the performers. This is why, when Duane “The Rock” Johnson started to get movie offers, I was enthused. His character was always dead-on and he was one of a few wrestlers who always looked like he enjoyed what he was doing. Johnson brings that energy and talent to big screen in his 4th outing, Walking Tall; sadly, he doesn’t get much help in making this what it could be.
Johnson plays Chris Vaughn, a Special Forces soldier returning to his hometown after eight years of service. He finds a town drastically different than the one he left; the lumber mill, which was the primary employer when he left, has been closed, and the streets are filled with drug peddlers and crooked cops. The town now revolves around a casino, owned and operated by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), a high-school buddy of Vaughn’s who has become the most important and powerful man in town. It also seems that the drug trade is centered in the casino. On his first visit to the casino, Vaughn witnesses some foul play, and being the moral, upstanding guy that he is, starts a fight about it. The result of this is him being left for dead after being overpowered by Hamilton's flunkies. He recovers, but upon his nephew overdosing on crystal meth, an irate Vaughn grabs a 2x4 and exacts his own style of revenge on the casino workers, this time dismantling them and the casino itself, but getting arrested in the process. In his trial for the damage he inflicted on the casino, Vaughn promises to run for Sheriff and clean up the ailing town if acquitted. Entrusting his wise-cracking, convicted felon of a best friend Ray (Johnny Knoxville) as his one and only deputy Vaughn sets out, 2x4 in hand, to restore the respectability to the town.
This film has two things going for it: Duane Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Chris Vaughn is essentially breaking more crimes than anyone else in the movie – the brutality in his fights with casino employees is shocking at times, and goes well beyond self-defense – and yet Johnson plays him with such a passion and drive for what is ‘right’ that it doesn’t matter; you’ll still walk out feeling that every singe broken bone, every single dispatched scumbag was completely justified. Knoxville’s Ray is, basically, the comic relief in the movie, and there are a few scenes of him having a great time that are fantastic; watching him “search” a prisoner’s truck for drugs had me nearly in tears.
Beyond these two, the acting suffers. Most of this is the product of shamefully underdevelopment. Most severe victim is Ashley Scott as Deni, who is apparently a former girlfriend of Vaughn’s. Mind you, this is never said directly, but between knowing looks between Vaughn and his mother, and the fact that the second time they see each other in the movie, they’re on Vaughn’s office floor within two minutes, I think it’s a safe assumption. Otherwise, Deni is flat, there only to serve as a romantic interest and possible ‘damsel in distress.’ All of the villains are evil cardboard cutouts, not showing any motivation for anything beyond their own personal gain. McDonough tries to hide his lack of character with at least a bit of charisma, but he can only do that for so long.
Sending this movie to its death is the directing. This is Kevin Bray’s second outing in features, the first being All About the Benjamins. The man loves his close-ups. I feel like I know every inch of Johnson’s face much, much better than I need to. Most aggravating, however, was the handling of the fight scenes. It seems to have become a trend to zoom in far too close on fights, and make camera cuts so quick that it is impossible to figure out what is happening, let alone who is winning. This is The Rock… he rose to stardom doing matches lasting 10 minutes or more, and they had to look good from every viewpoint. Why would you be afraid to show this man doing what he does best?
The 72-minute running time is a factor as well, but with the way the story was presented, I’m not sure what else they would do with it anyway. If you can fight through some unwatchable shooting, there are good performances here from the two good guys. Johnny Knoxville is starting to come into his own in mainstream comedy, moving away from his Jackass antics, and Duane Johnson is without a doubt the next big action star, provided he can get some decent directing. Walking Tall is a near-hit, but not quite. If you’ve liked Johnson so far in his film outings, you’ll enjoy this.
posted by Matt S. at
7:45 PM
