The Rock stars in this lean, pared-down action yarn that rehashes an old, tired plot into a fairly entertaining family film. In fact, WALKING TALL is a throwback to the '80s, when superstars like Chuck Norris and Schwarzenegger were filling cinemas with their own particular brand of action-heavy offerings. WALKING TALL, therefore, is pleasantly old-fashioned, concentrating on providing plenty of ass-whooping and little plot to get in the way. In fact, there's too little plot in this film; running at only seventy minutes, it goes by all too fast, and you're left wanting more at the end.
The Rock is decent in this film; he's no Al Pacino, but then he's no Hulk Hogan either. He fits somewhere in the middle of modern-day action super stars and is certainly both amiable and likable in his role. Sadly, the supporting cast aren't all that great; Johnny Knoxville is particularly poor as The Rock's predictably crazy buddy, whilst Neal McDonough's villain is of the vanilla variety. The less said about love interest Kristen Wilson the better.
As for the action, the first casino brawl is full of rubbishy editing and cut-aways, meaning you never quite see what's going. Thankfully, the rest of the action sequences (about four of 'em) are all well-shot and exciting, particularly the moment when The Rock visits the casino and starts kicking backside with his piece of wood – a classic action scene! The shoot-out at the police station is also well handled and nicely over-the-top, whilst the climatic axe fight is mediocre in comparison, but still has some good stunts. The only real downside is this film's dumb humour (centred around Knoxville's character) which just doesn't appeal. The good news is that it doesn't overwhelm and spoil what is otherwise a simple, straightforward action film.
The Rock is decent in this film; he's no Al Pacino, but then he's no Hulk Hogan either. He fits somewhere in the middle of modern-day action super stars and is certainly both amiable and likable in his role. Sadly, the supporting cast aren't all that great; Johnny Knoxville is particularly poor as The Rock's predictably crazy buddy, whilst Neal McDonough's villain is of the vanilla variety. The less said about love interest Kristen Wilson the better.
As for the action, the first casino brawl is full of rubbishy editing and cut-aways, meaning you never quite see what's going. Thankfully, the rest of the action sequences (about four of 'em) are all well-shot and exciting, particularly the moment when The Rock visits the casino and starts kicking backside with his piece of wood – a classic action scene! The shoot-out at the police station is also well handled and nicely over-the-top, whilst the climatic axe fight is mediocre in comparison, but still has some good stunts. The only real downside is this film's dumb humour (centred around Knoxville's character) which just doesn't appeal. The good news is that it doesn't overwhelm and spoil what is otherwise a simple, straightforward action film.