Lean, mean and violently obscene, Walking Tall is the perfect male-fantasy revenge movie. Exhibiting a sadistic glee rarely seen outside of the Rambo or Death Wish movies, it's a bone-cracking, neck-snapping good time for those without a moral center; something the filmmakers apparently don't have. There's so much brutality on screen it took four screenwriters to pack it all into the film's 86-minute running time.
Playing war hero Chris Vaughn, The Rock returns from Army Special Forces duty to find his idyllic hometown has been turned into a drug-infested sleaze-hole run by casino kingpin Jay Hamilton, Jr. (Neal McDonough). Vaughn's sunglasses are obviously masking some serious passive-aggressive tendencies, but his first skirmish with Hamilton's security thugs results in him receiving some aesthetically challenged carvings on his torso and being left for dead.
When Vaughn's young nephew experiences a near-fatal drug overdose, the now-recovered soldier decides to take matters into his own hands. Marching into the casino with a crazed sense of righteousness and a huge wooden beam, he proceeds to smash windows, slot machines and limbs—just about anything within striking distance. This guy is really good at beating people up; perhaps he could find some line of work which pays him for it.
In an absurd sequence of events, Vaughn is put on trial for the assault, but he decides to defend himself, fires his attorney and uses the forum to announce his candidacy for sheriff. Assuming, of course, that he isn't convicted.
The jurors and townspeople are behind him, as he's found not guilty and subsequently elected. Now his brand of vigilante justice is perfectly legal! With a badge and pal Johnny Knoxville along for comedic relief, he proceeds to clean up the town.
Did I mention this was based on a true story, and a loose adaptation of the 1973 film starring Joe Don Baker?
The total lack of intelligence is more of a problem when it comes to the depiction of violence.
Director Kevin Bray skillfully manipulates events so we're invited to laugh and cheer at mayhem and manslaughter. It's the kind of movie that, if you don't really think about it, you could actually enjoy, but if you start to think about it, you could really hate.