Hollywood is short on action heroes right now. Sylvester Stallone's career has been over since the '90s. Vin Diesel seems to be avoiding making another hit at any cost. And Arnold Schwarzenegger has traded sunglasses for neckties. But one gigantic man with expressive eyebrows is standing out now as the bearer of the macho torch. And with \Walking Tall,"" we get a third taste of what could be an exciting action career for The Rock.
""Walking Tall"" centers on Chris Vaughn (The Rock), a veteran of the U.S. military's special forces who returns to his small, Northwestern hometown to find a changed community. The cedar mill is closed, while a crooked casino has become the town's center of attention. As Vaughn discovers that the police are unresponsive, he decides to take matters into his own hands and face the corrupt casino boss, played by Neal McDonough (""Band of Brothers"").
What makes the movie work is its charismatic star. The Rock is as good an actor as Stallone, Diesel or Schwarzenegger, but that's a backhanded compliment. The Rock genuinely brings a lot to the table. His boyish grin and gigantic eyes emanate unmistakable warmth. His screen presence is very human, making him surprisingly accessible for a 6'5"" pro wrestler. And perhaps more than any other movie star outside the martial-arts genre, he has tremendous agility during fight scenes.
These qualities are especially key to the success of ""Walking Tall,"" because the movie features a flaky director and a hazardously simplified script. Director Kevin Bray, primarily a music video director, seems uncomfortable behind the camera. Instead of one clear vision for how the movie should be shot, he tries a bit of everything, from dizzying pans to shaky handheld shots. Not only is the movie's visual style awkwardly inconsistent, but so is the sense of pacing.
The script is equally flawed. The dialogue is sometimes cringe-worthy, while several scenes are overly cartoonish in their face-offs between the protagonist and the villains. This includes one of the most absurd courtroom scenes in recent memory.
But the movie is helped by a fun supporting cast. Johnny Knoxville is less talented than Seann William Scott, but works better with The Rock than Scott did in ""The Rundown."" Meanwhile, McDonough offers a funny and charismatic performance in his first big role as a straight-up villain. Bringing the same intensity he brought to TV's ""Boomtown,"" McDonough ably stands toe-to-toe with The Rock. Viewers are also treated to another charming performance from Khleo Thomas (""Holes""), easily one of the best child actors in Hollywood right now.
""Walking Tall"" is not a top-notch action flick. It's simple, intermittently absurd, and spends half of its running time on fight scenes. But The Rock brings pleasant screen presence and the plot is passable enough to serve as a very enjoyable vehicle for him. In a perfect world, we would see him working with top action directors, like Tony Scott or Michael Bay. But for now, there are worse ways to unwind than watching The Rock beat the stuffing out of bad guys.
