Film: Coming home

The Rock pretends to act, again, in

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Going through life with a name like The Rock must be its own kind of burden, which probably accounts for the hyperthyroidal stare of its bearer, wrestler Dwayne Johnson. If so, the stress of pretending to be an actor is going to pop those pupils right out of his massive head.

Walking Tall, the credits inform us, is "inspired by a true story." That would be the tale of ex-Marine Buford H. Pusser, the legendary sheriff of McNairy County, Tenn., who was known for taking a four-foot club to the heads of unwary moonshiners within his jurisdiction. Immortalized in several films and a TV special, Pusser's most famous incarnation was in a 1973 film starring Joe Don Baker that to this day remains one of the great revenge fantasies--a kind of Death Wish for rednecks.

Pusser is only a subliminal presence in the new movie, but his kick-ass spirit has survived. Now called Chris Vaughn, our hero returns home from military service to find Dad ("Everwood"'s John Beasley) out of work and nephew Pete (Khleo Thomas) dabbling in PCP. The mill has closed, the lumber yard is now a XXX video store and junkies are shooting up in alleys. "I don't know if you noticed, but this ain't exactly home anymore," says best friend Ray (Johnny Knoxville, in the movie's one good performance). The center of all this iniquity is (what else?) a new casino; and before you can say "high roller" Chris has grabbed a two-by-four and a sheriff's badge. Fortified only by a quickie with an old school pal who's grown up real nice, he sets out to Clean Things Up.

Walking Tall marries fabulously inept filmmaking with a story that does nothing except connect butt-kicking incidents. This is no more than you'd expect from a film with so little talent and so many clichés, most of which seem uncomfortably dated. Adult video stores? Strippers? Casinos? We can only hope Walking Tall: Las Vegas isn't already in the works.