The difference between a great action flick and a mediocre one isn't measured by the number of punches thrown, the height of the flames spouting from a gas explosion or the size of the hero's forearms.
The secret's in the script.
A great action film will supplement its brawls and special effects with witty, well-planned dialogue. Director Kevin Bray's "Walking Tall" does not do this.
The Rock stars as Chris Vaughn, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier who returns home to find his small Washington hometown corrupted by the sleazy hotshot Jay Hamilton Jr. (a steely Neal McDonough). Hamilton has shut down the town's life blood lumber mill and now is running a hip, though crooked, casino. Vaughn, along with his childhood friend (Johnny Knoxville), works to destroy Hamilton's fraudulent monopoly. Head crackin' ensues as the ripped lawman wields his weapon of choice- a cedar club.
This film, an adaptation of a 1973 version, comes off as believable at first but suffers because of blatant holes in the script later on. Too much goes unsaid, including the details behind Vaughn's romantic history with a casino stripper, played by former model Ashley Scott. Questions hinder the story line - such as how Vaughn never thinks to call in the state authorities after he uncovers corruption at the county level or how Hamilton's boondocks casino is able to attract so many women with big boobs and tiny skirts.
One of the film's pivotal scenes - where Vaughn must justify in court the severe beating he gave some of Hamilton's security guards - is resolved when the defendant rips open his shirt, revealing washboard abs and brutal battle scars to the crowded courtroom. This seems to pass for convincing, and by the next scene, Vaughn is the town sheriff.
The actors are forced to dodge holes such as these. Luckily, they're relatively successful.
The Rock, who gained stardom as a professional wrestler, stays afloat simply by being a good actor. As a straight man who's not afraid to crack a smile, he exudes charisma. Unlike action stars Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jean-Claude Van Damme, The Rock is able to bring inflection, emotion and ease to his lines.
Knoxville also shows potential as the comic sidekick. Even though he takes beatings similar to those he received on MTV's stunt-man show "Jackass," he still brings character to his role.
The weak script might leave one expecting a lot of action in its place, but a PG-13 rating causes the camera to conveniently avoid bullet trajectories, knife wounds and the casino strippers' potential full monties. One confrontation at the jailhouse feels less like a modern-day bulletfest and more like an old-fashioned shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. The film isn't overly violent or sexually explicit, but it still succeeds in maintaining that badass, tough-guy aura.
