No matter what anyone says, this is not Walking Tall. The tale of Buford Pusser still remains within the confines of the 1973 Joe Don Baker-starring Hicksploitation classic of the same name. The Kevin Bray-directed “remake” is actually one of the great Dwayne Johnson vehicles from the WWE era (they produced this as well as his other early era actioners, The Scorpion King and The Rundown). All of the clichés still inherent within that particular style of filmmaking still hold true. With that, Walking Tall still manages to be one of the best of Johnson’s filmography. As long as one is not looking for a straight remake of the earlier film, you’ll be happy with what Johnson and Company are cooking.
Military Special Forces vet Chris Vaughn (Johnson) returns home to the nondescript Pacific Northwest town he grew up in. Quickly, Chris sees the hometown he left is filled with drugs, gambling, prostitution, and all other manner of felonious behaviors. As though Chris himself were the rock that levied the troubled waters at bay. Those troubled waters take the form of the whiteness of Jay Hamilton (Neil McDonough). Hamilton attempts to lure Chris and his friends to his side with gambling and women. What Hamilton does not understand is that Chris finds righteousness and justice sexier than roulette and strippers. Things quickly escalate as Chris is tortured and left for dead by Hamilton’s goons. Chris recovers with the help of his family and best friend, Ray (Johnny Knoxville), not only to win a trial but to run a campaign for Town Sheriff. Now it’s only a matter of time until the bad (the whiteness of Hamilton) and the good (the multiculturalism of Chris).
Many with a working knowledge of the oeuvre of WWE Films will be quite familiar with the rhythms and story beats of Walking Tall. What separates the movie from say The Chaperone or The Marine is Dewayne Johnson and the production crew of the film. Johnson here is in full-on Super Star charisma mode. The actor pushes himself farther than his contemporaries (at the time) because he cared about the film writ large. A just a canny persona in the wrestling ring circa 2004, even at this point, Johnson understood it would take more than just his particular brand of “ass-whuppin’” to really push the film beyond B-Movie fodder.
Walking Tall is designed to be an Action Star vehicle from beginning to end. But an Action Star vehicle, the way they made them at their very best for Schwarzenegger or Stallone circa 1985 (re Raw Deal, Cobra). They were not smart, but they were made with skill and the sort of blunt force trauma style entertainment that smashes you over the head with its obviousness. In the film, you know Johnson will triumph over whatever douche bag that is in front of him, but it’s all in the way it’s executed. Director Bray and the four credited screenwriters (David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levin, and Brian Koppelman) understand we need a buildup to Chris Vaughn kicking ass and taking names. The script and direction are smart enough to know to allow for Johnson to come in swinging and tell the story in a streamlined, no-frills way that comes off better fifteen years later than it may have when initially released.
They also know that Chris needs support and to care for something. The film gives Chris the support and something to care for in the form of the supporting characters. Many films of this ilk trade in clichés; the one does have a few, but the screenwriters manage to create a healthy cast of supporting roles, both good and evil, for Johnson’s Chris to play off of. By far the best (re interesting) character is Ray, Chris’s best friend, played by Johnny Knoxville. Knoxville brings a surprising amount of subtlety along with his brand of crass humor and charisma to the role. That manic energy seems to bring out the best in Johnson as their chemistry is by far and away more palpable than his romantic lead. Ashley Scott as the love interest, Deni, is stranded, having one of the two cliché-ridden written roles. Scott does what she can, but the “stripper with a heart of gold” is just too much for her, or anyone, for that matter, to act their way out of. The other cliché role comes in the form of Moral Compass father Chris Sr., played by the always great and reliable John Beasley. Beasley takes bad lines and turns them into moral platitudes that actually work. McDonough as Hamilton, along with turns by Michael Bowen and Kevin Durand, are appropriately evil but with the right spin to make them each interesting beyond the clichés of Big Boss, Corrupt Sheriff, and Right Hand to the Big Boss.
Walking Tall is not original, nor is it the faithful remake one may want. What it is is a well-oiled machine of ass kickery. Bray and his gang of screenwriters understand what their film is and what is required of them to make it work better than most. The film’s ‘light the fuse’ and let the ‘bomb go off’ style of storytelling is highly effective. Especially when that ‘Bomb’ is Dewayne Johnson and when it explodes as it does in Walking Tall… Holy hell is it’s awesome.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent update from the Blu-ray releases. The film has never looked sharper or cleaner than in 4K, but without it being digitally cleaned of that beautiful film grain. There is nary a scratch or blemish on the film through the entire runtime. The transfer is a flawless representation of the film’s 35mm origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Brandon Streussnig
Audio Commentary by Star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Bray, DP Glen MacPherson and Editor Robert Ivison
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Brandon Streussnig
Audio Commentary by Star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Bray, DP Glen MacPherson and Editor Robert Ivison
Fight the Good Fight: Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Gag Reel
Theatrical Trailer
The first of three Audio Commentaries is an all-new track by Film Journalist Brandon Streussnig opens with his credentials before diving into this being a remake of the 1970s Walking Tall, which is a true-life story. Some of the other details include the story tropes that the film uses that used to be a staple of 70s and 80s films (the loner walks into town) and no longer something in film and TV, or at least has become rare; the performance by Dwayne Johnson here and what has changed in the intervening years; the performance of Johnny Knoxville; the work of Neil McDonough and Kevin Durand; the work here and history of director Kevin Bray including a look at his music videos; the stunt work in the film and the players that participated in the set pieces and the style and how much it has evolved in the last two decades and de-evolved; the interesting look at the politics and its view on corruption; a great discussion with economic turmoil in the film and the lack of empathy and the less complexities of the film before the economic collapse of 2008; the difference and evolution of Dwayne Johnson from this era of films to the current era of Superstar; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The archival Audio Commentary by Star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is by far the best of the special features. Similar to the commentary track for Kino’s recent 4K release of The Rundown, Johnson is unguarded and relaxed, joking and talking a lot of muck (but in good jest). This track, recorded in 2004, is actually the first thing that genuinely made me like Johnson and turned the tide from being a casual fan to a fanboy for The Rock (as he was known at the time). For the 72-minute commentary track, Johnson manages to constantly joke about Beasley being George Foreman, talk about his topless scene in the film, and bust the balls of just about every male actor in the film. It’s a truly magnificent commentary, having very little to do with the film, something more akin to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell’s commentary for Big Trouble in Little China.
The third and final Audio Commentary is an archival track recorded back in 2004 for the initial DVD release by Director Kevin Bray, DP Glen MacPherson, and Editor Robert Ivison. The track is a pretty standard affair with the trio discussing the nuts and bolts of the production and post production process. Much of it discussing various scenes and how they were filmed or constructed with some talk about the cast and crew and their contributions.
Fight the Good Fight: Featurette (8:45) – this is an archival featurette is a behind-the-scenes look at the fight scenes in the film. It’s more of an EPK-style featurette rather than a deep dive into the stunts and fight choreography.
Deleted Scenes (1:42) – three deleted scenes: Chris at the Casino, Chris and Deni in the Truck, Chris says Goodbye to Pete.
Alternate Ending: The Porch (1:21) – really doesn’t add much to the proceedings. It’s not a shocking twist ending. Just added a bit more.
Bloopers (0:48) – a short collection of line flubs by the cast and a few stunt mishaps.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Walking Tall (1:14); The Rundown (2:36); Reindeer Games (1:40); The Hunted (2:22); Stretch(1:27); Hard Target (2:05);
The Final Thought
Kino has got another 4K UHD winner with the cult action thriller Walking Tall. Recommended.
The Rock and Johnny Knoxville team up to take down a small-town crime boss in Walking Tall. Kino Lorber upgrades the cult action film to 4K UHD with a new scan of the Original Camera Negative.
The Film
No matter what anyone says, this is not Walking Tall. The tale of Buford Pusser still remains within the confines of the 1973 Joe Don Baker-starring Hicksploitation classic of the same name. The Kevin Bray-directed “remake” is actually one of the great Dwayne Johnson vehicles from the WWE era (they produced this as well as his other early era actioners, The Scorpion King and The Rundown). All of the clichés still inherent within that particular style of filmmaking still hold true. With that, Walking Tall still manages to be one of the best of Johnson’s filmography. As long as one is not looking for a straight remake of the earlier film, you’ll be happy with what Johnson and Company are cooking.
Military Special Forces vet Chris Vaughn (Johnson) returns home to the nondescript Pacific Northwest town he grew up in. Quickly, Chris sees the hometown he left is filled with drugs, gambling, prostitution, and all other manner of felonious behaviors. As though Chris himself were the rock that levied the troubled waters at bay. Those troubled waters take the form of the whiteness of Jay Hamilton (Neil McDonough). Hamilton attempts to lure Chris and his friends to his side with gambling and women. What Hamilton does not understand is that Chris finds righteousness and justice sexier than roulette and strippers. Things quickly escalate as Chris is tortured and left for dead by Hamilton’s goons. Chris recovers with the help of his family and best friend, Ray (Johnny Knoxville), not only to win a trial but to run a campaign for Town Sheriff. Now it’s only a matter of time until the bad (the whiteness of Hamilton) and the good (the multiculturalism of Chris).
Many with a working knowledge of the oeuvre of WWE Films will be quite familiar with the rhythms and story beats of Walking Tall. What separates the movie from say The Chaperone or The Marine is Dewayne Johnson and the production crew of the film. Johnson here is in full-on Super Star charisma mode. The actor pushes himself farther than his contemporaries (at the time) because he cared about the film writ large. A just a canny persona in the wrestling ring circa 2004, even at this point, Johnson understood it would take more than just his particular brand of “ass-whuppin’” to really push the film beyond B-Movie fodder.
Walking Tall is designed to be an Action Star vehicle from beginning to end. But an Action Star vehicle, the way they made them at their very best for Schwarzenegger or Stallone circa 1985 (re Raw Deal, Cobra). They were not smart, but they were made with skill and the sort of blunt force trauma style entertainment that smashes you over the head with its obviousness. In the film, you know Johnson will triumph over whatever douche bag that is in front of him, but it’s all in the way it’s executed. Director Bray and the four credited screenwriters (David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levin, and Brian Koppelman) understand we need a buildup to Chris Vaughn kicking ass and taking names. The script and direction are smart enough to know to allow for Johnson to come in swinging and tell the story in a streamlined, no-frills way that comes off better fifteen years later than it may have when initially released.
They also know that Chris needs support and to care for something. The film gives Chris the support and something to care for in the form of the supporting characters. Many films of this ilk trade in clichés; the one does have a few, but the screenwriters manage to create a healthy cast of supporting roles, both good and evil, for Johnson’s Chris to play off of. By far the best (re interesting) character is Ray, Chris’s best friend, played by Johnny Knoxville. Knoxville brings a surprising amount of subtlety along with his brand of crass humor and charisma to the role. That manic energy seems to bring out the best in Johnson as their chemistry is by far and away more palpable than his romantic lead. Ashley Scott as the love interest, Deni, is stranded, having one of the two cliché-ridden written roles. Scott does what she can, but the “stripper with a heart of gold” is just too much for her, or anyone, for that matter, to act their way out of. The other cliché role comes in the form of Moral Compass father Chris Sr., played by the always great and reliable John Beasley. Beasley takes bad lines and turns them into moral platitudes that actually work. McDonough as Hamilton, along with turns by Michael Bowen and Kevin Durand, are appropriately evil but with the right spin to make them each interesting beyond the clichés of Big Boss, Corrupt Sheriff, and Right Hand to the Big Boss.
Walking Tall is not original, nor is it the faithful remake one may want. What it is is a well-oiled machine of ass kickery. Bray and his gang of screenwriters understand what their film is and what is required of them to make it work better than most. The film’s ‘light the fuse’ and let the ‘bomb go off’ style of storytelling is highly effective. Especially when that ‘Bomb’ is Dewayne Johnson and when it explodes as it does in Walking Tall… Holy hell is it’s awesome.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent update from the Blu-ray releases. The film has never looked sharper or cleaner than in 4K, but without it being digitally cleaned of that beautiful film grain. There is nary a scratch or blemish on the film through the entire runtime. The transfer is a flawless representation of the film’s 35mm origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
The first of three Audio Commentaries is an all-new track by Film Journalist Brandon Streussnig opens with his credentials before diving into this being a remake of the 1970s Walking Tall, which is a true-life story. Some of the other details include the story tropes that the film uses that used to be a staple of 70s and 80s films (the loner walks into town) and no longer something in film and TV, or at least has become rare; the performance by Dwayne Johnson here and what has changed in the intervening years; the performance of Johnny Knoxville; the work of Neil McDonough and Kevin Durand; the work here and history of director Kevin Bray including a look at his music videos; the stunt work in the film and the players that participated in the set pieces and the style and how much it has evolved in the last two decades and de-evolved; the interesting look at the politics and its view on corruption; a great discussion with economic turmoil in the film and the lack of empathy and the less complexities of the film before the economic collapse of 2008; the difference and evolution of Dwayne Johnson from this era of films to the current era of Superstar; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The archival Audio Commentary by Star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is by far the best of the special features. Similar to the commentary track for Kino’s recent 4K release of The Rundown, Johnson is unguarded and relaxed, joking and talking a lot of muck (but in good jest). This track, recorded in 2004, is actually the first thing that genuinely made me like Johnson and turned the tide from being a casual fan to a fanboy for The Rock (as he was known at the time). For the 72-minute commentary track, Johnson manages to constantly joke about Beasley being George Foreman, talk about his topless scene in the film, and bust the balls of just about every male actor in the film. It’s a truly magnificent commentary, having very little to do with the film, something more akin to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell’s commentary for Big Trouble in Little China.
The third and final Audio Commentary is an archival track recorded back in 2004 for the initial DVD release by Director Kevin Bray, DP Glen MacPherson, and Editor Robert Ivison. The track is a pretty standard affair with the trio discussing the nuts and bolts of the production and post production process. Much of it discussing various scenes and how they were filmed or constructed with some talk about the cast and crew and their contributions.
Fight the Good Fight: Featurette (8:45) – this is an archival featurette is a behind-the-scenes look at the fight scenes in the film. It’s more of an EPK-style featurette rather than a deep dive into the stunts and fight choreography.
Deleted Scenes (1:42) – three deleted scenes: Chris at the Casino, Chris and Deni in the Truck, Chris says Goodbye to Pete.
Alternate Ending: The Porch (1:21) – really doesn’t add much to the proceedings. It’s not a shocking twist ending. Just added a bit more.
Bloopers (0:48) – a short collection of line flubs by the cast and a few stunt mishaps.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Walking Tall (1:14); The Rundown (2:36); Reindeer Games (1:40); The Hunted (2:22); Stretch (1:27); Hard Target (2:05);
The Final Thought
Kino has got another 4K UHD winner with the cult action thriller Walking Tall. Recommended.
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Walking Tall is out now.
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