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Walking Tall

Play trailer Poster for Walking Tall PG-13 2004 1h 26m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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27% Tomatometer 133 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
When decorated military officer Chris Vaughn returns to his hometown in the state of Washington to find work, he finds that the lumber mill has closed and the town's big business is now a seedy casino operated by one of his old schoolmates, Jay Hamilton. Aided by his loyal friend Ray Templeton, Vaughn tries to make a stand against the area's crime and corruption, but, finding no help from the police, he must take matters into his own hands.
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Walking Tall

Walking Tall

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Critics Consensus

The Rock makes a competent hero, but the movie is content to let a 2x4 do all the talking.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/29/2010
2/5
OK as a WWE grudge match, but not as a movie. Go to Full Review
Neil Smith BBC.com 07/06/2004
3/5
Although morally dubious and unpleasantly brutal, Kevin Bray's film is a decent enough showcase for its leading man's low-key charm and bone-crunching machismo. Go to Full Review
Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle 04/17/2004
1.5/5
This contemporary remake of the 1973 grassroots classic retains and updates the basic plot points while losing much of the original's heart and soul. Go to Full Review
Noah Gittell Washington City Paper 04/04/2023
An amazingly true story that still challenges audiences with its complex notions of justice and revenge. Go to Full Review
Henry Northmore The List 04/18/2019
2/5
There just aren't enough cheap action thrills to make this a true action movie or enough depth for a serious piece. Go to Full Review
Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies 01/17/2016
4/5
In many ways, this is better than the original. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Nathan J. @TribianiRamoray Oct 26 Rating: 5.8/10 Walking Tall is a generic, forgettable action flick saved by Dwayne Johnson's charisma. The film is a predictable, by-the-numbers story with one-dimensional characters and uninspired action. Highlights - Dwayne Johnson Shines: Johnson's commanding presence and natural charisma make the film watchable. - Decent Action: The film has some fast-paced action sequences, including a notable scene at the casino. Criticisms - Lazy Screenplay: The plot is predictable and clichéd, with no suspense or originality. - Forgettable Characters: The characters are one-dimensional and cardboard cutouts. - Generic Direction: The direction is flat and uninspired, with no distinct style or personality. Verdict Walking Tall is a passable but forgettable action movie that wastes Dwayne Johnson's star power. It's a mindless, paint-by-numbers film with some decent action beats, recommended only for die-hard Johnson fans or undemanding action enthusiasts. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Mar 7 Filme bacana, o roteiro é bacaninha, as cenas de ação são boas, o protagonista que é o the rock é bom no filme, e ajuda o filme a ficar bom, o elenco é bacaninha, a história é bacana, e o vilão é mais ou menos, com tudo isso, eu meio que recomendo esse filme. See more Gary D Jan 3 Tre Rock movie’s are always worth checking out. Supporting cast is also good. Overall not a bad movie. See more Zy S Jan 1 Strong movie, I liked it. But I just can't give it 5 stars. There's just no way Chris would have beat his case in real life. When you see the movie from Chris's point of view, you can see he's justified in his reactions. But he never proved to the court that the casino staff were dealing drugs nor did he prove that the scars came from said staff. I personally wouldn't believe a casino sold drugs to children because they already make A LOT of money from gamblers, especially if they hold a monopoly over the city. I they were to sell they'd be pushing kilos out of the county to other manufacturers for the risk to be worth it. There's a lot of ways this movie could have been better. One is by having Chris actually prove what the casino was doing to the jury. The other by having the casino outsource their drugs while simultaneously still putting the younger actor's roles in danger. Such as trying to kill (or actually killing) one of the younger characters because they were a witness to a drug crime involving casino staff. See more Daniel C. M Dec 17 As a pretty big fan of the original, i can't see why this one is so hated. One of the least boring movies you will see in your life, and if it werent for the many lacking scenes here that are in the original, it would've been a 10 out of 10. Amazing and solid action combined with a slightly above average makes this a very entertaining watch. See more John C Dec 13 Despite being a fan of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, I've only just got round to watching 2004's 'Walking Tall' - an (apparently!) 'true' story about a soldier returning to his home time to find that pretty much everything centres around a corrupt casino. Now, it's up to him to take it on and take it down. The film surprised me on a fair few levels, but most of those are based on how I now see Dwayne Johnson and the typical type of film he now stars in. Back in 2004 he wasn't quite the Box Office powerhouse he is today, therefore 'Walking Tall' was almost more 'low budget' than I ever imagined I'd see him in. Now, that's no bad thing. You don't need mega-budget and tonnes of computer-generated special effects to make a good film. You just need to tell a compelling story. And, to be fair, 'Walking Tall' was a simple and effective tale. First of all, it's pretty short - weighing in at well under the typical hour and a half. Therefore it does cram quite a lot of story into a short space of time. This means that it's never dull, but sometimes the plot does just seem to gloss over major plot points and jump from major factor to the next in - literally - a single scene. For example, a court case happens almost within days of the (alleged) 'criminal' act it resides over. Don't crimes usually take months (or even years?) to come to trial normally? However, that's just a minor gripe. I don't know much about the 'real' events it was based on, so I don't know how exact anything really plays out, but it is certainly an interesting piece as it begins to show Dwayne Johnson's natural charm and screen presence. He's not quite ready to take over the entire Box Office, but, if you look closely, you can see that it's going to happen pretty soon. Plus fair play to making a piece of wood feel like one of the cast! I'd like to see the plank of wood go on to bigger and better things - just like the man who wielded it! See more Read all reviews
Walking Tall

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Movie Info

Synopsis When decorated military officer Chris Vaughn returns to his hometown in the state of Washington to find work, he finds that the lumber mill has closed and the town's big business is now a seedy casino operated by one of his old schoolmates, Jay Hamilton. Aided by his loyal friend Ray Templeton, Vaughn tries to make a stand against the area's crime and corruption, but, finding no help from the police, he must take matters into his own hands.
Director
Kevin Bray
Producer
Ashok Amritraj, Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, David Hoberman
Screenwriter
Channing Gibson, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, David Klass, Mort Briskin
Distributor
MGM Distributing Corporation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Mandeville Films, RAI Fiction, Hyde Park Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Drug Material|Sequences of Intense Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre
Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 2, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$45.9M
Runtime
1h 26m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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