I hadn’t planned on writing about Walking Tall (2004) this month even though I find it an enjoyable revenge film. However, this past weekend they showed Walking Tall starring The Rock on TV. I’d had a few drinks and was feeling extra jolly so I decided to keep it on while I did some research online. Well, it turns out the original 1973 film that this one is a remake of is based on Sheriff Buford Pusser, a real life bad ass who set out to clean up his town of Adamsville, Tennessee from crime, especially the Stateline Mob gang. Now the reason I bring this tidbit up is that Buford also was a professional wrestler; originally only wrestling for a little extra scratch in the Chicago area, he wrestled under the name of Buford the Bull. Buford would pass away in 1974 but the film franchise of Walking Tall would continue. Today happens to be what would be Buford’s 58th wedding anniversary if his wife, Pauline, and him were still alive.
Buford Pusser
Also of note is that Final Chapter: Walking Tall also stars professional wrestler H.B. “Hard Boiled” Haggerty
Starring none other than our leading man of the month Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This remake, much like the original film is about a sheriff, Chris Vaughn, who tries cleaning up his town of unwanted crime. This time around the source is local rich boy Hamilton’s casino and it’s many criminal endeavors. Chris catches one of the table runner’s switching dice and all hell breaks loose. He gets beat almost to death in the aftermath. After his recovery and a local trip to the casino yet again, he eventually starts cleaning up his town.
All things accounted for it’s a well done remake for more modern audiences and it’s a great vehicle for The Rock to look like the meat mountain he is and beat up some baddies. If you enjoy action movies, you may enjoy this one. Although not as graphic as the original film, it’s a good revenge film for someone who has not dipped their toes into the graphic wasteland that is 70’s revenge flicks.
Wrestling With Film 