By Neil Harvey

Archives Reprint

   neil.harvey@roanoke.com

   981-3376

    You know that scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" ?

    George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart's character, magically wishes himself nonexistent and returns to his hometown to find that, in his absence, cozy little Bedford Falls has been transformed by the evil Mr. Potter into a neon-drenched mini-Times Square. Without Bailey in their lives, the once-friendly citizens are grouchy and mean-spirited; the town flirt has joined a prostitution ring and Bailey's wife has become (gasp!) an unmarried librarian with bad glasses.

    Had Jimmy Stewart set things right by smacking Old Man Potter upside the head with a heavy slab of wood, the result might have been something like the new version of "Walking Tall," which owes more to Frank Capra's fantasy, and to the ultra-violent Patrick Swayze epic "Roadhouse," than to the original "Walking Tall," 1973's hixploitation hit about the adventures of club-wielding Tennessee's Sheriff Buford Pusser.

    Wrestler-turned-surprisingly-capable-actor The Rock stars in this loose remake, which does away with the name "Buford Pusser" but keeps the sheriff's signature cedar skullbuster.

    The Rock plays Chris, an ex-commando who drifts back to his Pacific Northwest hometown where his rich high school rival, Jay (Neal McDonough), has closed down the local lumber mill and opened a shoddy casino-strip club and a thriving crystal meth operation. Chris and his snarky sidekick, Ray (Johnny Knoxville), are soon engaged in a full-blown war against the icy, grinning Jay, his goons and the crooked town cops.

    The script is drive-in movie simple; the action is brisk; the villains are enjoyably evil and just begging for street justice; and The Rock and Knoxville make an amiable action-comedy team. "Walking Tall" is also that rare movie that wraps itself up with surprising speed - it's 85 minutes and feels even shorter, and while some viewers may feel shortchanged, this is one B-movie that knows when to pack up and quit.

    One note: I enjoy a down-and-dirty action flick as much as anybody (possibly even more), but viewers should be aware that the movie, though not rated R, is still extremely, surprisingly violent. With its shotgunnings, beatings, slashings and kneecappings, "Walking Tall" slams against the ceiling of its PG-13 rating as hard as it can.

    Walking Tall

    HHH 1/2

    At Carmike 10 at Tanglewood Mall, Salem Valley 8 and Valley View Grande 16. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence, sexual content, drug material and language. One hour, 25 min.

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