Walking Tall

Chris Vaughn, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier, comes back to his small hometown in the Pacific Northwest after years away, hoping to settle down and rebuild old ties. What he finds is a place that has changed for the worse: the local mill has shut down, and crime and drugs have taken hold. Much of the town's decline traces back to his wealthy former high-school rival Jay Hamilton, who now runs a casino and other operations on the wrong side of the law. After a violent confrontation, Chris decides to fight back by running for sheriff, with his old friend Ray Templeton at his side.

Kevin Bray directed the film, his second feature after All About the Benjamins. Dwayne Johnson plays Chris Vaughn, heading a cast that includes Johnny Knoxville, Neal McDonough, Kristen Wilson, Ashley Scott and Khleo Thomas. The screenplay was written by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Channing Gibson, and the production involved Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Mandeville Films, Hyde Park Films and WWE Studios.

Released in April 2004, the film runs 86 minutes and mixes action, adventure, drama and thriller elements. Made for about 46 million dollars, it took in roughly 57 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.2 out of 10 from around 113,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.3 from a much smaller pool of voters. A critics' rating of 4.7 out of 10 places it below both audience scores.