Schlock and seriousness combine in what was only The Rock's third starring role. As odd as it can be at times to go from some Johnny Knoxville related antics to something legitimately dark happening, I'd say Walking Tall balances the two tones well. So much so that I had a harder time swallowing the protagonist's overly aggressive approach more than anything. Violence was always going to be the outcome of this conflict. It was simply unavoidable. That being said, I can't help but feel like a lot of the bloodshed and family endangerment could have been avoided had the main character not have immediately gone all gung-ho at the first sign of corruption in his hometown. The majority of the carnage was a result of his own antagonistic behavior. If it had been anyone other than Johnson onscreen, I might have been mad. Is it any wonder why we fell in love with this guy? He's one of those rare stars that can be larger than life, but still come off as a hardworking everyman. I can't think of any other film he's been in that's capitalised on that the way this one has. Here he's just your typical small town guy that played football in highschool, is close with his family, and left to join the army. The guy played an average joe with ease while still delivering superhuman level beatdowns. You can't tell me he isn't the full package. The action is surprisingly brutal. None of it is terribly explicit, but whether it's happening onscreen or not moments like a man getting held down and sliced open with a box cutter can still be felt by the audience. Plus, there's still plenty that occurs right before your eyes. The movie has no problem showing things like the mangled aftermath of a freshly broken limb. A lot of this is still escapist fun. It wants you to ogle half-naked ladies, have a laugh at Knoxville being a goof, and cheer as despicable villains meet the receiving end of a 4x4. It just carries the occasional, unexpected gutpunch the likes of which we don't typically see from a Dwayne Johnson flick. Which may be why it's one of his best.