Walking tall with The Rock

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The Rock stands tall for what's right — much like the hero he plays in "Walking Tall," opening today nationwide.

The Rock portrays a soldier who returns home to find that chaos and crooks have overrun his quaint hometown in "Walking Tall." MGM

"I went to the studio with the idea to do this film, as an adaptation, way back on the set of 'The Scorpion King' (his breakout second film, released in 2002).

"They weren't going to do the movie," he said. "But I pushed for it, and what we ended up doing was adapting the original, not remaking it. I believe the story is timeless — a reluctant hero who stands up for what he believes."

The Rock plays Chris Vaughn, a former member of the Army Special Forces with ideals and honor, who returns home to Kitsap County in rural Washington state in search of a job at the local mill. He quickly learns the plant has been shut down and the community overrun by an unscrupulous sheriff, a suspicious casino operator who once was his high school rival and security thugs who peddle crystal meth to youths — to his nephew, in fact. He challenges the law, is tossed in jail, appears in court, is acquitted and gets elected sheriff — all while putting his family in jeopardy and the story into action mode.

A 4-by-4-inch wedge of cedar — Vaughn's weapon of choice — also has a starring role, big time.

"Films always have people with guns," said The Rock (real name, Dwayne Johnson). "But when you see a guy with a 4-by-4, you know he means business. Especially if the 4-by-4 has notches."

"Walking Tall" utilizes the title of the 1973 original (which starred Joe Don Baker) to capture the spirit of the times, said The Rock. Thus, the 2004 rendering is "inspired by," not "based on," the earlier film.

"I was talking with my movie buddies and we missed those old Clint Eastwood films, the old Charles Bronson adventures, the Steve McQueen movies. You know, stuff like 'Billie Jack' and 'Cool Hand Luke,' or, to put in a more contemporary time, the original 'Die Hard,' " he said.

"These movies had real heroes."

And he said Chris Vaughn possesses similar virtues — making wrongs right, not fearful of standing up and being counted, no matter the consequences.

"The trick was to tell this story in just 1 1/2 hours."

The role was rigorous, demanding fitness and precision.

"It was a very physical role," he said. "What I did was lose 10 pounds in workouts. I mean, I was playing a soldier who was coming home from war, and not like 'The Rundown,' where I was heavier, so I had to look right and be fit."

The film's credibility demanded fitness from the get-go to carry off the fight sequences, "and we all had to be 100 percent prepared," said The Rock. "We had action rehearsals and acting rehearsals for three months before the three months in production, and we had to be right on the button, with no missing, no mishaps, to get it all down right."

His wrestling experience, it turns out, was a boon.

"I knew how to throw punches, learned to fall, protected myself in a fall — things that I acquired when I used to appear before 5,000, 20,000 people in wrestling matches. Those wrestling days also tested my ability to ad-lib, think on the run, to be on point, listening to the crowds ... so doing those 'Saturday Night Lives' (he's the only athlete to have hosted the show twice, in 2000 and 2002) was no big deal."

Though he and his fellow actors escaped serious injuries during production, The Rock said there was an occasional punch that went astray; and a fight scene with his nemesis, portrayed by Neal McDonough, that went slightly awry. "He had an axe and it did catch my head. But then, I have a coconut head," he laughed.

Doing a taut, tough drama like this, said The Rock, helped him make strides in his quest to be a seasoned, solid actor, learning as he goes.

And he's got a lot on his plate.

"I'm now doing a comedy, 'Be Cool,' which is a sequel to 'Get Shorty,' " he said. "It stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman, and John was reminding me — and it was a real treat to hear it coming from him — that in 30 years in the biz, he's still learning about acting.

"I'm a sponge; I learn as much as I can. I've immersed myself in this craft of acting and part of how you learn is who you're surrounded by. That's why I'm thrilled that our bad guy, Neal McDonough, and my sidekick, Johnny Knoxville, are great in 'Walking Tall.' This is Johnny Knoxville's breakout role; I think that speaks volumes about our chemistry, on and off screen. He's a good boy, who also takes acting seriously."

The Rock said that his fans may be somewhat surprised by his "Be Cool" character, Elliot Wilhelm.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho," he chuckled. "You will like this. I'm a villain. A bodyguard. A Samoan. So all my Samoan tattoos can stay. I don't have to cover them up for this movie, like I had to for 'Walking Tall' (he does sport one, however — a fake one with a Special Forces unit insignia). Elliot can sing, play guitar, and raise his brow (he laughs, because he's got a notable brow with an equally famous 'raise-ability.'). And (he pauses) ... I'm gay. But not mahu."

But he's most eager about a 2005 summer film, "Spy Hunter," which he begins this July. "It's an adaptation of a video game, and I play Alec Sects, an ex-fighter pilot, and it will be my biggest role, by far," said The Rock. "I'm a hunter of spies; and I have this car, the amazing Interceptor, made by the government, which turns into a boat, which turns into a motorcycle. For me, it's my 'Mission: Impossible.' Lots of action and lots of fun."

He was supposed to do a project called "Instant Karma," whose karma apparently was not instantly good. "One door closes and another opens," said The Rock, who sashayed from that film to a knock-down-dead comedy called "Skip Chaser."

"I got the script, and it's a buddy action comedy from the writer of 'Big Daddy.' My partner in crime is a 12-year-old girl ... my buddy. I tell you, it'll be funny."

All this, said The Rock, is prep work leading up to his "Kamehameha" biopic, still on the back burner, still waiting for that proper script, still very much part of his lifetime goals as a serious Hollywood actor.

"That's the project that's closest to my heart," said The Rock. "They keep writing, rewriting; and the drafts keep getting better and better, as I continue to grow as an actor. It's all a matter of waiting for the right opportunity, the right time, to make it all right. Under no circumstances will it be rushed; it deserves respect, and it will get it, from me and from the world. With roots at home, this is a lot more than just a Hollywood movie for me. It's culture, and we're going to showcase it to the world."

When he was home earlier this year, to help with fund-raising for Cyclone Heta victims of American Samoa, The Rock purchased a Kamaka Hawai'i 'ukulele.

"The problem is, I bought the uke back home on the Mainland, but nobody around me plays it," he said. "My stunt double, Norm Compton, plays some and we sit around, playing guitar and 'ukulele, but I need more (practice). Hmmm, I wonder if Kamehameha played the 'ukulele?"

With the release of "Walking Tall" today, The Rock will sweat out the weekend verdict, tracking attendance.

"When it comes to my films, I'm a hands-on guy, who micromanages," he said. "I sweat it out. You do all you have to do — check on the tracking, see how we're doing on the radar. It's not nerve-wracking as it is exciting. Whenever you release a film, it's an exciting time — opening day is great, as the countdown happens. The film is now out of your hards, in the hands of the movie gods — the public.

"I believe in hard work; I believe, too, that hard work pays off. That's why I believe in opening the movie, promoting it, talking about it, so by the time it opens ... you know you've done all that's possible. Then it's time to sit back, eat pizza, drink beer and wait for the phone call that gives you the numbers."

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.