Walking Tall 2 - La rivincita

Released direct-to-video in 2007 and directed by Tripp Reed, "Walking Tall: The Payback" is a rural crime drama/thriller starring Kevin Sorbo as Nick Prescott, a man who returns to his Texas hometown where he discovers the quiet community overrun with drugs & crime and is left with no choice but to take justice into his own hands, even if it means putting on a badge. Yvette Nipar plays the Dallas FBI agent who assists him while Richard Dillard & Gail Cronauer play his parents. A.J. Buckley appears as the main villain and Dell Johnson the town deputy. Jenny Shakeshaft is also on hand as a waitress whom Nick knows in the town. Several other cast members play heavies.

This is a nominal sequel to 2004's "Walking Tall" with The Rock. The ___location and characters are totally different; only the plot is basically the same. While the O4 movie is the technically better production, since it was released theatrically, they're both of about the same general viewing quality. The main difference is that the plot in "The Payback" pays less attention to the drama of the small town and more on the rural mob and their elaborate schemes. Like the O4 movie, this is by-the-numbers but still worthwhile if you're in the mood for a rural crime drama/thriller.

The film runs 88 minutes and was shot in Waxahachie and Dallas, Texas.

GRADE: C+ or B- (5.5/10)

All the mileage that could have been gotten from the Buford Pusser story was already gleaned back in the 70s. The Payback is one of two films Kevin Sorbo did with a Walking Tall light plot.

Kevin's back from the army and a pair of no good brothers A.J.Morris and Bentley Mitchum are running things with some organized crime backing. They're acquiring businesses and property with intimidation and worse.

We never learn just what the end game is for the brothers in this film, a big weakness.

Not anything close to the Walking Tall plots from the 70s.

Sure this isn't the 50 million dollar Rock version but for a low budget DVD this is a solid rental.

I liked that most of the cast were unknowns, it gave the film authenticity. There isn't a ton of action but there are some genuinely tense moments. I haven't seen Kevin Sorbo in much besides Hercules and I was pleasantly surprised how convincing he was in this film. The bad guy, AJ Buckley is nasty and has some great moments. You really hate him and want Sorbo to kick his ass.

Overall I thought it was a good underdog story that's very entertaining. Rent it.

I really liked the first of the new Walking Tall movies starring The Rock. That meant I had some expectations for this one, even though a guy I had never heard of before, Kevin Sorbo, had taken over the lead. I was very disappointed. I don't think it was Sorbo's fault, really. The problem was a total lack of action. The little action it had, wasn't anywhere near good. The movie was simply BOOOOOOORING, moreso than 95 % of the other action movies out there. I just don't get how they managed to destroy such a promising and entertaining franchise like this. I have absolutely no rush in watching the third movie after this kind of crap.

wow this one was pretty bad,, i mean it wasn't the worst i've ever seen probalby 20 worse than this,, but it's very low on my chart, this movies does such a disservice to the character of Bufford Pusser, Kevin Sorbo, where did they find this guy,, Dwayne Johnson,, the Rock was way better and at least in that movie they kept to the original storyline as much as possible, this on veers off into so many directions, i just don't get it,, problem with Hollywood, one movie is a success so they gotta make more, i mean enough is enough, they should have got a better actor,, seagal , stallone, statham,, i was thoroughly disappointed with this one, and wish i never would have bought it.