Search - Walking Tall, Part 2 on DVD

Part 2 Walking Tall

Joe O'Brien | Virginia Beach, Virginia USA | 09/19/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

""Walking Tall" was a big sleeper hit in 1973,making around 40 million dollars at the box office.Adjusted for inflation that translates to around 100 million in today's dollars.That is considered a legitimate blockbuster by Hollywood's standards.Not bad for a low budget movie with no big stars from a small independent studio. Buford Pusser said in an interview that his "only criticism of "Walking Tall" was that it wasn't violent enough".That's saying something.Pusser served three two year terms as sheriff from 1964 to 1970,"Part 2 Walking Tall" (as it was originally called,now it's Walking Tall 2,big difference)takes up where the first one left off.Part 2 covers perhaps a year in the Sheriff's life.I first saw Part 2 in the theatre when it first came out in the summer of 1975(the summer when "Jaws" first came out) and I'm sorry to say I was disappointed in this followup.Bo Svenson took over the role of Sheriff Pusser,after Joe Don Baker decided it would be better not to play the part for a second time.At 6ft.5in.Svenson physically looked more like the actual Buford Pusser but I didn't think he was nearly as good in the role.Joe Don Baker who is a mere 6ft.2in.(however he still walks tall),and hails from Texas and went to the prestigious Actor's Studio,is a fine actor and he gave a powerful,emotionally charged performance in the first film that is sadly lacking in Part 2.Also,Part 2 had a different writer,a different director,even a different studio(the studio which released the first film called Cinerama Releasing,unfortunately went out business the year before),American International Pictures released Part 2.American International went under back in the early '80's,after 25 years in the movie business.The first film had a more adult R rating.Part 2 was considerably toned down compared to the first film,it was only PG.Part 2 plays more like a luke warm '70's style TV movie.Bo Svenson played Sheriff Pusser again in 1977 in "The Final Chapter:Walking Tall"(which I never saw),and again in a TV series that ran on NBC in 1979,(which I also never saw),the series was short lived,it ran only for a few months."

This one doesn't walk so tall

04/08/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

""Walking Tall" was a rather good film, largely because of the commanding screen presence of Joe Don Baker. In this uninspired (and uninspiring) sequel, Bo Svenson replaces Baker, and does so quite poorly. There wasn't anything particularly new or interesting to add to the original story, which makes for a boring experience for the viewer. Cast, script, and direction are all far inferior to the original. This film is a waste of time - avoid it. This one gets two stars only because it doesn't reek as badly as its successor, but that doesn't say a great deal for either of them."

Bo Svenson is no Joe Don Baker

01/10/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If this script was written by the same person as the original, the writer must have become a test subject for Prozac in the interim. In addition to Svenson's weak performance (compared to Joe Don Baker)the sequel lacks all of the intensity and rage that made Walking Tall a classic."

Not as good as the first but...

Robert | RI | 12/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bo Svenson is damned good in this. No he ain't the actor we were used to having in the role since he ain't Joe Don Baker but he's very good in this. He has a real integrity about him and conveys a hunger for justice."