Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice. Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider," we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.

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