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Okay, so it’s The Rock from WWF. Okay, so it’s Stiffler from American Pie. So what?! This is an action film, not Shakespeare…and it will surprise you how good it is.
RATING: 5 out of 5 (Yeah, this was a solid action film!)
In 2003, The Rundown hit the theatres. If you missed it, it is now available for rental…and you will want to rent it. This movie was so much fun that I’m clearing a spot in my DVD collection for it.
So I guess this movie makes me a fan of The Rock.
The Rock plays a “retrieval expert” named Beck. Not your average muscle man, Beck really wants out of the bad business he’s in and plans to open his own restaurant. What was supposed to be his “last assignment,” his boss changes plans and sends him down to South America for one more job. The final job is his son, Travis, played by Seann Williams Scott. So Beck flies down to the gold mining town of El Dorado (nicknamed HELLdorado), run by the tight-fisted and slightly psychotic Hatcher, played by Christopher Walken. This was supposed to be a simple job. In and out of The Amazon. No fuss. Beck reunites wayward son with mob father, and Beck gets his restaurant.
Nope. Not by a longshot.
Now when it comes to action films, you have to suspend disbelief. This, however, is an action comedy. Unlike classic action films like Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Leathal Weapon, The Rundown is clearly going for the laugh as well as the high body count and collateral damage. If done right, action-comedy can be a lot of fun, but usually the combination results in films like Firewalker or Hudson Hawk. The Rundown gets this tough-to-pull-off formula just right, and has just as many side-splitting belly laughs as it does eye-popping action sequences. And what could make this movie any better? The comic timing from The Rock and Seann Williams Scott are reminiscent of great comedy teams (and no, I don’t mean Stiller/Wilson), but they have to be stellar as Walken is hardly “phoning in” his performance. He almost steals the show. Almost. Complete with a cameo from Arnold Schwartzenagger, The Rundown is a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, has way too much fun in its storytelling, and provides solid entertainment. This is a movie that dares to be FUN…so kick back on the couch and get ready for a two-hour joyride. Get ready for The Rock to give you The Rundown.
