Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, Rosario Dawson, Ewen Bremner
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Writer: R.J. Stewart, James Vanderbilt
Runtime: 104 min
Rated: PG-13 for adventure violence and some crude dialogue
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
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Synopsis:
A contemporary action-comedy set against the raw, untamed landscape of the Amazon, The Rundown stars The Rock as Beck, a man who uses whatever means are necessary to retrieve whatever he is paid to bring back. In this case, an underworld kingpin has hired Beck to go to Brazil to find his son, Travis (Seann William Scott), a fast-talking double dealer who has disappeared in the Amazon jungle while in search of a priceless artifact. Travis proves to be a handful, though, not only because of his mouth and his reluctance to leave, but because of some other complications he brings with him: Mariana (Rosario Dawson), a no-nonsense local who holds the answers to some of the jungle's hidden mysteries, and Hatcher (Christopher Walken), an unhinged despot who has turned the jungle into his private empire.
Review:
Back in 2003, Dwayne Johnson was best known for his professional wrestling career as The Rock, and was only just starting his Hollywood megastar journey. A brief appearance in 2001's "The Mummy Returns" followed by a lead role playing virtually the same character in the 2002 spinoff "The Scorpion King" were his only claims to fame at the time. Then came Peter Berg's "The Rundown", also known as "Welcome to the Jungle" internationally, an action comedy that wasn't a big box office hit on release, but received positive notices and showcased Johnson's action chops and genuine on screen charisma. It also boosted Berg's career, an actor-turned-director whose only other directorial project at the time was the 1998 dark comedy "Very Bad Things".
The Rock stars as Beck, a debt collector working for a ruthless mob boss, who plans to retire after he's made enough money to open his own restaurant. To this end, he takes one last job, to find and bring back the mobster's son Travis (Seann William Scott) who is searching for a lost artefact in Brazil. As soon as he arrives in El Dorado, all hell breaks loose as the town's ruthless overlord, Cornelius Hatcher (Christopher Walken) wants the artefact for himself, while Travis proves to be a much bigger headache than Beck initially anticipated.
Johnson and Scott are so good together, playing against and off each other, that you immediately forget how generic the plot is and how shallow their characters are. Scott is also the funniest I've seen him in any movie, except maybe "Goon". Shot in Hawaii subbing for the Amazon Rainforest, the film plays like a cross between an Indiana Jones movie and a 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger flick. It's more brawn than brain, but what I appreciated most about it is its lighter tone that leans more into the comedic material.
Walken is great as the corrupt tyrant, delivering his quirky speeches as deadly serious as if he was playing Hamlet. While he's not your typical action villain who squares off against the hero in a traditional mano-a-mano final confrontation, he is still plenty evil, cruel and despicable. The beautiful Rosario Dawson and Scottish actor Ewen Bremner also add great value to the cast in supporting roles.
Of course, the characters are stock figures, but they never become caricatures, either, and the jungle locations give the story a larger-than-life feel. Sure, the plot is mostly just an excuse to string together big, loud action set pieces and death-defying stunts, but it's hard to complain when everything is so impressively put together. The stuntwork is jaw-dropping. No action fan can refuse the adrenaline-fueled treats this movie has to offer. The choreography, editing and camerawork enhance the action and make the viewer feel every bone-crunching impact. It does use some CGI here and there that hasn't aged all that well, but in the end it's part of its early 2000s charm.
A sequel for this movie has been in the works for a very long time, but never got off the ground. Even as late as 2020, Berg has said that development is still ongoing, but I feel it's way too late for everyone involved. It's a shame they never managed to make that sequel, but maybe it's for the best. "The Rundown" is a forgotten gem that deserves to be remembered and appreciated. It's an immensely entertaining and surprisingly funny buddy adventure with some of the best action Hollywood has to offer, gorgeous production values and a terrific cast, and it stands testament to what great heights action cinema can rise to.
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