Exclusive movie review: The Rock in Universal's "The Rundown"
Submitted by Ben Johnson on Saturday, September 20, 2003 at 9:50 PM EST



You know the acting is great when at the end of the movie, you think of Dwayne Johnson as Beck, not The Rock, and Seann William Scott as Travis, not Stifler.

Exclusive Review Of The Rundown
By Ben Johnson(eNewsZone.com)

I now know why Universal has spent over a month showing this movie to critics, such as myself (eNewsZone.com), in advance - it's great, and they're not shy about letting the world find out about it. Rock's first franchise movie (one that's not connected to an established series) is definitely the vehicle he needed to establish himself as the next big action star. Seann William Scott also gets himself some credit, as he's great in this film - one of his first great performances outside of his ever-popular Stifler in the American Pie series. Rosario Dawson also does very well in the film, and if Christopher Walken hadn't already earned credentials in just about every role he's ever had - this would've done it for him. His unique and comedic style shines through in "The Rundown" and it's definitely a highlight of the movie.

The movie starts off with Beck (The Rock) in a nightclub after the championship ring of a football star, who tried to escape Beck's boss without paying up. He offers the player two options (something that comes up quite frequently with Beck) and of course, the player chooses the one that prompts a fight scene. Rock's wrestling ability definitely pays off, as this is a top-notch fight scene that definitely opens the film on a positive, entertaining note.

It progresses with Beck, who serves as a "retrieveal specialist" in a quest to get the money needed to open a restaurant, offering to bring back his boss' son from Brazil. From there, we get one of the best action-comedies since Rush Hour. Just about everything in the movie works.

While Beck is trying to easily bring back Travis (Scott) from Brazil, we also learn that Beck is in search of the "gato" (cat), an artifact that's worth millions. Travis claims to know where it is, and cuts a deal with local bartender Mariana (Dawson) to get the transportation necessary to find it. Beck, who pays Hatcher (Walken; who serves as the unwanted leader of thousands of natives, forcing them into, for lack of a better word, slave labor) off in order to get to Travis, learns that it's not going to be easy, as Hatcher is also after the gato and refuses to let Beck and Travis leave for Los Angeles. They then end up running through the Amazonian jungle, coming across "short, yet extremely fast rebels", baboons, and more along their journey. The chase climaxes in one of the best action sequences ever, even if some of the spots are a little cliched.

If it seems like there's a lot going on - well, you're right. The movie definitely does not settle for a simple storyline, it's a legitimately big action flick. Although there is quite a bit of humor in The Rundown - this is not a comedy first, action movie second. The action and storyline are the most important parts of the movie, the comedy just helps to keep you entertained.

With that in mind, you can't help but find the chemistry between Beck and Travis to be amusing, while also entertaining. It's the closest to Chan-Tucker (Rush Hour) I've seen recently in the genre, possibly even better. One of the zaniest and most comedic situations the duo find themselves in is when Travis, who's handcuffed, needs to urinate. Let's just say, he needs some help from Beck to make it happen, and the way Scott plays it up is absolutely tremendous. If you don't laugh during this scene, you have some problems.

The film is so enjoyable and works on so many levels. The acting is top-notch with incredible casting, the comedy is funny, and the action sequences are visually outstanding, with amazing cinematics that leave you on the edge of your seat. Peter Berg did one heck of a job directing, but then again, everyone involved with this film deserves a pat on the back.

Without revealing the end, let's just say, it ends in a way that would allow for a sequel opening). Does it have similarities to Rush Hour? Yes. But, the movie is not a cheap rip-off of that series. While it goes after a similar target audience in the same genre, the movie develops its characters even better and definitely has a uniqueness that makes it an A-rate action film. While you may not be amazed by the movie, I have trouble imagining that anyone is going to leave the theatre bored after seeing this one.

As a wrestling fan, it seems hard to think of The Rock as anyone but his wrestling character. But, keeping the first few minutes aside, as well as the occasional "Shut Your Mouth", you really do believe his acting and consider him Beck. He's proven to millions of wrestling fans why he's one of the most entertaining celebrities alive, and now he's on a journey to prove to all moviegoers why he has earned the right to be the next big action star. There's no denying his ability, and with a talented cast that compliments his style on so many levels, as well as outstanding directing and a well-written screenplay, The Rundown seems to have all the goods necessary to run away from theatres as the most talked about film of the fall, possibly the year.



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