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Rundown, The (2003)

July 05, 2011 By Mike B
Movie Review

What Worked?

After Arnold Schwarzenegger left the action flick scene, we’ve all been looking for a worthy action star to fill that gap. Enter the Rundown, starring Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson kicking ass with a raised eye-brow, and taking names in blood, as he takes the torch from Arnie, playing Beck. Peter Berg directs instills a good mixture of comedy and bulldozing action, and Dwayne Johnson shows the world that he’s man enough to electrify the silver screen.

Peter Berg utilizes the exotic locations, and mixes up the action against a colorful backdrop. The fight scenes are creative, as well as gritty at times, and exaggerated just enough to amp up the action a level above the norm. In addition, the cuts are long enough so that we can see who’s punching who. The script is inspired by the Robert DeNiro buddy comedy, Midnight Run, as the Rundown captures the road-trip humor of its influence.

Beck is a bounty hunter, dreaming to get out of the business and open up a restaurant. He’s a relatively nice guy that comes with a smash-switch, and Johnson just oozes charisma playing the part. Johnson is more than capable of kicking ass with style, and hilarious, playing off of Sean William Scott with ease. Scott plays Travis, a fast-talking college drop-out looking for a priceless treasure, and he’s comedic timing is on point. None other than Christopher Walken, plays Hatcher, the villain of the flick, and he does so with eccentricity that hooks. Finally, Rosario Dawson is always nice to look at.

The Rundown proves that Dwayne Johnson is capable of being a full-fledged action star in film, and also shows that he’s not too shabby in the comedy department. Overall, this is a perfect pop-corn flick that’s good enough not to be a guilty pleasure.

Potential Drawbacks:

The buddy comedy is a tired plot, and this may keep some away. There are also some action scenes that are a bit too exaggerated that they are laughable.

Film Recommendations:

Fast Five
Midnight Run
Mr. and Mrs. Smith

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