Anthony's Film Review - The Rundown (2003)

The Rock can take over and let Schwarzenegger and Stallone retire...

It's probably time for the action stars of yesterday to step down. Arnold Schwarzenegger is already running the state of California, and I doubt I'd want to see Sylvester Stallone in more action films this time around. So we need someone new. With The Rundown, I think it's settled. The Rock is, no doubt, the best new action star of recent years, and I'd love to see more of him in the future. The first scene in the movie involving a nightclub brawl is cool to watch. The Rock can certain kick some serious butt.

This action movie, surprisingly, takes place in the Amazon rather than the crime-filled streets of some major city in America. The Rock plays Beck, who works for the mob as a "retrieval expert." His latest mission is simply to find the mob boss's son in the Amazon and bring him home. Getting there is easy. Once he arrives, he will soon find himself on an adventure involving the boss's son Travis (Seann William Scott), and Mariana (Rosario Dawson), who explains that the locals are poor and want to be free from their miserable lives.

As Beck soon finds out, the locals are mining slaves under the eyes of the evil Hatcher. Most of their wages go into renting the tools to dig, so really, they don't make much. Both Travis and Mariana are seeking a valuable statue, but for different reasons. He wants it for academic reputation. She wants it to help her people out of poverty. Beck has to tag along just because there's no other option.

There are plenty of good scenes in the film. Either they are funny, involve entertaining action, or a combination of the two. There are scenes involving really skilled fighters, a monkey, a brawl in a saloon, and running bulls. Most of the action does not involve guns, but rather the skill of hands and feet. Beck actually says that he doesn't like guns. Well, we'll see about that.

All in all, The Rundown is simply an entertaining film to watch during the summer movie season. It's got what you like in action pictures plus just the right amount of clever humor to make you smile. And best of all, it proves that the Rock should be the new action star of our time.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about The Rundown, visit the Internet Movie Database.