While, director Peter Berg, has certainly not broken any new ground with this straightforward mix of comedy and violence, The Rundown manages to provide a couple hours of acceptable entertainment; even if the film is nothing more than a series of action sequences thrown loosely together.
The Rock stars as Beck, a retrieval expert who was sent to the Amazonian Rainforest in order to retrieve the hapless Travis (Seann Williams Scott). The resultant foreign romp allows Berg to pepper the screen with beautiful and exotic screenshots.
The plot becomes overly complicated when Beck, Travis and rebel-leader love-interest Mariana (Rosario Dawson) scuttle through the Amazon in search of The Gatto, a mythical Amazonian statue. The trio is chased by the exploitative mine-owner Hatcher, played with a campy wink and nod by Christopher Walken.
Berg directs this film with a modicum amount of flair. For the most part, the actions scenes are a relatively clever mix of over-the-top fun; however, as the film drones on, Berg leaves this light mix of implausible yet campy action sequences. Instead, Berg’s film develops into a more traditionalist flick betraying the films earlier tone.
Although the film clearly runs out of steam in its final quarter, The Rundown does succeed in the short-term as passable entertainment perhaps even succeeding in providing a breakthrough hit for The Rock.
Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Rumble in the Jungle
- The Amazon, Hawaii Style
- Appetite For Destruction
- The Rundown Uncensored
- Running Down the Town
- Walken’s World
- Feature Commentary with The Rock and Director Peter Berg
- Feature Commentary with Producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham
