The Rundown Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)October 6th, 2003
"The Rundown" - The Rock Gives the Smackdown by Homer Yen
(c) 2003
There's a funny moment near the beginning of the film as wrestler-turned-movie star The Rock (a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson) enters a club to tangle with some tough guys. Watch closely because this moment happens in a blink of an eye. As The Rock enters, walking out is Arnold Schwarzenegger who nods at him and says, "have a good time." More than a cameo by the venerable action hero-turned-gubernatorial-candidate, it almost feels like a passing of the torch.
If it were five years earlier, "The Rundown" would seem like the kind of film that Ah-nold might have starred. It demands brute strength, tough guy intimidation, and little dialogue. The Rock seems to have the right stuff to be this kind of durable action star. Moreover, he even has a streak of compassion that makes him quite likeable.
Compassion is not a trait that you usually find in a character such as his. The Rock plays a man named Beck, who is a Retrieval Specialist. That is, his boss asks him to apply his muscle to retrieve things for him. For example, when a quarterback (Stephen Bishop) ignores a debt, Beck is asked to retrieve it. But when Beck finds him at a club with his offensive line partying with him, our enforcer is a bit hesitant. However, it's not that he's afraid to dispense a little smackdown. Rather, it's because he's compassionate and doesn't want to hurt them because, as he says, "they have a chance to repeat" as champions.
Another element that makes him a little different is his reluctance to use guns. In fact, he even harps on his disdain for them. He never uses them. And because of this, it all but eliminates the need for senseless gunfights. We get to see more of his hand-to-hand combat skills, which are quite formidable.
Beck has higher goals, such as settling down to become a chef. But his boss is not the type of employer from which you can easily walk away. However, his boss offers him one last job in exchange for his freedom. He has to go down to the Amazon to locate his deadbeat son, Travis (Seann William Scott) because there are scores to be settled and debts to be paid.
"The Rundown" has the kind of story that seems worn and tired, but actually has a decent amount of zing. The film is actually better than you might think. In addition to the Rock's charisma, another plus is Christopher Walken who plays the lord of a mining town in which he administers justice by shooting people. It always puts a smile on your face to see him. While he looks old and tired, he speaks eloquently and possesses a determined drawl that instantly commands respect. Seann William Scott is weasel-like and uses any opportunity to escape the Rock. As everyone gets tangled with one another, it can only lead to one of those Old West showdowns where our hero has to enter a deserted town to battle the crime boss and his henchman. Maybe, Beck will have to pick up a gun or two or three by the film's close. You could certainly do worse than "The Rundown," but you also might be pleasantly surprised.
Grade: B-
S: 0 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
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