MOVIE - THE RUNDOWN - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$ (OUT OF 10)
STARRING - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Beck), Seann William Scott (Travis), Rosario Dawson (Mariana), Christopher Walken (Hatcher), Stephen Bishop (Quarterback), Ewen Bremner (Declan) & Jeff Chase (Kambui).
DIRECTOR - Peter Berg (Very Bad Things)
Regular readers of this site may be surprised that I rated The Rundown so highly. i just want to reassure you all that I haven't lost my senses. The Rundown won't make my Top 10 Movies of 2003 list but it will earn an honourable mention as the best Action film in years.
One of the things that impressed me the most about the film was the obvious quality of the production and the attention to details evident in almost every scene. The cameo appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a nice touch. There were very few false notes and no obvious plot holes. Add slick, updated production values (the football player ID's) and you have the foundation for formulaic action movie success.
If that was all that there was to The Rundown it would be just another in a long list of very average action movies. The Rundown should be given a special commendation for not, I repeat not, inserting a Hollywood love story subplot where its not needed. The action scenes are also original, as they can be, and realistic. The Rundown avoids the now oft repeated and tiresome literal translation of the metaphorical gravity defying martial arts featured in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
That's still not all there is to The Rundown. The performances are pitch-perfect too and its a great example of how important casting is to the success of a film. Walken rebounds from his uninspiring turn as a whacky detective in the forgettable Gigli and infuses this film's villain with a scene stealing wry sense of humour and bravado. Seann William Scott, the increasingly annoying Stifler in the American Pie/Wedding series, brings instant credibility to this role but in a much more subdued and tolerable manner.
Perhaps the biggest kudos' should be saved for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This intelligent former wrestling star is a decent if not great actor. He's smart enough to not try and be something he's not and his portrayal provides the film with a credible and strong lead performance.
If you missed it in theaters "run down" to the video store. You have two options when you get there:
OPTION A - Rent the best action movie to come out of Hollywood in over a decade.
OPTION B - Assume any movie starring "The Rock" and Seann William Scott isn't worth seeing and miss out on a film that's as good or better than Raiders of the Lost Ark and Terminator II.
It's your choice.
Running time - 104 minutes.
Check out my TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2003 & WORST MOVIES OF 2003 lists.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Peter Travers / Rolling Stone Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
The Official Web Site for The Rundown
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© Copyright
2005
David Schwartz.
Last update:
2/28/05; 1:47:52 AM.
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