The Rundown (2003)

Director:

Peter Berg

Writers (WGA):

R.J. Stewart (story)
R.J. Stewart (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

cut to the chase september 26

Plot:

A tough aspiring chef is hired to bring home a mobster's son from the Amazon but becomes involved in the fight against an oppressive town operator and the search for a legendary treasure.

Plot Keywords:

Amazon | Hunter | Bounty Hunter | Chef | Jungle

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Dwayne Johnson	...	Beck (as The Rock)
Seann William Scott	...	Travis
Rosario Dawson	...	Mariana
Christopher Walken	...	Hatcher
Ewen Bremner	...	Declan
Jon Gries	...	Harvey
William Lucking	...	Walker
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Manito
Stuart F. Wilson	...	Swenson
Dennis Keiffer	...	Naylor
Garrett Warren	...	Henshaw
Toby Holguin	...	Head Indian Tracker
Paul S. Power	...	Martin (as Paul Power)
Stephen Bishop	...	Knappmiller
Chuck Norman	...	Mullaire

Also Known As:

Welcome to the Jungle (Australia) (UK) (USA) (working title)
Call of the Wild (USA) (working title)
Helldorado (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and some crude dialogue.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Venezuela:PG-13 | India:U | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:14 | South Korea:15 | France:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating on appeal) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 (nf) | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12A (edited for re-rating) | UK:15 (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40155)

Filming Locations:

Brazil

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

There are several references to Dwayne Johnson's wrestling persona. He uses his signature wrestling move the Rock Bottom on a thug. The herd of bulls connects with his Brahma bull tattoo. His character (Beck) wants to be a cook at his own restaurant, referencing his catch phrase: "If you smell what The Rock is cooking!" this is also a reference to Robert De Niro's character Jack Walsh, who is doing one last rundown to open his own restaurant in Midnight Run (1988), which is what this film is loosely based on. Also, the monkey scene refers to his monkey jokes (telling people to go suck a monkey's nipple).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Beck, Travis, and Mariana are riding in the boat and she attempts to shoot him, there is a huge patch of algae on Travis's left. The next time we see that side of the boat it is gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Emeril Lagasse (on radio): I just love mushrooms. One of my favorites, or as I call it, "the king of mushrooms," is the porcini. Now stop right there. Don't be alarmed. There's a lot of confusion in this country between porcini, the Italian name, and cèpes, which is the French name. They're fat and they're earthy. Now the porcini is most often seen dried here in this country. And they would always be labeled "dried porcinis," not "dried cèpes." OK? They are very, very, very flavorful.

Movie Connections:

References Very Bad Things (1998)

Soundtrack:

Get UR Freak On

Put Your Brain On Hold & Enjoy The Stylish, Wild Ride

Yup, this is way hokey and one of the dumbest movies I own in my collection, yet it's very likable and mostly a fun film with great style and scenery.

An adventure story, played strictly for entertainment value, it mostly succeeds because Dwayne Johnson, better known as "The Rock," is a very likable hero. He's clean-cut, well-spoken, modest, etc. Supposedly this film was supposed to be The Rock grabbing the action mantle, so to speak, from the king - Arnold Schwarzenegger - who will no longer make movies. They even have Arnie make a quick cameo, wishing The Rock good luck! That was a good touch.

Meanwhile, Rock's cohort in this film, Seann William Scott, gets by with his sense of humor. It almost plays like one of these "buddy movies" except that these two guys ("Beck" and "Travis," respectively) are not on the same page about anything. In no other film can I recall two characters getting beat up and annihilated like these two guys....but they never seem the worse for wear! Unbelievable!

Rosario Dawson adds some female sex appeal and Christopher Walken adds his normal entertaining take on being the villain. His dialog was very good in here.

I didn't realize until the second time I watched it (which is where I stand now) just how stylishly this was filmed. This movie reminded me of many made by either Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Taranatino with the gimmick photography. It makes it all the more fun to watch. Add some excellent sound, tremendous Hawaiian scenery simulated to look the the Amazon jungle in Brazil......and you can put up with the stupidness of the story and have a good time.