Man, this one is KILLER! Much, much better than your typical action flick. The Rock plays Beck, a "retrieval specialist" that hates guns & violence. All he really wants to do is get out of the biz and open a quiet little restaurant. He's sent to the Amazon to bring back a mobsters son who's gotten into some trouble. But the kid is on the track of a priceless golden idol...
The Rock is a pretty damn good action star- he really has some range, not only with the physical stuff but surprisingly enough with the acting. His performance is full of subtlety and humor, very strange for this type of roll. He brings a real charm & charisma to the screen, and the camera loves the guy. I have to say based on this movie, he really could be the Next Big Thing.
Where a lesser director & actor would play it straight, The Rundown changes things up, and Becks macho side is basically poked fun of by his "wanna be chef" side. Unlike the groaners some movies try to pass off as humor, the jokes here actually work (you gotta give Stiffler his props in this one!) They also aren't afraid to mix the formula up a little bit. Sure, there are some conventions they respect (eg. "the talking killer" and the "one man army"- but no action movie worth it's salt can get away from that). But every time you're sure what's coming next, they throw in something off the wall, especially in terms of the stunts.
And man, the stunts! Just amazing fight & wire scenes. His athleticism is amazing, and he does a huge amount of his own stuntwork. The fights aren't the same old things we've seen a million times, they really add some twists. Towards the end of the movie they really throw in some twists. One of the "weapons" Beck uses I can't say I've ever seen used before!
Suffice to say I was amazed at how much I loved this one. Partially I just didn't expect much, but this movie surpassed any expectations I had of it. Certainly it's one of my favorite action flicks in years. Highly recommended!
