Saturday, October 04, 2003

The Rundown (IMDB) (Netflix)
Former pro wrestler The Rock is in the retrieval business, in search of Seann William Scott (Stifler from the American Pie series, and one of the dudes who didn't know where he left his car). Finding him is easy enough, it's the getting him home part that proves problematic, with obstacles such as an evil goldmine operator (Christopher Walken) and an indominatable guerrilla leader (Rosario Dawson). Scott also claims to have found a mythical object that could change the fortunes of Dawson's oppressed people, so of course they have to find that thing.

The Rock is a pretty good actor/action star, which might not be a surprise to anyone who follows the WWF shenanigans. Scott's "what, me worry" charm is well-suited to the movie's tone, and Dawson's developing some decent acting chops. But casting Walken is a bit of a coup, bringing his offbeat sensibility to what often can be a thankless role, and giving the flick a little more depth than you'd expect. The action scenes are pretty inventive, with one of the longest rolling-down-the-hill scenes in cinematic history. Easy fun.