THE RUNDOWN (2003)

MORGAN'S RATING

Attempting to settle a debt, a bount hunter takes on an assignment that sends him deep into the Amazon jungle to capture and bring back an escaped convict. What he discovers, however, is that his quarry is not the toughened criminal he had been warned about, and together, they team up a treasure hunt for a long-lost mine filled with riches.

Dwayne Johnson (Beck), Seann William Scott (Travis), Christopher Walken (Hatcher), Rosario Dawson (Mariana), John Gries (Harvey), Ewen Bremner (Declan), Jeff Chase (Kambui), William Lucking (Walker), Ernie Reyes Jr. (Manito), Stuart Wilson (Swenson), Dennis Keiffer (Naylor), Garrett Warren (Henshaw), Toby Holguin (Head Indian Tracker), Paul Power (Martin), Stephen Bishop (Knapp miller), Chuck Norman (Mullaire), Jamal Duff (Jamai), John Duff (Coggeshall), Jeff Chase (Kambui), Jackson Price (Rudy), Anthony Diaz-Perez (Paymaster), Todd Stashwick (Quadrant Manager), Marcio Moraes (Guard), Tony Lima (Whipped Miner), James K. Miranda (Supply Unimog Passenger), David Prak (Rebel), Ron Cummings (Quadrant Captain), Bruno Serrano (Kontiki Rebel), Donald R. and Patrick A. Jankiewicz (Goons), Felipe Teixeira, Alberto Teixeira, Adriano Paulo, Reginaldo Santana (Kontiki Rebels), Mark Joy (Professor), Dave Schuetz (Gold Miner, uncredited), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Bar Patron, uncredited).

CUT TO THE CHASE.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Peter Berg. WRITERS: R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt. PRODUCERS: Marc Abraham, Karen Glasser and Kevin Misher. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alan Beattie, Chris Chesser, John Corry, Ric Kidney and Vince McMahon. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Harry Gregson-Williams. DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures.

QUOTES

[Beck is being attacked by a monkey.] Travis: Establish dominance! Establish dominance!

Hatcher: That's a lot of cows.

[Beck is fighting with rebels and losing] Travis: What is that? Some kind of spinning Tarzan ju-jitsu shit?

Travis: Don't make this weird.

FACTS

Beck: Do I look like Santa Claus to you?

RELEASE DATE: September 26th, 2003 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: March 23rd, 2004 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $18.5 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $47.7 million (USA) BUDGET: $85 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: September 2002 -- January 2003 - Originally carried the titles "Helldorado" and "Welcome to the Jungle" during production. - Back in 1995, this film was to star Patrick Swayze as the lead actor and be directed by Peter Yates. - In June 2002, while scouting locations in the Amazon jungle of Brazil for this movie, director Peter Berg, producer Kevin Misher, the line producer and the production designer were held up by bandits, and robbed of their cash, their laptop computer and other things from their car. - Arnold Schwarzenegger will cameo in the film alongside Johnson in a role that took about twenty minutes to film. It was filmed the same day as he filmed his appearance as the Terminator for the Super Bowl. - According to Seann William Scott the "thunder and lightning" bit was just a joke, but was so entertaining it was kept in the film. - The Rock uses his trademark finishing move 'the rock bottom' in the bar. - The Rock's body double was his cousin. He broke his ankle in the scene where Beck and Travis are tumbling down a hillside with the Jeep. - When Christopher Walken is delivering his speech about keeping his eye on the ball, the images that are shown on the gold mine workers are a reference to a series of photos from the 1980s by Sebastio Selgado that ere taken at a Brazillian gold mine.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Have fun.

[After Travis keeps trying to hit Beck, so he can run away] Beck: Are you done beating me up? Can we go now?

Beck: I hate this place! I hate penis eating minnows and I hate freaky fruit! I want to go home, I want concrete, I want home made tollaleeny and I want my Los Angeles Lakers. I want to go home, I want to go home! Get out of here Monkeys!

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"The Rundown doesn't break any new ground, but it doesn't leave you wishing you had stayed home either." -- Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

"The Rundown offers everything a good movie of this short should: plenty of suspenseful action, a few good laughs, and a share of obligatory reluctant buddy bonding." -- James Berardinelli, Reelviews

"The wildly asinine crack-up[ derby that XXX should have been." -- Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly

"The jungle locations give the film a texture and beauty that underlines the outsized characters." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"A brisk, good-hearted but predictable and uninspired -- not to mention bone-crunchingly violent -- action comedy." -- Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

"The Rock ... has a special quality." -- Desson Howe, Washington Post

"Too often brings guffaws at all the wrong moments, when it's not being simply too stupid for words." -- Peter Howell, Toronto Star

"Will probably make a star of The Rock." -- Stephen Hunter, Washington Post