Jesse Christen

What’s this? A wrestler that is actually a good actor. You’re kidding, right?

With a nod of the head and a few words of encouragement, a torch was passed; in the opening minutes of the new action comedy The Rundown, Dwayne Johnson, or The Rock as he calls himself in the WWE, walks by Arnold Schwarzenegger (cameo) in a nightclub.

What I’m talking about is the action hero torch. Forget about Arnold, Sly, Mel, and Bruce. The Rock is the new action hero in town.

The Rock plays Beck: a bounty hunter who’s sick of being a fetching boy. He wants to quit this shady business and start a restaurant. But it’s not that easy, before he can get his restaurant he has to finish one last job. He has to rescue his boss’s son, Travis, from El Dorado, Brazil.

Beck finally catches up with Travis in El Dorado, but things don’t go as planned. Travis doesn’t want to be caught, since he is searching for an ancient artifact. Sadly Hatcher, an evil man who has turned the locals into a slave force, also pursues the gold statue.

Sean William Scott plays Travis. I would like to say that Scott is a diverse actor, but all he does is play Stiffler in the jungle.

Christopher Walken plays Hatcher flawlessly. He steals every scene he’s in.

Not only is Walken great, but so is The Rock. The Rock has charm and screen presence. He’ll be around for a long time. He gets a chance to show off his comedic skills in this movie. Whenever Scott and The Rock are together, it’s hard not to laugh.

The action scenes in the movie are loud and fast paced. Every punch and kick rattles your eardrum; it feels like you are taking every blow.

The Rundown is one of those great popcorn movies that is quickly forgotten after you leave the theater. Sure, this movie isn’t going to win any awards. But it establishes the new action hero in town. And The Rock fits the bill perfectly.