Film Review: The Rundown

The Rock tackles his second starring role in The Rundown and manages to produce a better-than-average outing for the action genre. The film consists mainly of brashly formed action sequences and bland, sometimes illogical storytelling, but it still proves to be a good bit of fun if only because of its star's sheer charisma. That's not to be confused with actual acting talent, but the Rock shines through on account of his ability to carry a film (albeit an action film) purely on the mass appeal of his larger-than-life personality.

As for the Rock's costars, comic foil Seann William Scott acts just a bit too overeager and smarmy for his own good, overextending bravado as though to make up for some insecurity induced by standing alongside his massive, musclebound costar. While that annoyance could be a constraint of the character itself, the overall impression is that Scott himself could have meshed better into the film rather than allow his character to come across as artificial and ultimately unconvincing.

The two other main players in the movie, Christopher Walken and Rosario Dawson, both seem thoroughly uninspired and clock in with easily interchangeable performances that could have been filled by any actors. This is a surprise especially in Walken's case, given his propensity to stamp every performance with his incomparable personality.

In spite of any grab bag unevenness or unoriginality, the film is enjoyable in those moments when it takes free reign to throw its characters into impossibly ridiculous situations and come out looking none the worse for wear. In the spirit of the pro wrestling world where the Rock hails from, you cheer in suspension of disbelief at highly improbable victories that thrill in some silly, cheap vicariousness.

Eventually once all the run-n-gun is over, you'll probably be left wondering if the film could have been much more than what it is. While it seems that the Rock is destined for superstardom -- which is something that even Arnold Schwarzenegger himself acknowledges in a "passing of the torch" cameo -- this film does make it clear that he needs to find better material or risk a career write-off. It remains to be seen whether the Rock can truly surpass mediocre action stars such as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren, and Chuck Norris, and join the ranks of A-listers Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis.

For now, what we have can certainly be called sufficient, especially so early in the Rock's film career. It's just a matter of finding the right career guidance and cultivation of acting skills; his potential is begging for so much more than he's shown thus far. To some people though, action genre fans in particular, what we have now is good enough. The Rundown may be mindless entertainment, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Score: 6.5