Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest movie stars of the 21st century, but back in the first few years of the 2000s he was still mostly seen as a wrestler trying to make the switch to the big screen. Maybe that’s why The Rundown was a bit overlooked at the time, but it’s always been one of my favorite Dwayne Johnson movies. Which is why I’m glad to see it getting some respect on Netflix, as it landed in the US Netflix Top 10 movies list on September 4.
The Rundown sees Johnson star as Beck, an enforcer/bounty hunter for a mob boss that aspires to be a chef is given one last job before he can get the money he needs to start his own restaurant: go to the Amazon and find the mob boss’ son. What should be an easy grab and go job becomes a lot more complicated when the target, Travis (Sean William Scott), is determined to find a long lost treasure in the jungle, which also draws the interest of a dangerous town operator, played by Christopher Walken. Rosario Dawson also stars.
The Rundown, directed by Peter Berg, was actually generally well received by critics, with the movie having a 70% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But Johnson’s star power hadn’t been fully established yet and the movie made less than $50 million at the US box office and $80.9 million globally, which was less than the reported budget, per Box Office Mojo.
This was only Johnson’s second leading man role, following 2002’s The Scorpion King. If you need any more reminder that he was still seen as a wrestler first, in the movie’s official trailer credits list him as “The Rock.”
Of course that would change, as by the 2010s he became a bonafide movie star with hits like the Fast and & Furious franchise, San Andreas, Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Moana. He continues to be a major star with upcoming movies like Red One and Moana 2. That star power is on display in The Rundown.
He and Scott are a great pickering partnership as Beck and Travis, constantly throwing barbs back and forth at one another, or in the case of Johnson some punches to get Scott to shut up. But there’s also great action and adventure sequences, while Dawson and Walken are good in their supporting roles to add some extra meat to the drama.
I discovered The Rundown from watching it on TV when I was a teenager, so I’m happy to see that others may be finding it and enjoying it with it streaming on Netflix (available on the streamer in both the US and UK). US consumers can also find The Rundown on Peacock or via on-demand platforms if they’re not Netflix subscribers.
Watch the trailer for The Rundown right here:
Check out what else is new on Netflix this week that we recommend, including a Christian Bale, Russell Crowe western.