Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the few larger-than-life action movie stars remaining in Hollywood today, a leading man behind such powerhouse franchises as Jumanji and the Fast and Furious series. Before he achieved blockbuster status, however, Johnson starred in The Rundown, an overlooked action comedy from 2003 that pitted him against Christopher Walken in an Indiana Jones-like adventure set in the Brazilian jungle.
Directed by Peter Berg, The Rundown is easily one of the most underrated action films of the 2000s, packing an explosive punch of brawls, chases, and shootouts with the brilliant chemistry of The Rock and American Pie‘s Seann William Scott. This 2003 is not only special for starting the trend of The Rock’s films being set in the jungle: it’s also notable for being the first film where Johnson truly showed off his acting abilities after proving he was main hero material in The Scorpion King.
Why The Rundown Is The Rock’s Most Underrated Movie
The Rundown Is A Simple, Thrilling Action Comedy
The Rundown kicks off with Beck (Dwayne Johnson), a “retrieval expert” who recovers debts for his boss Billy Walker (William Lucking). Before Beck can retire, however, his boss sends him on one last mission: to retrieve his son Travis (Seann William Scott) from a small mining town in the Brazilian jungle, for which his boss will give Beck, an aspiring chef, enough money to open up his dream restaurant.
Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a brief cameo at the beginning of the film, telling Beck to “have fun” as he pursues a bounty in a nightclub.
Trouble ensues after Beck tracks down Travis, who’s currently searching for a local artifact called “El Gato De Diablo” and can’t be convinced to leave. To make matters worse, the two encounter the film’s antagonist, the crime boss Hatcher (Christopher Walken), who intimidates the town’s local population in his search for the same mysterious artifact (fun fact: “Hatcher” is one of 11 crime bosses Christopher Walken has played in his filmography). Therefore, what began as a simple extraction for Beck turns into a high-octane treasure hunt that forces him to work with Travis and the rebel Mariana (Rosario Dawson) to track down “El Gato De Diablo” and stay alive in the process.
Will The Rundown 2 Ever Happen?
Though It’s Been 23 Years, Never Say Never
Though it was received well by critics and audiences, The Rundown only made $80.9 million off an $85 million budget, making it a box-office failure and halting plans for a future sequel. That’s not to say that plans for a follow-up weren’t in the works, however: director Peter Berg once explained in an interview that a script for a sequel to The Rundown took place in the frigid cold of Alaska, but held off from sharing any further details.
Ultimately, The Rundown is the perfect comedy if you’re interested in watching a more grounded movie from The Rock that still delivers on the action set-pieces. Furthermore, The Rundown ranks high in Dwayne Johnson’s filmography precisely because of its role in shaping the actor’s future as an action movie superstar (not to mention the film’s overall spectacle and an unforgettable performance from Christopher Walken as Hatcher). It’s hard to say whether we’ll receive a sequel to this hidden gem after 23 years, but any follow-up to this overlooked action comedy is sorely overdue in 2025.
