THE RUNDOWN [2003 / 2008] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is a First Rate Action Adventure Film! A Great Action Ride!
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in this action adventure as Beck, a bounty hunter who has been sent to the Amazon to retrieve the son of a wealthy underworld kingpin, who has been hunting for treasure there. But when Beck meets his quarry, Travis [Seann William Scott], he realises he's not the wayward good-for-nothing he'd been warned about, and he ends up joining forces with him to hunt for a priceless idol. But the powerful owner of the mine in the area where they have been searching, Hatcher [Christopher Walken], insists that anything found on his land belongs to him, and Beck and Travis end up having to fight their way out of the jungle. When Beck and Travis reluctantly join forces to hunt down a priceless treasure, this unlikely team embarks on a pulse-pounding, non-stop thrill-ride. The film boasts an uncredited cameo appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson, Christopher Walken, Ewen Bremner, Jon Gries, William Lucking, Ernie Reyes Jr., Stuart F. Wilson, Dennis Keiffer, Garrett Warren, Toby Holguin, Paul S. Power, Stephen Bishop, Chuck Norman, Jamal Duff, John Duff, Jeff Chase, Price Jackson, Anthony Diaz-Perez, Todd Stashwick, Marcio Moraes, Tony Lima, James K. Miranda, David Prak, Ron Cummings, Bruno Serrano, Donald R. Jankiewicz, Pat Jankiewicz, Filipe Teixeira, Alberto Teixeira, Adriano Paulo, Reginaldo Santana, Mary Joy, Nina Kaczorowski (uncredited), Brandon Molale (uncredited), Dave Schuetz (uncredited), Arnold Schwarzenegger (uncredited) and Sven-Ole Thorsen (uncredited)
Director: Peter Berg
Producers: Alan Beattie, Bill Corless, Chris Chesser, John Corry, Karen Glasser, Kevin Misher, Marc Abraham, Ric Kidney and Vince McMahon
Screenplay: James Vanderbilt (screenplay) and R.J. Stewart (story/screenplay)
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography: Tobias A. Schliessler (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Spanish: 5.1 DTS-HD Digital Surround Sound
French: 5.1 DTS-HD Digital Surround Sound
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French
Running Time: 104 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Universal Studios
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE RUNDOWN’ [2003] features the professional wrestler known as “The Rock” (real name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson) makes a formal announcement of his candidacy for the post recently abandoned by Arnold Schwarzenegger who graciously makes an cameo, leaving a wild party in a disco as Dwayne Johnson makes his way in. As they pass each other, and Arnold Schwarzenegger salutes his would-be replacement by saying ''Have fun,'' as if offering two words of career advice to his younger (though perhaps even larger) successor.
It has been a while since Hollywood has produced a bona fide action hero, but it appears that one has finally emerged, so look out Vin Diesel, because Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears ready to roll and also to step into the shoes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which would be a good move, especially with a comprehensible accent, so the symbolic torch has been passed. Now, however, Arnold Schwarzenegger is more interested in a new kind of The Running Man, opening the door for a pro wrestler-turned-movie star.
‘THE RUNDOWN’ is a lot of fun because it is a definite genre throwback and the screen isn't polluted by excessive razzle dazzle. The filmmakers have wisely kept their computer animators on a short leash. There are some obligatory pyrotechnics, but, for the most part, this is the kind of testosterone-charged action we saw often during the 1980s. Another reason why this film works is because it employs a simple story. There's no need for passage after passage of exposition to keep the viewer informed. I have often felt that if an action film takes more than a few sentences to explain, it's too complicated.
Beck [Dwayne Johnson], a self-described "Retrieval Expert," finds himself in Brazil on his latest job. His mission: locate Travis [Seann William Scott], the son of his boss, and bring him to California. Unfortunately, Travis doesn't want to be caught. He is in pursuit of an artefact, and he doesn't intend to leave the monkey-infested jungle before he finds it. Travis isn't the only one after the gold statue. A local bartended/fortune hunter, Mariana [Rosario Dawson], wants it, as does the detested regional despot, Hatcher [Christopher Walken], who has turned the locals into a slave labour force. So Beck chases Travis while being pursued by Mariana, Hatcher, and Hatcher's goons.
Director Peter Berg, who has spent a fair amount of time in front of the camera during his career, crafts ‘THE RUNDOWN’ film like a seasoned veteran. The action sequences are crisply framed and edited. The suspense is not stalled by too many cuts, and the film never goes more than a few minutes without something happening, even if it is just as if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is being menaced by a horny baboon. Neither the actor nor the director takes things too seriously, which keeps the proceedings light hearted. There is a fair amount of comedy sprinkled throughout, including a number of deliciously cheesy one-liners.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has everything he needs to be a staple in this genre: the steely stare, the jutting chin, the furrowed brow, and the bulging biceps, as he was his first major film ‘The Scorpion King’ and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shows screen presence, and definitely seems more at home. Seann William Scott [Travis] plays the time-honoured role of the comedic sidekick. Rosario Dawson isn't quite the love interest as Rosario a little too tough for that. And Christopher Walken plays a wonderfully philosophical and self- confident villain. He never shouts or froths at the mouth, preferring instead to tell stories about the Tooth Fairy. It is a very typical Christopher Walken performance in style and substance type role. Regardless of whether or not it was written for him, he quickly makes it his own.
‘THE RUNDOWN’ offers everything a good action packed film of this genre offers: plenty of suspenseful action, a few good laughs, and a share of obligatory "reluctant buddy" bonding and if you are in the mood for this sort of light hearted entertainment. ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is all wild action, all the time. In-between the fisticuffs and elaborate stunts, we get fast and furious humour courtesy of Seann William Scott who is slightly “Stark Raving Mad” and whose mouth runs at 100 miles a minute throughout the film and sometimes gets himself into serious trouble. His scenes with Beck, after the two become lost in the jungles, are worth a lot of laughs. Quick quips aside, the film is a nonstop action, with enough high-wire acts, extreme wireworks, and physical punishment for the stars and their stunt doubles to fill up three action films. What makes the film’s stylised visuals even more impressive is that it’s all under the direction of Peter Berg [“The Last Seduction”], who is best known for his acting. ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is Peter Berg’s second feature-length film, and it uses just about every camera trick and high-tech special effects Hollywood can offer.
‘THE RUNDOWN’ is definitely for those who want non-stop and mindless action, snappy patter from its two charming leads, and little else. I would normally deride the film for being so shallow and unsubstantial, but the film does what it does so bloody well you can’t help but tip your hat to it. The screenplay by R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt is so brisk that by the time the excellent final 30 minute action sequence comes around you wonder where all the time has gone, and definitely shows you the execution is that good.
‘THE RUNDOWN’ is, without a doubt, totally brilliant and a joy to watch. See it for all the crazy stunts, the Hong Kong inspired wireworks, and forget about carrying a useful thought for about 104 minutes. I promise that you won’t be bored for one moment throughout the film.
Blu-ray Image Quality – Universal Studios Home Entertainment brings you something really special with this Blu-ray disc, because not only do you get a stunning 1080p encoded image, but an equally impressive 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the transfer is actually really good. The film ‘THE RUNDOWN’ benefits from its many outdoor jungle scenes that allow colours to pop out of the screen and offering plenty of detail. Skin tones can appear a little too reddish at times, but it fits with the style of the film. The image quality is super sharp allowing you to see every age line on Christopher Walken’s face whenever he has a close up. Those of you who like looking at Rosario Dawson will also be pleased because she has plenty of cleavage shots that ready for Blu-ray. All in all, the transfer always appears sharp where it should. Blacks are marvellous, slipping to a dark shade of grey only once or twice. There is some very heavy and seemingly random blocking during a few interior shots inside a cave in chapter 17, but otherwise, there is little to complain about with this one. ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is another visual winner from Universal Pictures.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Universal Studios Home Entertainment brings you something really special with this Blu-ray disc, where they offer you a real killer 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound mixes, where ‘THE RUNDOWN’ sounds absolutely brilliant and great at the same time and is a huge leap over the inferior DVD release. There is plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat, so all in all your speakers will get a workout; particularly noticeable is the rear speaker because you get to hear all of the jungle ambience sound experience. Dialogue is very clean and sound effects are nicely meshed to immerse you in the action. The film's music plays precisely. It is primarily front-heavy but offers excellent fidelity. The sonic highlight of the film comes in chapter 17 as a cave collapses around the characters and it is loud, scary, and rattles from every single corner of the soundstage, making for a thrilling listen. The film's climax, too, comes complete with some of the heaviest and most consistent uses of bass yet. ‘THE RUNDOWN’ makes a strong case as one of the most exhilarating and action-packed listens yet on Blu-ray, so crank up the speakers.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Director Peter Berg: At the start of the audio commentary we are introduced to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Director Peter Berg, but slightly annoyed that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson informs us that they are doing the audio commentary for the DVD, now how crass is that and Universal Studios Home Entertainment should be totally ashamed of themselves for being very unprofessional, because they should of done a brand new audio commentary with references to viewing the Blu-ray disc. On top of all that I had to crank the volume up to hear them much more clearly audible. Despite this, the audio commentary track is completely off-the-wall, mixing real information with hilarious jokes galore. It's hard to switch off, and flows very nicely and it is definitely different to be sure, very relaxed, and often completely hilarious at times with brilliant anecdotes on certain scenes that were filmed the way it was. We hear a nice comment at the start of the film from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Director Peter Berg about the cameo appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walks into the disco. You hear about the people in the jeep who are not the two main actors. You hear comments about the stunt doubles that really injured themselves very badly to the point of broken bones. By the way, when you see the scene with the jeep going over into the chasm below, we are informed by the director that they are real stunt doubles and not dummies going head over heels down the side of the chasm and really injuring themselves very badly when they finally arrive at the bottom of the chasm and land in the sacred lake in Hawaii, that use to have a King bath with is young ladies and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Director Peter Berg were very surprised that the authorities allowed the jeep to land in the lake. Also we hear that certain jungle shots were actually filmed on Stage 29 at Universal Studios. The director informs us that when you see the three actors Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Seann William Scott and Rosario Dawson dive into the lake to retrieve the golden artefact called "El Gato do Diabo," when they surface inside the cave, this was actually built on the film lot because of the logistics of filming in different angles and of course they could control the situation. Other insightful comments includes keep going on about drawn-out stories pondering the best way to square off against Tom Arnold, which completely mystified me and must be an American thing, because he is not built like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and checking out his profile I finally remembered who he is, but still confused why Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson thinks he could go up against Tom Arnold, as the fight would be a bit one sided, so again very confused why they kept on about this situation, very strange. We also get to hear an obsession about mulling over what Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's hair would look like if he let it grow out for a full decade, also debating whether or not cows can get anxious, and swooning over how smoulderingly sultry Rosario Dawson is, which again they kept getting very obsessed about, which slightly annoyed me, which is a typical boring heterosexual “Men” thing attitude. But despite some of the slightly obsessive comments about certain subjects in the film, it was still very enjoyable 80 minute audio commentary and well worth a listen.
Audio Commentary with Producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham: Here we get introduced by Marc Abraham and Kevin Misher second, who mention they like the song at the start of the film and that the director Peter Berg wanted it included. They also mention the unusual way to open the film and that you are hearing an audio recording in the background of the “Iron Chef” whoever he is, as he must be someone very known in America. We are also informed that the club we see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson enter at the start of the film is somewhere in Hollywood. Also when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has the massive fight scene and you see him pick up the record deck, well when you see the nasty guy run away and “The Rock” throws it across the room and knocks the guy to the ground, well that was a “one” take shot. When you see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walks into the supposedly Brazilian town bar, which was actually shot on the film lot, you see the actress Rosario Dawson drinking the lemonade, which you will see is nearly empty, when Rosario walks round to the bar to give Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson a beer, you see there is continuity mistake, as you will see the glass is now half full of lemonade and the continuity person who did not spot this mistake, should have been fired. When you see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Seann hanging upside down and the baboons suddenly appear to cause havoc, well the one that cause a sexual act on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was for real, but most of the other baboons were animatronic puppets. Producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham give great praise to the film score and really praise Harry Gregson-Williams for creating really atmospheric music score and especially in different parts of the film and certainly gives great homage to the film ‘The Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ The scene where Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Sean are given that special fruit to eat that knocks them out, well the filling is pears and the name of the fruit is made up and you will notice the letter “K” is emphasised and especially at the end of the film with Seann’s Father. When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Sean at the end of the film arrive at Seann’s Fathers home, well take note of the two bodyguards sitting in the background and when they eat the fruit, well they are two totally different actors that you see at the start of the film. We also hear that they feel that there should be another ‘THE RUNNER 2’ film and it is discussed what different location it should be set in, but obviously no one has come up with a good script or storyline, oh well we can only hope, as I really enjoyed this film and the director did a really excellent job. By the way, this track is much drier and more technical in nature, and seems to drag on considerably after the light and funny easy going nature of the first audio commentary with the actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Director Peter Berg. It's still informative and worth a listen for fans, but easily more of a run of a mill standard commentary. Unfortunately, I would have preferred it if they had been edited together so that both audio commentaries merge into one audio track, because on their own they are a bit of slog to get through the audio commentary.
Special Feature: My Scenes [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] There are no true high-definition exclusives, though Universal Pictures has enabled this Blu-ray disc so you can share your favourite chapters with My Scenes, or log onto the Universal Pictures web site for links to info on other studio Blu-ray titles.
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [13:50] There are a set of nine deleted scenes and some of what you view is quite interesting, but definitely are very typical run of the mill deleted scenes.
Special Feature: Rumble in the Jungle [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [10:32] This small feature documentary shows you behind-the-scenes filming on how ‘THE RUNNING’ film’s extensive fight scenes and stunts were choreographed and executed and of course Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Beck) gets the most of the screen time here. Contributors included: Peter Berg (Director), Seann William Scott (Travis), Ernie Reyes Jr. (Manito) and Rosario Dawson (Mariana).
Special Feature: The Amazon, Hawaii Style [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [5:26] Here is another short documentary featuring behind-the-scene location of ‘THE RUNNING’ film where we get revealed how the production substituted Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA for the Amazon jungle. Originally they went to Brazil to do the filming, but as soon as they arrived they were robbed by bandits of all their equipment at gun point. Contributors include: Kevin Misher (Producer), Peter Borg (Director), “The Rock” (Beck), Seann William Scott (Travis) and Rosario Dawson (Mariana).
Special Feature: Appetite for Destruction [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:20] Once again we get to view behind-the-scene short documentary of the filming of ‘THE RUNNING’ and looks at the making of some of the film's special effects explosive stunts and especially how the cattle stampede was staged. Again we get contributions from the crew and actors that includes Burt Dalton [Special Effects Coordinator] and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson [Beck].
Special Feature: ‘THE RUNDOWN’ Uncensored [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [6:08] Here we have a slightly silly extra which features basically a spoof inside joke scenario of a fake news pieces made by the film's animal trainer Kevin Keith about some bonding between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kamila and some sexual tension that was supposed to have happened between them on the film set. We are told at the start of this short documentary that what we are about to view and hear is based on a true story, except all of the facts have been changed. Contributions include: Kamila [Baboon], Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Beck), Sean William Scott (Travis) and Peter Berg (Director).
Special Feature: Running Down the Town [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [4:00] This extended behind-the-scene documentary in which we have a look at how the film's fictional Amazon Brazilian Rain Forrest jungle town that was recreated in Valencia, California, which is a suburb just outside Los Angeles. The brown earth dirt road we are told was actually brick dust that was supplied by a Company that made bricks. Of course the big question people that was asked, was they going to leave the town standing for an amusement park or get demolished, well that question you will have to find out when you view this short documentary. Contributors include: Thomas Duffield (Production Designer), Karen Glasser (Producer), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Beck), Kevin Misher (Producer), Marc Abraham (Producer), Christopher Walken (Hatcher) and Rosario Dawson (Mariana).
Special Feature: Walken's World [2003] [480i] [1.33:1] [5:32] This final short documentary on behind-the-scene look at the filming of ‘THE RUNNING’ film, but here we have a lot more fun with this piece on the actor Christopher Walken [Hatcher], who they all say is a great and funny actor. We also get to see several clips from the film.Contributors include: Thomas Duffield (Production Designer), Peter Berg (Director) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Beck).
Special Feature: Easter Eggs [2008] [480i] [1.37:1] Universal Pictures has hidden a wealth of Easter Eggs with the film ‘THE RUNDOWN’ where you will find six in all. The first five can be found via the "Scene Access" submenu by selecting a specific scene number, then clicking the "Right" navigation arrow on your remote two times and what is revealed is the following:
Scene 4: Flowers for Mariana: Here we have an interview with actress Rosario Dawson.
Scene 9: They Got My Tooth: Here we have an interview with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Scene 11: Peek Break: Here we have a second interview with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Scene 17: Behind the Movie: Here we have an interview with actor Sean William Scott.
Scene 28: End Titles: Here we have a second interview with actor Seann William Scott.
BONUS: The last Easter Egg can be discovered via the main menu screen. Press you’re remote's "UP" button and a small icon will appear. Press "ENTER" and watch a short clip of star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson discussing working with a very dangerous bull on the set.
Finally, ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is a completely predictable action-fest, and is definitely one of the best Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s film to date, and can actually pull off this film 100%. I very much like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his sense of humour and willingness to poke fun at the clichés of the genre. This Blu-ray definitely offers good picture quality and a great sound experience this Blu-ray definitely delivers, and a solid spate of extras. ‘THE RUNDOWN’ is a definite 1980s buddy comedy-slash-action packed film that at times leaves you breathless that will give you that adrenaline rush with a no holds barred that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and there's something about this exact combination of director, cast, and backdrop that makes for a ridiculous amount of good fun action packed film, exceptional good 1080p image on this Blu-ray disc and well worth a spin! Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
