6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Beck is a tight-lipped bounty hunter who doesn't like to use a gun and accepts any job without asking questions. When Beck's employer, Walker, sends him to the Amazon to locate Walker's cocky son, Travis, Beck discovers a population controlled by a tyrannical treasure hunter. To survive, Beck and Travis must work together, without their affections for a mysterious rebel getting in the way.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson, Christopher Walken, Ewen BremnerAction | 100% |
Thriller | 49% |
Comedy | 29% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
I never met an American who didn't like guns.
The Rundown seems to be the film that both literally and metaphorically handed the
title
of
"#1 Action star" to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The film sees a brief cameo appearance by
former
bodybuilder, Hollywood megastar, and current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Collateral Damage),
who passes innocently enough by Johnson at the beginning of the film, saying to him, "have
fun," and
is
never seen again. Indeed, both Johnson and The Rundown are a whole lot of fun. This
film is
a
throwback Action movie that doesn't quite re-capture the magic of Arnold and the 1980s, but
gives
a valiant effort nevertheless. The Rundown is something like Commando meets
Romancing the
Stone,
two of the defining films of the 1980s, and brought together nicely here. Gone from
Commando is the deliciously ridiculous action (though it's not toned down too
much
here), and gone from Romancing the Stone is,
well, the romance, but The Rundown takes some of the best qualities from each and
makes itself into a rather unique, loud, and highly entertaining Action romp that solidified
Johnson as a powerhouse Action star and set in motion the career of Director Peter Berg, who
has
enjoyed
a string of success since with Friday Night Lights,
The Kingdom, and
Hancock.
Beck and Travis enjoy hanging out together.
The Rundown boasts a high quality 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The picture looks a bit messy, though seemingly intentionally so, over the opening moments of the film. It's very dark and obscure, with colors that tint towards the red and orange side of the spectrum. The film retains a rather harsh and gritty look throughout, even if it brightens up considerably in the Amazon. The transfer retains a heavy grain structure that is evident in every scene. None of this obscures fine detail, however. Viewers will note sweat glistening off the faces of the characters, all the lines and pits in faces, and even, seemingly at times, the individual granules of dirt and blades of grass that make up the Amazonian terrain. Many interior shots reveal enormous amounts of detail, too. The locations in El Dorado are cheap, run down, old, and the transfer reveals every speck of dirt, hole in the wall, and chip of paint nicely. The transfer always appears sharp where it should. Blacks are marvelous, slipping to a dark shade of gray 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.
Another Tuesday, another killer soundtrack from Universal. The Rundown features a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless mix that packs quite the wallop. Bass is the highlight of the track and features both direct (explosions, thuds) and indirect (the pounding beats heard street-side from a closed-door club) excitement. The subwoofer will be sweating and panting at the end of this one. It easily enjoys a Dwayne Johnson-caliber workout. Dialogue is also strong and bass-heavy. Several times throughout the film, gunshots ring out, ricochet, and fly all over the soundstage with pinpoint accuracy and power. Directional effects are superb in every action sequence, and ambience is excellent, particularly in the jungle environs, where it is both subtle and effective. The soundstage comes alive to place the audience in the midst of the Amazon, encircling listeners with all of the natural (and sometimes unnatural) sounds that bring each scene to vivid life. The "Monkey" sequence in chapter 13 is one of the best in the film; "dynamic" and "loud" defines the experience, with a subsequent gunshot filling the soundstage with superb authority and power. 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. it's 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.
The Rundown features a hefty supplemental package. Two commentary tracks lead the charge, the first featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Director Peter Berg. The track is completely off-the-wall, mixing real information with jokes galore. It's hard to switch off, and flows nicely. It's different to be sure, very relaxed, and often completely hilarious. Track two features Producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham. This track is drier and more technical in nature, and seems to drag considerably after the light, easygoing nature of the Actor and Director track. It's still informative and worth a listen for fans, but easily more of a standard, "ho-hum" commentary. Next are a series of deleted scenes (480p, 13:50). Rumble in the Jungle (480p, 10:32) takes a detailed look at the fight choreography seen in the film. The Amazon, Hawaii Style (480p, 5:27) looks at the exotic filming locations as seen in the film. Appetite for Destruction (480p, 8:20) looks at the making of some of the film's most explosive stunts. 'The Rundown' Uncensored (480p, 6:08) is a comical piece that looks at the animal stunts as seen in the film. Running Down the Town (480p, 4:09) is a short piece that looks at the construction of one of the film's primary sets. Walken's World (480p, 5:33) examines star Christopher Walken's character and the professionalism, comedy, and charm he brought to his role. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled.
The Rundown isn't a particularly great movie, but it's better-than-average action fare that solidifies Dwayne Johnson as the next Arnold, and he doesn't disappoint. The movie places just about everything behind the action, including character development and plot nuances, but it moves at a wonderful pace and features good performances from the lead characters, particularly from Johnson and Walken. The Rundown makes good use of all its assets, and while it could have been better (like most movies out there), it's a perfectly enjoyable flick as-is and well worth a watch. As far as the actual quality of the disc, it is more than obvious that Universal has done it again! The Rundown boasts fine picture quality, an amazing soundtrack, and plenty of supplements. Fans of the movie should have no reservations about making this one a permanent addition to the Blu-ray collection. Recommended to Action fans.
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2004
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2004
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