Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE RUNDOWN’

The Rock and Walk Connection

The Rundown is a legitimately good action movie. Directed by Peter Berg, in what was his second feature film, it showcases the Rock’s size and athletic abilities—while also utilizing his expansive charm.

It was an indicator for how well rounded he could be as a leading man. One of the movie’s tests of that is its pairing of him with Seann Williams Scott and Christopher Walken. The former is his comedic foil; the latter is the film’s villain.

Scott has rarely been less funny, leaving much of the burden on the Rock to carry their interactions. Walken, on the other hand, is incredible as Hatcher, an oppressive prospector who’s enslaved the town they find themselves in. The fact that a green Rock could hang with the insanity of his scene chewing is quite impressive.

The Rock Fights Ernie Reyes, Jr. in The Rundown

More important, unlike Walking Tall and Doom, The Rundown boasts a host of excellent action scenes. From busting up football players in a club to dueling three whip-wielding henchman, the Rock’s muscles are put to a stiff test. Spoiler alert: He passes it.

Unfortunately, audiences did not show up to witness that. Budgeted at $85 million, it failed to crack that mark. A disappointing turn for one of his best early works.

I mean, it features an Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo! Who isn’t here for that?

So sit back, whip the top off a Dayglow IPA from Elysian Brewing Co., and don’t choose Option B! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, and J-Man from the Double Turn Podcast are on a quest for O Gato Do Diablo!

This Week’s Segments:

Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Easily the best early film of the Rock’s career, The Rundown established what he was cooking. (00:00)
Lingering Questions – We hear from our beer bros at Hop Nation USA, and ask the important questions—such as which of the Rock’s characters from “Hops and Rock Bottom Flops” is the toughest. (38:32)
The “Helldorado” Trivia Challenge – I challenge the field to a series of trivia questions about the movie. (59:48)
Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We have a special episode featuring our buddies from Hop Nation USA, The Void. (1:09:12)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the potential for a sequel and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!