Residence Life by Rebecca Shorten

Getting in at 2:30 in the morning: "...No, I don't have my keys. I thought you had yours..."

Have any plans after graduation?

How about building smart bridges, designing breakthrough computer technology, ’ finding cures for disease, studying the world around us and a whole lot more.

Discover your potential... Get involved... See what you can do.

graduate studies

UNIVERSITY or MANITOBA

www.umanitoba.ca/graduate_studies

The Rock solid in ~The Rundown

Anyone who watches pro- fessional wrestling on a regular basis will probably know that your favorite superstars have to impro- vise and demonstrate their acting skills on a very tiring schedule, much like any soap opera actor, or the stars of your favorite televi- sion dramas. Couple that with a pro wrestler's weekly wear and tear that comes from showcasing their superb athletic abilities, and you have what is probably the most grinding job in entertainment today. So it should come as no surprise that a wrestler as talent- ed and gifted as WWE's The Rock would be a natural action star.

The Rundown is the new action flick starring the aforemen- tioned Rock, along with Sean William Scott of American Pie

fame, perennial movie villain

Christopher Walken, and directed by Peter Berg, who is himself a veteran film and TV star. The Rock plays Beck, a "retrieval spe- cialist" working for a greedy, unlik- able mobster, sent to the jungles of South America to bring back his bosses son Travis (Scott), who is an amateurish but intelligent treasure hunter. The task proves to be one of the toughest of Beck's career as he runs into trou-

ble from the local kingpin,

Hatcher, played by Walken, and worthy adversaries such as Travis' quasi-girlfriend Mariana (Rosario Dawson) who leads a tribe of rebels including the tough Manito (Ernie Reyes Jr.). The interplay between The Rock and Scott is snappy and, at times, laugh out loud hilarious, as each belligerent character seems to enjoy tormenting the other. Walken, an academy award win- ner, is nasty and evil as usual as

he tries to prevent both Travis and Beck from accomplishing their - respective missions with the help of his gang of gold mining slaves.

_ Walken also shows his funny side,

first brought to public conscious- ness through his Saturday Night Live hosting expeditions, and suc- ceeds in playing the ever popular likeable bad-guy.

The real bread and butter of the film are the action, of course. The Rock does most of his own stunts, and the scene in which the gun-shy Beck finally unleashes his armed fury cap- tures the build up climactically and is superbly done. Andy Cheng, whose previous work includes Daredevil, The Scorpion King and Rush Hour, and also as a double for Jackie Chan; coordinates the stunts. The visual scenery of South America is also captivating, and the lush greenery of the rain forests is contrasted by the grim desolation of Hatcher's slave mine.

It will be interesting to see if The Rock's comic prowess can extend into a movie where he is the sole headliner, but if The Rundown is any indication, one of the era's most popular wrestlers could be the Sly Stallone or Jean- Claude Van Damme of our gener- ation. The Rock has all the attrib- utes that could make him a mar- ketable star: timing, looks, and perhaps most importantly, an established fan base that stems from his WWE popularity and charisma.

Whether you like pro wrestling or not, for an entertain- ing evening at a movie with top notch action sequences, a plot that holds your attention, and a team of some of the most bank- able entertainers in Hollywood, you should run out to The Rundown.

-:page [19] October 13, 2003:.