Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Isn't it funny how some films don't quite fit their stereotypes? I settled down to watch Drive Me Crazy because I was in the mood to watch a mindless teen movie, and given that this film stars Melissa Joan Hart of Sabrina The Teen Witch fame, I was expecting really more of the same. It doesn't help that the beginning of the film reinforces the stereotype (complete with cheesy pop background music, neon-lit opening titles and slow pan across a typical teenage girl's bedroom followed by Melissa answering the phone in her best "a la Sabrina" perky voice).

What I encountered was a film that is still very much rooted in the teen "prom" genre, but is slightly deeper and sophisticated (as well as more ponderous and slow-moving) than I expected. It's quite a biting and penetrating observation of the high school social hierarchy as well as the conflicting emotions of young love. Think of it as a more serious version of Clueless with a dash of Dangerous Liaisons thrown in.

Nicole Maris (Melissa Joan Hart) is a pretty and popular girl at the Timothy Zonin High School (definitely in the "in" crowd) who is organising a big formal dance celebrating the centenary anniversary of her school. She has the hots for school basketball star Brad (Gabriel Carpenter) and hopes he will be her date for the dance.

Neighbour and fellow classmate Chase Hammon (Adrian Grenier) is on the other side of the school social stratum. Sporting a "rebel without a cause" attitude and a grungy appearance, he hangs out with nerdy Ray (Kris Park) and "Designated Dave" (Mark Webber) the latter so-nicknamed because he doesn't drink therefore he always chauffeurs the other kids when they are blind drunk and want to go back home after a party. At the beginning of the film, the three of them (masterminded by Chase) stage a prank involving putting coloured dye into the school sprinkler system which nearly gets them suspended.

Incidentally, Nicole and Chase used to be childhood friends but then grew apart into their different ways. Both have single parents (William Converse-Roberts as Mr. Hammond and Faye Grant as Mrs. Maris) as Chase's mum died of cancer and Nicole's father (Stephen Collins) is estranged. Their parents appear to be very "friendly" with each other, and later on in the film we find out why.

So, when Brad on the verge of asking Nicole to the centenary dance falls in love with a cheerleader instead (when he accidentally fell on her during a basketball game), and Chase's girlfriend Dulcie (Ali Larter) dumps him because she thinks he's too shallow (because she is into animal rights and he doesn't seem to be interested), Nicole and Chase strike an unholy deal they will pretend to be in a relationship with each other in an attempt to make their desired partners jealous.

Nicole gives Chase a Pygmalion-like makeover and suddenly it looks like their crazy plan may just succeed after all. Or will they fall in love with each other instead? And what about Nicole's best friend acid-tongued Alicia (Susan May Pratt) will she throw a spanner into the works?

The ending may be somewhat predictable, and yet the film as a whole seems to be more than the sum of its parts. The characters are reasonably fleshed out and have complex overtones to their personalities, and the dialogue is reasonably clever in places. However, overall I found the film to be somewhat slow-moving and uninvolving. The problem is, a romantic comedy with artistic pretensions can aspire to become a piece of serious drama, but an ambitious teen movie ends up looking awkward because let's face it what is the serious equivalent?

Incidentally, I think Melissa should really stop playing teen roles. She may still have the pert little body and a perky voice, but she is not as fresh-faced as she used to be and it would be nice to see her play her age for a change in a more substantial role.

I must admit right off the bat that I'm a sucker for these type of movies with the predictable, happy ending. However, I must also say that I truly believe this was a good movie because it both hit the mark with what high school can be like yet it was different from many of the recent high school flicks that have been made. It is different because neither character is chasing the other one and they are former friends rather than 2 people who know nothing of each other. Also, even though Melissa Joan Hart's character is the popular, perky one, Adrian Greiner's character is not your typical "loser" character nor would I classify him as a loser. He is not an academic nerd either, but a rebellious person who gets in some trouble. That being said, I do have some beefs with the movie. First, the "falling for each other" between Hart and Greiner doesn't develop as it should. It also bothered me that neither one says how/what they feel even at the end. The audience knows they are attracted to each other but they never say anything. Also, this movie really should have been longer so that the story could have developed more, again especially the relationship between Hart and Greiner. Still, a good movie overall and one worth seeing if you like romantic-comedies or this type of genre.

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I'm honestly not one to be a big fan of teenage movies, USUALLY. But...when I saw this movie I notcied that the world of teenage cinematic productions really DID have potential, can you imagine! Adrian Grenier is the cuuuutest, and Meslissa Joan Hart acually acts in this movie, hard to believe, but yes, she does! It has an interesting plot and is one I could watch over and over again. It is funny, smart, and witty. Never leaving you yawning this movie receives a 5 in my book! I would reccomend it to anyone!

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Britney sings the title track to this movie that Melissa Joan Hart satrs in.. relaly good teen flick

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Drive me Crazy on the surface is portrayed as a shallow,run-of-the-mill, simplistic movie.I also thought it would be this. But instead it is an eyopening web of complex emotions. Some of the beginning parts are questionable though (Chase goes from grunge-boy, to popular boyfriend in about 2 seconds with little instant remorse, or thought), but as the movie unfolds, it becomes something more. This is largely in part of the simple, yet true to the heart performances of the two leads, Adrian Grenier, who delicately portrays a teenager somewhere between a hurt child, and a noncomformist anti-hero, and Melissa Joan Hart believeably portraying a perky popular girl who has a slow change of heart about who she is and where she stands. As supporting characters ''Designated Dave'' is strongly played, showing acore of insecurity and hurt. BUt overall what makes the film worth seeing is the general feel of it. The simple, yet realistically portrayed wounds of hurt, insecurity, and inferiority that make the ''uncool'' kids try to be what they aren't. High school is finally realistically portrayed as a Nazi-like environment. As brutal as it seems, it really is. People get hurt, and suffer and are dehumanized in what is no less than a Nazi following of kids degrading each other. Hopefully other filmmakers will take the hint and start creating movies that are more true to life, instead of the upper-cut, simplistic movies they currently process.

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The Hangover (2013)

If there's a movie film that was sold based on word of mouth, it's The Hangover. Trailer was funny but nothing spectacular, plot seems so "many times seen" (several guys go to Vegas for bachelor party and crazy things will happen) and main cast were relatively unknowns there's nothing to suggest anything promising. But those who have seen it can testify that it's a real comedy jewel and it was not surprise it become one of the most successful comedies.

Todd Phillips as director managed to surpass his previous hits as Road Trip, Old School and Starsky and Hutch by merit of providing regular and consistent laughs amidst backdrop of a frenetic and unrelenting morning after.

The problems with most comedies they have to put all their best laughs in the trailer, so by the time the movie comes around the funniest parts lose their impact and the rest of the movie is disappointing in comparison. The Hangover sidesteps this problem masterfully. We know guys will wake up with no memory of what went night before but these moments, although hilarious, aren't all what make the movie so good. The heart of the movie is in the chemistry between the three main actors Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) likable and identifiable enough for an audience to go along with events that could quite easily in another context seem ridiculous.

This success mostly can be credited to casting in unfamiliar faces (when the movie was made) and the actors themselves deserve huge credit. That would mostly consider Cooper who back then was slightly familiar and now is big star.

Movie director has no qualms when he puts his characters through so many problems, there's one shocking revelation after another as the people, animals and events they encountered the night before come back to them during the search for Doug. As the audience knows as little as the characters do, the reactions are completely true, they suspend disbelief as colossally silly events are only matched in magnitude by the sound of laughs in the theatre.

The Hangover never quite lets up, the laughs even continue way into the credits, so it is not wonder that two sequels were made to this successful movie.

Speaking about extras what you get is:

Picture In Picture commentary featuring three main actors and director

Cursing Mash Up funny compilation of all the cursing in the movie

Iron Mike Online Teaser the Champ's rendition of "In The Air Tonight"

More pictures from The Missing Camera 100+ added photos from the camera, pics you would screen out before you share with your friends

Map Of Destruction 15 spots where movie was made on a selectable icon map that takes you to a brief clip regarding making-of info

The Madness Of Ken Jeong brief movie shots of Ken Jeong, not so funny

Action Mash-Up a brief action mix, not so good

Three Best Friends Song looks funny in a movie, not so much in a longer version because they are not singers

The Dan Band! clean version of the Fame song.

Gag Reel funny, couple of minutes long

Good edition with ok extras, but nothing special.

Hangover has brilliant chemistry between actors and its plot make it better than you could possibly be expecting going in. It's funny from start to finish and is guaranteed it would bring smile on your face. Big recommendation for movie but for this Blu-ray edition, as well.

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The Lost Boys (2008)

As one of two teenage vampire movies released in 1987, (the other was the miserable "Near Dark")"The Lost Boys," is a hip, modern retelling of the vampire myth set in a Southern California setting. Brothers Michael (Patric) and Sam (Haim) are the newcomers to the small seaside town of Santa Clara, which is known as the murder capital of the world due to the mysterious disappearances of many town residents.

At the town's amusement park, Michael gets himself involved with a gang of vampires, who appear as normal street punks. Meanwhile Sam, meets the Frog Brothers, who run a comic book store at night, but are vampire hunters by day. After Michael himself becomes a vampire due to drinking the blood of a vampire, he is determined to find a way to save himself, the girl he loves, and his family from the impending danger that lurks them.

Directed by Joel Schumacher ("Batman Forever," "Batman & Robin," "Flatliners," etc.), the film's appeal to teenagers is due to its young cast, great soundtrack, and great, yet campy storyline. Dianne Wiest is excellent as Michael and Sam's mother, and Kiefer Sutherland in one of his first major roles is wicked as David, the leader of the gang.

Keep an eye out for a pre-"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adveture" Alex Winter as Marco, one of the vampires. This film also marked the first collaboration of the two Cories, Cory Haim & Cory Feldman, in a string of movies they made together in the 1980's ("License to Drive," "Dream A Little Dream," etc.) that capitalized on their teen-idol status. Reportedley, Jason Patric (who is Jackie Gleason's grandson) hates it when fans mention this movie as one of his best works, but the truth is it still remains one of the late 1980's cult classics.

If you like a funny, yet scary movie in the same tradition as "Scram," then check out this movie. It gave me many memories watching it on DVD as it did when I first saw it at the theater.

When this movie came out in the eighties, I dont think many people realized that it would become a classic film from that decade. Its not just a good vampire movie, its a good movie...period.

Jason patric and Corey Haim are brothers whos mother has moved them to be with their grandfather. Their new home is Santa Clara, otherwise known as the murder capital of the world. While there the older brother Michael (Patrick) meets a gang of teenagers who just happen to be vampires responsible for most of the murders. The younger brother Sam (Corey Haim) runs into a couple of self professed vampire killers. The fact that they are twelve doesnt douse their intensity. Michael appears to be on his way to becoming a vampire and the only way to stop it from happening is to kill the head vampire (The identity of which is revealed at the climax of the movie)

The movie flows nicely with a good script. The acting is good, the effects are good, the music is great. The humor throughout the movie adds some chuckles without forcing it. It all gels together into the best vampire movie I have ever seen. (My humble opinion).

The movie is one of my top ten favorites, but I was a little dissapointed with the DVD. There are very few extras, just a trailer and some production notes. Still worth adding to your DVD collection, but I have my fingers crossed for a collector's edition.

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When a single mother (Dianne Wiest) and her two kids (Jason Patric, Corey Haim) pack up and move from Phoenix to southern California, more specifically, Santa Carla, "the murder capital of the world," they have more than a little bit of adjusting to do. The two teens and their mother move in with their quirky but loveable grandfather (Barnard Hughes), who has an inkling that there is more to this town than meets the eye. At first, things seem different but manageable, until Sam meets the "Frog brothers" at the local comic book shop. They hand him a horror comic about vampires and tell him to think of it as a survival manual. Are these two merely kids with an over-active imagination, or is there some supernatural cause for this odd little coastal town's nickname?

When the older brother, Michael, goes into town for a live concert, he runs into a rather attractive woman named Star (Jami Gertz). Star introduces Michael to her friends, who just happen to be vampires, and they decide to invite Michael to be one of them. Unbeknownst to Michael, he drinks the blood of David (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of a band of motorcycle riding teenage vampires, thus giving Michael this supernatural dark gift. However, he must make his first kill before becoming a true creature of the night. Only one thing can save Michael from an eternity of bloodsucking. The head vampire must be killed. But who is the head vampire, and can he be found before Michael gives in to temptation? Will Sam and his newfound friends be willing and able to help Michael before it's too late?

This film is a classic, light-hearted 80's foray into the horror genre, complete with horrible wardrobe, glam rock, goofy humor, and a stellar cast performing a great screenplay with a cohesive plot. There are indeed some great lines in this film that are quite memorable. The Frog brothers, in particular, serve as some cute comic relief. The effects and make-up are outstanding, and this is really noticeable in the final, knock-down, drag-out fight in the end of the movie. The cinematography is also really well done (for example, the aerial shots when the vampires are flying towards the house).

This movie is not meant to be taken very seriously, and it is certainly not Anne Rice or Bram Stoker by any means, but it is some great old-fashioned weekend entertainment. Overall this is a great movie that everyone who grew up in the 80's should definitely own. Moreover, it's a great addition to anyone's vampire or horror collection. If you can enjoy a light-hearted romp through vampire mythology, then definitely pick this film up!

A small downside to this DVD is that there are few extras. If you merely want a great movie at a low price, then pick up this DVD. Otherwise, there is a two-disc set coming out soon that should be worth checking out!

Read Best Reviews of The Lost Boys (2008) Here

Flat out, the Blu-ray version of this classic movie is amazing, the picture and sound is as if this movie was just filmed. If you loved the movie back then, you will love it even more now....this is a no-brainer on blu-ray

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The Lost Boys is a movie that could only work in the 80s; while sometimes called a classic I don't think I would go that far, but it is a cult classic and one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. While it is a horror movie there is nothing really scary here. And despite the R-rating it's a very light one at that. The Lost Boys is very much a product of it's time and a damn good one at that. I figured with the release of the sequel The Lost Boys: The Tribe due out this summer I might as well revisit this cult classic.

The screenplay was written by Janice Fischer, James Jeremias & Jeffrey Boam; apparently Fischer & Jeremias wrote the first draft and it was more of a kid's movie that features pre-teens. Richard Donner was the original director, but when production was delayed he dropped out, but stayed on as executive producer, Joel Schumacher was than hired and wanted to make the characters older and I assume that is where Jeffrey Boam comes in. The screenplay though is excellent; the characters are great and almost all of them get enough screen time that we get to know them. Obviously some characters will be more developed than others, but none of them are just simply there.

Director Joel Schumacher who often gets a lot of heat for his work on Batman Forever & Batman & Robin does a great job with The Lost Boys, due to the two Batman movies he's often called a hack and one of the worst filmmakers. Joel Schumacher isn't a great director, but he has made some really enjoyable movies sure he made some mistakes with his Batman movies and even he knows that. But with The Lost Boys he delivers one hell of a fun ride. His scenes are well paced and there really is never a boring moment at all. The comedy works well and the action scenes are extremely well-done and are a lot of fun. There isn't much suspense and tension, but that wasn't the point with this movie.

If anything The Lost Boys is best described as a comedy/fantasy type movie, but since it includes vampires killing people it will throw it into the horror genre. I think every kid and even adults have that fantasy of killing vampires or zombies and The Lost Boys very much plays up to that. The movie runs at 97-minutes and you'll never be bored there's always something happening to hold your interest in the movie.

What The Lost Boys is best known for now is being the very first movie to feature both Corey Haim and Corey Feldman AKA the two Corey's. After this movie they would work together several times before fading away by the end of the 80s; both Corey's work great together here. This is more of a Corey Haim movie since he plays the bigger part and he's really funny, but Feldman possibly steals the show as Edgar Frog along with Jason Newlander as Alan Frog. The Frog Brothers are played straight and serious, which makes it even funnier.

Before he was Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland was David the evil vampire. I'm a huge fan of Sutherland and this is one of his very best roles. He doesn't always have a lot of dialogue, but he has a great presence on camera and makes for one of the coolest vampires to ever appear in a movie. The rest of the cast is also excellent; Jason Patric puts in a solid performance as Michael Emerson trying to fight his vampire urges.

The Lost Boys easily rates as one of the most fun filled movies of the 80s and one of the most fun period; there's never a slow moment The Lost Boys is always funny and a lot of fun. The DVD is excellent with some great features on the 2nd disc. I've seen The Lost Boys several times, but this is the first time I've seen it on DVD and I know there was a DVD out before, but the new one features a brand new HD transfer and the picture quality is excellent. If you own the original disc it's more than worth the double dip for the 2-disc set if not for the extras that at least for the transfer.

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The Blues Brothers (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (1980)

This is one of my favorite movies. I love the part where Ray Charles play the piano and everyone dances to "Shake a Tail Feather" and when Aretha Franklin sings "Think." And of course who could forget the car chase. That was the best car chase ever in a comedy.

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Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937

First let me say that a comparison of the 2010 DVD to this 2012 Blu-ray release shows no real improvement. The increased resolution only shows more film grain. Details have not been improved. Even worse, the distorted audio in some of the shorts has not been improved on. The BBC did that for the early Doctor Who shows, Why can't Kino do that here?

If you already have the old DVD set, keep it and save your money for future Keaton films worthy of a Blu-ray release. If you have not bought this collection, then strongly consider whether it is worth the additional cost of a Blu-ray set that has basically the same quality as the cheaper DVD set.

Unlike the Blu-ray re-issues of the films from the old "Art Of Buster Keaton" DVD set, this appears to be the same transfer as the old 2010 DVD set. My guess is that in 2010 Kino did a Hi-definition transfer of the films for the DVD release, enabling them to re-use the transfers for future Blu-ray releases.

I was actually disappointed when I read that the Lost Keaton DVD set was the next Kino Keaton set to get the Blu-ray treatment. Much of the source material was sub-par quality due to the loss of original Educational Films negatives. My hopes were that some of the distorted audio in the DVD set would be cleaned up, sadly not.

Expect to see:

Film splices, some with jumps.

Film scratches.

Noisy to distorted audio.

The only improvements I saw are:

1) Increased resolution now shows the film grain as opposed to digital compression in the DVDs.

2) The Blu-ray set has an informative booklet inside, my original DVD set did not have one. It is possible that it was accidentally omitted from my DVD set.

3) The Blu-ray sleeve includes poster reproductions on the reverse side

If you're reading this, chances are you're already a Buster Keaton fan. If you're not, let me just say first off that this set should NOT be your introduction to the legendary comic actor/writer/director. Keaton's masterworks are the silent "two-reel" comedies he made in the twenties (and available in the excellent Buster Keaton Short Films Collection: 1920-1923 (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray], to which this set serves as a companion piece). As many of you will know, Keaton's career fumbled immediately following the silent years, with a 5-year stint making features at MGM. But these films, made for the independent Educational Pictures, represented a return to form of sorts. Here was Keaton back in his element: the comedy short. And Educational also gave him back much of his creative control. . .something he lost working as essentially an actor only for the big studio.

Truth be told (and understand, I'm a HUGE fan), most of these sound comedies don't measure up to the gems Keaton made 10 to 15 years earlier. But there's still plenty for fans to enjoy. Unlike silent stars who had difficulty making the transition to sound, Buster had a distinct voice and used it to good effect. He wisely didn't stray too far from his origins; the best bits in these films don't require speaking or much sound at all to make them funny. ONE RUN ELMER and MIXED MAGIC are good examples of this. Keaton's love of trains and physical, architecture-based gags are also in evidence in several films.

As for the set itself, the video and audio quality varies a bit from film to film. There is the occasional unrepaired splice, resulting in a "jump" in the action. Debris is evident in many cases, although the overall picture quality is quite good for its age. It's worth noting that Educational Pictures was NOT MGM, and I doubt that the independent company ever made a film as polished as the larger, more affluent studios could. If you've seen the Blu-ray release of the silent shorts, you know what is possible with restoration efforts. I would easily give Kino's earlier release of the silent films 5 stars for visual quality; by comparison, "Lost Keaton" scores 4 out of 5. Still a very good rating.

Extras aren't as plentiful as with the earlier set, but you still get a wonderfully informative booklet, with info about each film. There's a still gallery, and a video montage of various stunts and physical gags. And for those who care about such things (as I do), "Lost Keaton"'s package design is virtually identical to the earlier release. . .making a very attractive pair of comedy classics on the shelf. :-)

Bottom line: If you're a fan, this is a no-brainer. If you're not (yet), defintiely start with the earlier set first. Buster Keaton was a one-of-kind comic genius, and Kino Lorber has done him proud with this lovingly-created collector's sets.

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I bought this because I'm a big Buster fan. Although some of the shorts included in here aren't the best of Buster's work, it definitely is worth taking a look at. I LOVE "Grand Slam Opera," "The Chemist," "Hayseed Romance," and "Tars and Stripes" among others. And even though many of these shorts are not as sophisticated as the silent ones, they still contain little gems of material that make you laugh.

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Cold Dog Soup (1990)

I saw it years ago... Loved it then, and haven't been able to find it since. Was surprised to see it on IMBD & Amazon both, but wasn't a bit surprised to see it wasn't available.

If you get a chance to see this movie, DEFINITELY watch it. You will be in the small crowd of about 20 people who can then verify it's just not a weird dream the other 19 had.

Seriously...People look at you like you are nuts if you try to explain the movie to them, and they usually will deny it even exists.

I just noticed I really didn't talk about the movie: it needs to be seen to be believed. It is, however, very good, and quite funny.

Happened across this movie late one night; it was a twisted funny ride. Randy Quaid plays a cab driver that takes a young man on an all night journey to sell a dead dog. Each stop they make is more twisted and hilarious than the last. At the start of the night the young man just wants to spend the evening with a new female acquaintance; only to end up having to get rid of the family dog in the middle of a city late at night. Quaid happens along and leads this movie directly into comedy history. Great ride.

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I saw this movie probably a year or two after its release (channel surfing on Dish Network). I wasn't surprised to see Frank Whaley, an under-appreciated B movie regular, but when Randy Quaid showed up as an illegal taxi, I knew nothing would be normal. If you're seriously into a predictable plot or a story line which follows some logical progression, forget it. With every stop of his taxi, you're hoping to see some resolution, but it never happens. What you remember is all the craziness. I don't even remember how it ended, but I remember it was one of the neatest flicks I've seen in a while. When I saw it on Amazon, I ordered it so quickly I didn't realize it was a VHS! I'll figure out a way to convert it, or something it's well worth the trouble. To use a quote from Nationl Lampoon's Radio Comedy Half-hour: Once you've seen it, you'll never be able to say you didn't."

Read Best Reviews of Cold Dog Soup (1990) Here

Caught this late night on IFC. Pleasant surprise... lot of fun to watch and Randy Quaid was really good. The humor keeps you drawn, and i spent the next three weeks waiting for the pressure cooker. You could certainly watch a lot worse.

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Up at 2:30 a.m. I happened to find this movie on Directv. If you like silly shows you'll get a kick out of it. I laughed pretty hard at the ridiculous scenarios. I love Randy Quaid too.

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The Rundown BD + DVD Value Pack (2003)

Option BI MAKE YOU go see The Rundown.

The Rundown marks the arrival of Dwayne Johnson, A.K.A. "The Rock" as a bona-fide movie star. As Beck, a "Retrieval Expert" who longs for a simpler life as a chef, he displays for the first time on film the humor and charisma that won him "Millions....and MILLIONS!" of fans in the WWE. Dispatced to the South American town of El Dorado (Called Hell Dorado by the locals) to fetch Travis Walker (Seann William Scott), the wayward son of his shady boss, Beck gets more than he bargained for. He finds Travis easily enough, but getting him home might pose more of a problem. Not only does Travis not WANT to go home, but local land baron Hatcher (The hilariously nutty Christopher Walken, at his eye-popping best here) won't LET him go...At least not until Travis finds a mythical golden idol for him. The Rock vs. an army of gun-toting slave-drivers......Place your bets!

As I said earlier, The Rock is awesome in his role, bringing a mix of self-effacing humor and quiet strength to the mix, balancing out the potentially irritating Scott's whiny character. Walken is, as always, a joy to watch. His diatribe about The Tooth Fairy is worth the price of admission alone, and hearing him say "Oompa-Loompa" is sure to go down in history as one of my all-time favorite movie lines. Director Peter Berg shows himself to be equally comfortable with comedy and action; He keeps the film moving along at a brisk pace, and the action scenes are simply stunningNot only are the fights choreographed beautifully, but the action is easy to follow, with none of the choppy editing and shaky photography that has ruined many an action movie.

The Rundown is just what it portrays itself as: A fun buddy picture. I had a blast, and so did everyone else in the theater. If you're in the mood for action, The Rundown is a sure bet. If you smell what I'm cookin'.....

Well, I wasn't expecting a great deal from this film. In fact, I probably wouldn't have seen it at all if it hadn't gotten surprisingly good reviews. The Rock was pretty forgettable in 'The Scorpion King', although not terrible, but he puts in a great performance here. Tasked with the retrieval of a wayward son, he ends up in a three (or four) way hunt for a mysterious golden idol, along the way enountering everything from homicidal gold miners to jungle rebels to packs of angry monkeys. It is one funny movie, and the action scenes are great. Most importantly, the cast has both charisma and quality, and the dialogue isn't nearly as stilted as you'd expect in a typical action film. You can tell they all had fun making the movie, perhaps because it was actually filmed in Hawaii. Regardless, you should check this out even if you have doubts about it, because it will win you over.

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This movie is truly Rock-solid; the inimitable pro-wrestler turned actor admirably struts his stuff here in terms of sheer muscular star power and heavyweight charisma, and proceeds to turn the Amazonian jungle upside down in the process. This is certainly no dramatic masterpiece, but all of the cast are excellent in this incredible action movie, especially Christopher Walken, doing a turn as a witty yet egomaniacal villain who simply isn't prepared for the consequences as `Beck' (the Rock) arrives on his doorstep in his part of the jungle to retrieve the errant son of a gangster he is indebted to. The murder and mayhem that ensue make up two hours of first class entertainment as we find Rock against the world, and the world getting the worst part of the deal.

The movie is wonderfully photographed, and the comic moments flow from the opening sequences, when Beck step into a crowded bar to retrieve a debt from a pro football player. The ensuing madness is so well choreographed and played out that it is entirely believable despite the fact that it is strictly super-heroics that the character Rock plays has to deliver to punch, elbow, and drop-kick the whole offensive line of a pro football team in pursuit of his man. Likewise, the bar-room fight scene that sets up the rest of the movie once Beck arrives in Brazil is a study in athletic make-believe, so far out it is both fun and amazing to watch, as long as you can suspend your critical faculties long enough to not laugh out loud at the silliness of some of the supposed stunts. But the Rock never disappoints, and he always entertains!

Indeed, like some of the better early Schwarzenegger movies (e.g. `Predator'), the wit and winsome qualities of both the characters and the plot are indeed quite entertaining despite the fact we all know who is going to win, and thus have very little doubt as to how things will progress as the tale spins along toward its conclusion. Also, one can see that Rock is rising very quickly to fill the action hero void once held by Arnie and Sly Stallone. He has a lot of screen presence, and is a joy to watch in action. What's more, he seems to handle himself very well, and is quite believable on the screen, which is no small feat given the cartoon-like aspects of the story line. All in all, a great action flick, and one you will likely want to include in your video library. Enjoy!

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Praise for The Rock's performance in this film is not overrated. He has come into his own in this film and established himself as a true actor and not just a muscle-bound cretin. The Rock plays Beck, a polite leg-breaker for a low-life loan shark with big-time "clients" such as NFL super stars. In a business where violence is his back-up when diplomacy doesn't work, Beck loathes guns and has a deeper desire to run his own 5-star restaurant and leave this knuckle-busting life behind him.

His boss gives him one last assignment before he cuts him loose and gives him the restaurant of his dreams... the mission: bring back his son Travis (Seann William Scott). His father has pulled his son's butt out of a sling so many times, he is reeling him in to face the music.

Beck heads to South America to retrieve Travis in what he believes will be a quick grab and flight back to the U.S. Unbeknownst to Beck, Travis is seeking a priceless golden idol and a local slave driver (Christopher Walken) is keeping tabs on Travis so he can steal the treasure from him as soon as he finds it. Hatcher (Walken) runs a gold-mining operation, employing the local populous at disgustingly pitiful pay and slave-like hours and treatment. It's a real shanty-town, but filled with sophisticated cameras and other surveillance equipment and gun-toting thugs.

There is non-stop butt-kicking and far-out choreography through-out the film. So many scenes are so proposterous, it borders on insulting your intelligence, but things happen so fast and you get such a good laugh along the way, you really just sit back for the ride. There are a couple of scenes involving monkeys that are real gut-busters for laughs but they used African baboons for these scenes not animals you'd ever encounter in the western hemisphere. Anyone who watches the Discovery Channel even once in a while will roll their eyes at these scenes, but still laugh.

A local bar-keep named Mariana (Rosaria Dawson) adds an additional twist. Is she just a bar-keep, or is there something else going on... and how does she keep her hair looking so nice while running for her life in the middle of a humid rain forest?

Seann William Scott has proved that he is much more than the "Stifler" character in the "American Pie" series... he is a talented actor and can portray a range of characters and emotions. This film will probably be his launching pad into more serious roles in the future.

There is some language, but nothing beyond what you'd see on NYPD Blue on TV, limited in-your-face violence... just butt kicking, and no sex scenes so the movie is fairly family-safe.

On the overall first-time-viewing enjoyment meter, I'd give this film 5 stars, but on the "would I ever want to see it again" meter, I give it half a star.

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I enjoyed this movie on DVD and it is even better on HD DVD. Great picture quality with the lush jungle scenes and lots of bass in the soundtrack.

The movie is also very entertaining with lots of action and humor. The Rock plays a goon that has been sent to retrieve his bosses son played by Seann William Scott (a.k.a Stiffler from American Pie). The interaction between them is hilarious. The great Christopher Walken plays the bad guy and he is his classic self. His awesome dialogue (I wonder how much was ad-libbed?) and his pants pulled up to his drooping breasts add the finishing touches to this terrific movie. I think this is the Rock's best movie and a sequel must be made!

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