The Rock hits people with a stick. How can you go wrong?
He pretty much took over the “generic action star” roll with The Rundown and I think this movie cements it. He’s a big buff guy who doesn’t take himself seriously. And where Arnold had the on-screen charisma of burnt toast, The Rock is pretty funny when he wants to be.
Great popcorn flick with minimal plot, lots of fighting, and plenty of chuckles. Two thumbs upas long as you aren’t expecting anything profound.
I love The Rock as an action star. I think he has more charisma and personality than Arnold, Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, and Chuck Norris put together! It will be a long time before he’s ever taken seriously as an actor, but he’s a good-looking guy (I say this as a 100% straight male), he’s very funny, and he LOOKS like someone who can kick ass.
The Rundown was surprisingly a VERY GOOD action/adventure buddy movie, and I’m looking forward to Walking Tall, as well as his role as a gay bodyguard in Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty. I think the fact that The Rock can joke around and have fun and poke fun at his own image is the biggest factor separating him from the one-note action stars of the '80s and '90s.
With “The Rundown” not doing so well in the theatres and “Walking Tall” so far getting less than stellar reviews, I’m a little afraid the Rock might not make it in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect him to become the next Ian McKellan but I at least expected him to surpass Schwarzenegger and become this generation’s action hero with even some credibility since the man can obviously act in addition to doing the prototypical action hero dreck.
I hope I’m just being too pessimistic though. I’d love to see him succeed.
I have to ask-is this a remake of the Joe Don Baker snort movie?
Yes and no. The original Walking Tall movies were loosely based on the experiences of a real sheriff named Buford Pusser. The Rock version has changed the name of the main character and now claims simply to be “inspired” by a true story. It is technically a “remake,” but only in that it has the same title and a passing similarity to the original character and basic story (sheriff cleans up town with two-by-four).
[QUOTE=Johnny Bravo]
Arnold had the on-screen charisma of burnt toast/QUOTE]
HEY! I’d be willing to wager you have never seen any movie I’ve been in! I’m far better then the Governator anyway. :rolleyes:
Remember that Mr. Schwarzenegger had to do Hercules in New York, and Conan the Barbarian before landing The Terminator. I think Mr. The Rock has done surprisingly well with only two major films under his belt.
I count three major films: “Walking Tall,” “The Rundown,” and “The Scorpion King,” plus supporting turns in “the Mummy Returns” and another movie I can’t remember.
It’s an interesting comparison though. Like The Rock, Schwarzenegger started off becoming famous with his muscles and getting into the limelight with industry-specific junk, in his case bodybuilding instead of wrestling. Schwartzenegger’s first three major movies weren’t really any better than the Rock’s; Stay Hungry, and the first two Conan movies. Stay Hungry was mediocre at best and the Conan flicks were campy junk. I don’t see how The Rock’s movie choices have been any worse.
Schwarzeneger’s FOURTH movie was “The Terminator,” which was a terrific movie and a surprise hit, so we’ll see if Dwayne can do as well.
I wonder, though, at what point he’ll have to drop this silly “The Rock” thing.
Of course it’s a remake. Which is a bit shameful considering the original was based on a real person. The title “Walking Tall” will always be associated with the real-life person Buford T. Pusser, so to re-use the title but “sex up” the details (unsuccessfully, it turns out; should’ve been more faithful) is, at best, disrespectful of the real person. IMHO.
For anyone who’s interested, the original Walking Tall was practically a remake of the director Phil Karlson’s earlier cult masterpiece, The Phenix City Story, the story of a man who returns to his hometown with his wife and kids only to find that it’s been given over to crime and corruption. He wants to remain univolved, but then the violence hits too close to home and he runs for sheriff and cleans the town up. No stick in this this one, but it’s remarkably clear-eyed and un, what, unjaundiced? Un-something: unsoftened. Unupholstered. Un-punch-pulled. (Cervaise, a little help here.)
Definately. Having absolutely no interest in pro wrestling, I feel pretty silly myself every time I call him “The Rock.”
I suppose he’ll go by The Rock until such a time when the wrestling people no longer own his soul.
He’s more recognizable and marketable as the Rock, a fact that the person he is still under contract to, Vince McMahon, is well aware of. He will use the name until 1) it outlives its purpose or 2) he somehow gets out of wrestling. I don’t see either happening any time soon.
I object to the first Conan being labeled campy junk. The F/X weren’t bad for the time and the tone was serious. (well as serious as a barbarian fantasy can be)
The second was pretty campy.
I really enjoyed the movie but I wanted and expected more fighting…but I would definitely see it again. The main reason I saw it is because “The Rock” was in it only a few actors can make me see a movie solely because they are in it, and “The Rock” is one of them.