Any readers from overseas may be familiar with the film under another title: "The Rundown". In hindsight this was a much better title considering the title would also be used for a survivalist jungle horror movie, a weird ensemble cast comedy starring Jean Claude Van Damme and even ended up being the tagline for a later Dwayne Johnson franchise: Jumanji.
Yup, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Surprisingly despite my love of wrestling, even I can acknowledge Mr Johnson's back catalogue to be patchy at best. Today he's Hollywood's biggest superstar, back in 2003, we were all waiting to see if he wasn't going to Hulk Hogan himself. I dare say Dave Bautista has proven himself to be the best wrestler turned actor but back then it looked like Dwayne was going to take the action king crown.
Opening with "The Scorpion King", a decent 'Conan-Lite' adventure, this film and "Walking Tall" it seemed that Mr Johnson was filling in a void so often missed and needed. That of the fresh action movie star. Sadly the wheels started coming off pretty quickly with questionable role after questionable role and despite trying to nab the role of Jack Reacher (a role that he would have been excellent in for the record), he failed and ended up in the Fast & The Furious franchise. What's often forgotten is that this was an ailing franchise in itself and they both needed one another. Thankfully it benefitted both and skyrocketed Dwayne to his second resurgence.
But we're still back in 2003 at this point, so let's dip into:
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2003 dir. Peter Berg)
Why I bought it/Why I liked it:
As mentioned I was a big fan of The Rock and at this point, he was still officially a wrestler moonlighting as an actor and not vice versa. I'd enjoyed "The Scorpion King" enough and the trailers showed this to be a lot of fun.
To be honest it boasted a heck of a supporting cast for the time period also. Reliable and always entertaining comic relief Seann William Scott (who in my opinion makes most things better even though he couldn't save "Dude, Where's My Car?" from its hideousness), the then up and coming Rosario Dawson and Christopher freaking Walken as the bad guy.
This was one of the movies during the 'watch the newest release of that week' cinema period I used to attend with my dad. The truth was, we didn't have much to do and this was a good way to spend time together following my parent's divorce so regular trips to the Odeon were usually on the menu.
It was a blast. It ticked all of the boxes I looked for in a dumb fun action film, and much like the Arnie cameo earlier in the film, it looked like Dwayne had picked up the torch from the once-mighty king.
Memories of positivity continued into my CEX 'add movies to my collection for cheap' phase so when it popped up for cheap, it was an easy purchase.
If I think it'll stay in the collection:
Tough call actually. As we know I like a dumb fun action film but there seems to be something about early noughties output that just awkwardly ages. As such, there are very few good action films from this period that have held up over time. I'm hoping that the performances and action are enough to carry it through but I can just as easily see this going on the trade pile. It's another coin flip, to be honest.
The review:
"Welcome To The Jungle" is complete claptrap. It is, however, still rather enjoyable claptrap. The Rock shows that he could carry his charisma from the squared circle onto celluloid and looks every bit the action star that plays to his strengths.
Seann William Scott, on the other hand, is on fine form as the motormouth quarry/sidekick/treasure hunter, constantly delivery quips and showing just why he was the talented one from the "American Pie" posse. Rosario's character admittedly isn't fleshed out at all but she makes for enjoyable eye candy and Christopher Walken is on fine snarling form as the stock bad guy of the day.
It's a slickly made film, complete with those 'wonderful' whip pans and zooms that were so frequent during this period but it trundles along at a fun pace. Peter Berg showing he's capable of making a fun action film, this nestles in quite nicely along with recent Netflix exclusive "Spenser Confidential" in the easy film to veg out and watch stakes.
The music choices are a bit suspect, there's a cringeworthy mash-up of Missy Elliot's 'Get Your Freak On' coupled with AC/DC's 'Back In Black' that comes across as being off its time. It's not a particularly smooth mash-up either.
Oh and renowned Scottish actor Ewen Bremner inexplicably puts on a Northern Irish accent, delivers soliloquies and plays the bagpipes in the last act of the film which immediately costs this film a point. There's never a good time for bagpipes...
But there is a scene where Dwayne has his face humped by a monkey. I did laugh pretty hard at that one.
Should it stay or should it go?
"Welcome To The Jungle" is a harmless little action flick that you can just leave your brain at the door. The plot is weak, there are eye-rolling nods to "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" for a spell but it's fun.
This probably remains one of The Rock's best outside of the Fast & The Furious franchise. It gets a respectable 7 out of 10 from me today.
Christopher Walken is not that far away but next time we review a film I thought I'd be reviewing today...until I realized that I'd alphabetized wrongly.
Until next time, I remain,
Matt Major.
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