Welcome to the Jungle (internationally titled The Rundown) is a 2003 action-comedy starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a bounty hunter tracking down a target (Seann William Scott) in the Amazon, featuring Christopher Walken as the villain. The film, directed by Peter Berg, blends adventure and humor with a notable cameo from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Key Details:
Release Date: September 26, 2003.
Plot: Beck (Johnson) is hired to retrieve Travis (Scott) from a mining town in Brazil, but they team up to find a priceless artifact while fighting the tyrannical town operator, Hatcher (Walken).
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy.
Reception: Praised for the chemistry between Johnson and Scott, with critics noting it as an "Indiana Jones-lite" experience
REAR COVER
He was THE SCORPION KING, now get ready to rumble in the jungle with THE ROCK, in his new action/comedy WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. He's a bounty hunter who's sent deep into the Amazon to bring back his boss' rebellious son - an assignment that's not gonna be as easy as it sounds!
A "blistering and brilliantly executed INDIANA JONES-style movie^", WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE co-stars SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT, ROSARIO DAWSON, the legendary CHRISTOPHER WALKEN and is a fast-paced romp that's “a sure-fire audience pleaser*".
REVIEW
Derek Malcolm
Friday 26 March 2004
The Guardian
Right at the beginning of this moderately lively action movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger walks past The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) in a packed bar and wishes him luck. It looks like he's passing the torch on to a new beefcake hero and, if he is, he's passing it to a rather better actor. This isn't utterly surprising since you have to be more of a thespian than a weight-lifter to be an all-in wrestler, and The Rock was the best in the business for some time.
The film has him trying to finance his own restaurant by doing one last enforcing job for his mobster boss. He has to bring the man's long-absent son back from an adventure in Brazil involving ancient treasure. In the way is one of Christopher Walken's long series of dottily philosophical villains who controls a mine where the workers are badly exploited. This time he has a speech about tooth fairies you can scarcely credit.
The Rock doesn't do guns, so there's much cross-buttock slamming and Hong Kong-oriented knocking-about as the story progresses. It's certainly as good as Vin Diesel ever gives us and, if The Rock is going places, you feel happy for him. He seems a nice kind of fella, with a passable sense of humour too.
DETAILED PLOT
An office team go on a two-day team-building seminar on a wilderness island. The group includes Chris, a meek office worker and Eagle Scout; Phil, a manipulative bully who steals his ideas; Lisa, an HR manager and Chris' love interest; and Jared, a sarcastic slacker. However, when the pilot is found dead and Storm, their ex-marine guide, is mauled by a tiger, the office workers must fend for themselves.
Phil tries to assume leadership, but the group votes for Chris. Phil immediately wants to sacrifice Javier so they can eat him. He finds some coffee and adds a hallucinogenic herb that induces an orgy among some of the coworkers. They split into two teams. Chris’ team consists of Lisa, Jared, and Brenda. Phil feeds his team more psychedelic herbs and sets himself up as God. Chris` team finds an abandoned building with supplies. Storm is revealed to be alive and not a marine. Chris' team is captured by Phil's group, and Chris beats Phil by pretending to be a better God. A ship rescues the workers, except Phil who is left behind. Storm is arrested for impersonating a marine. Chris gets Phil's job, but quits, taking Lisa with him. It is also revealed Jared is now dating Brenda.