Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest and most bankable action stars in Hollywood today, but a 23-year-old movie that helped launch his career and is now streaming on Peacock is too often overlooked. The NBCUniversal streamer launched May in a big way, growing its streaming lineup with dozens of new titles. On that roster was one of Johnson’s first-ever films that allowed him to shed his WWE persona and transition into a legitimate leading man.

That movie is The Rundown, Peter Berg’s 2003 action comedy starring Johnson opposite Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, and Rosario Dawson. The movie, which flopped at the box office with an $80 million worldwide gross against an $85 million budget, joined Peacock on May 1st. The Rundown stars Johnson as Beck, a tough, aspiring-chef bounty hunter who is sent to the Amazon to bring home a mobster’s reckless son. Things go awry when he suddenly finds himself caught up in a fight against a ruthless mining tycoon and a search for a legendary lost artifact.

The Rundown Was a Solid Early Action Outing for Dwayne Johnson

The Rundown was one of Johnson’s first acting gigs and ultimately one of his most overlooked in a filmography that now also includes big action titles like San Andreas, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and the Fast & Furious movies, but it was a solid early entry into his career as a leading action man. The movie even featured a symbolic passing of the torch with an uncredited appearance from Arnold Schwarzenegger as a bar patron passing Johnson’s character in a nightclub, saying, “Have fun,” and Johnson wasted no time in proving his ability to take on the action-hero mantle.

The Rundown is Johnson at his best, showcasing a perfect blend of his physical prowess, comedic timing, and charisma. His role as Beck captured Johnson’s ability to handle both comedic banter and intense action, the latter of which earned plenty of praise from critics and fans for using practical stunts rather than CGI, allowing Johnson to showcase his athleticism in intense moments like those jungle fight scenes. The movie is also just all-around fun, and Johnson and Scott deliver a classic action-comedy team-up dynamic that makes you want to keep watching. In terms of critical consensus, The Rundown scored a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a pretty solid number that still puts it within Johnson’s 20 highest-rated movies ever.

What’s New on Prime Video?

Peacock subscribers looking for more streaming options have no shortage of titles to choose from this May. In addition to The Rundown, the list of May 1st arrivals also included movies like Battle: Los Angeles, Cowboys & Aliens, The Day After Tomorrow, Dunkirk, Mechanic: Resurrection, and Mechanic: Resurrection. Other movies, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and Imaginary, have also been stocked this month, with upcoming arrivals including Arthur the King on May 11th, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on May 18th, and Wicked on May 21st.

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