Before XXX was revealed as a piece of dreck, A Man Apart flopped big time, and 2 Fast 2 Furious was a success without him, Vin Diesel appeared to be in line as the next big action hero, filling the void left behind by the aging Arnold and Sly Stallone. I thought it was possible, and I enjoyed Diesel's work as an actor in Saving Private Ryan and the under-appreciated Boiler Room, but the tide may be turning in a new direction: The Rock.

I've seen the trailer for The Rock's new film The Rundown a few times now, and although it doesn't look like it's going to be another True Lies or even Total Recall as far as quality is concerned, I'm starting to believe The Rock is a genuine candidate to become the next bonafide action star. I can't put my finger on it, but I now perceive something in him that I didn't quite catch in The Mummy Returns (and I didn't bother to watch The Scorpion King).


He's obviously got the same type of build that made us believe Schwarzenegger could do just about whatever he wanted physically, and a big flashy smile to boot, yet to date he has failed to bring his real-life charisma to the screen. If you've ever seen him on Leno or in other interviews, the guy seems to have a great personality, and I suspect as soon as he can bring it out in a performance he'll be on his way. Is The Rundown going to be the first film in which he accomplishes this feat? Maybe, maybe not, but he definitely appears to be making progress.

Assuming The Rock can in fact transfer his personality to the screen under the influence of a good director, I see two necessary steps for him to reach his potential. First, I think his wrestling moniker might be a problem when it comes to reaching a wide, International audience, which is ironic considering he is widely known and recognized as "The Rock." I simply can't picture my mother going to see a movie starring "The Rock." His real name - Dwayne Johnson - may not sound like the stuff of Hollywood headlines, but enough exposure and a decent film or two and any name can work its way into the realms of household familiarity. The other issue, and this is a much more difficult task, is before long he's going to have to star in a top-notch action movie - something that appeals to all age ranges. In other words, he needs to find his James Cameron.

Posted September 1, 2003 | link