The Rundown

Right now you can watch The Rundown in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and YouTube TV — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 2,204 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Dwayne Johnson's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Rundown earns its spot. The Rundown gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. When Travis, the mouthy son of a criminal, disappears in the Amazon in search of a treasured artifact, his father sends in Beck, who becomes Travis's rival for the affections of Mariana, a mysterious Brazilian woman. With his steely disposition, Beck is a man of few words -- but it takes him all the discipline he can muster to work with Travis to nab a tyrant who's after the same treasure. Between them, Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It hit screens in 2003. What keeps The Rundown from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, The Rundown respects your intelligence. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Dwayne Johnson's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.