"The cinematic equivalent of a pulp novel. Nobody will ever mistake it for great literature, but it’s darn near impossible to tear yourself away." Forrest Hartman RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL "Wasting little time on unnecessary setup or character development to concentrate on blistering and brilliantly-executed action, Welcome To The Jungle is an Indiana Jones-style movie that embraces the secular pleasures of a good, swift kick in the cojones." Todd Gilchrist FILMSTEW.COM "A terrific mixing pot of laughs, action and great scenery "Welcome To The Jungle" is a sure fire winner. The combining of The Rock and Seann William Scott was a masterstroke indeed. What a rumble in the jungle!" Richard Surfield THE MOVIE PAGES "Aided by a strong cast and a smart script, The Rock makes "Welcome To The Jungle" one of this year’s premiere action movies. " Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT "The final action flick of the summer is in fact the best." Eric Lurio GREENWICH VILLAGE GAZETTE

"A sure-fire audience-pleaser that makes up for its dearth of ideas and originality with spunk, a self-effacing smirk and gobs of humor." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "With humor that runs the gamut from pee jokes to Heart of Darkness references, Welcome To The Jungle is unrealistic, goofy, juvenile, absurdly violent and completely recommended." Dan Fazio CITYSEARCH "Connoisseurs of Christopher Walken, and there are some hard-core addicts lurking about, will have good reason to take in "Welcome To The Jungle" -- they can add a few more riches to their treasure chest of Wonky Walken Moments." Rick Groen, GLOBE AND MAIL "Welcome To The Jungle offers everything a good movie of this sort should: plenty of suspenseful action, a few good laughs, and a share of obligatory 'reluctant buddy' bonding." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS

At A Glance The last time i had the pleasure of seeing Dwayne Douglas Johnson at work was when he starred in "The Scorpion King". He must have had a bit of a liking for the dry heat of the desert because prior to that he made a huge impact in another desert based film, "The Mummy Returns". Oh, sorry folks. You haven't heard of Dwayne Douglas Johnson? I had this to say about his first lead role in the action blockbuster film, "The Scorpion King". "The Scorpion King reaches heights its predecessors hoped for but failed to achieve. This is due in part to a broad range of characters and [for its genre] a pretty entertaining cast led by The Rock". I also noted, "Fans will, I am sure, agree and no doubt they too will be giving The Rock the big thumbs up for a very competent performance in his first starring role." But hell, I hadn't made any great discovery, the truth is that 'The Rock' hadn't gone un-noticed after his performance in "The Mummy Returns". His performance had excited studio executives who were sure that, given the right role, they had a new action hero on their hands. How right they were. Given the right roles 'The Rock' would be a sure fired winner and "The Rundown [oops, that's the yankee versions title] I mean "Welcome To The Jungle", is another 'just right role' for Dwayne Douglas Johnson. It gives him the chance to reveal another side to his talents that many US fans are well aware of, his "talent for comedic acting". Many readers will be shocked to learn that he also is a talented singer. All this was revealed when he did a stint hosting "Saturday Night Live". Amazing, but very true. So what was the story behind 'The Rock' being lured from the dry, hot desert sands to the steamy, lush, jungles of Brazil?
"The last two movies I’ve done, well, the only two movies I’ve done," quips The Rock, "were period movies. So I was looking forward to doing something contemporary, playing a character with some mystique while injecting a little humor without losing the spirit of the character. Beck is the quintessential reluctant hero, one of those classic characters who can handle any situation, but whose problems just keep piling up." The opportunity to do that came thanks to producer Karen Glasser "had recalled a compelling, two-fisted adventure story she had read and brought it to the attention of 'The Rock" and Kevin Misher. Once The Rock expressed interest in the Amazon-set action-adventure, Universal Pictures quickly set the project on the fast-track. Everyone agreed that it had elements that were both familiar and innovative to a no-holds-barred action film and that 'The Rock', who was poised for stardom after his charismatic turn in the worldwide hit "The Scorpion King", should be its hero," she explained. One thing I like about 'The Rock' is that he has a real presence onscreen and if there's one thing I like about "Welcome To The Jungle" it is this, it reveals a lot about 'The Rock' and it's all good. Producer Marc Abraham agrees. "Anyone who knows The Rock knows that he is very witty and charming," Abraham says, "and The Rundown gives him a chance to showcase those qualities on screen. He has great instincts as a performer. And his career as an athlete gave him incredible drive and discipline, but the truth is, he was just born with natural star power." The former WWE World Wrestling Champion also insisted on performing his own stunts. It took the production crew a little getting used to but it pays off for "Welcome To The Jungle". “The remarkable thing about The Rock is he’s very capable of performing the stunt, often better than most stunt doubles," Mishner said. "The great fun in all of this is that you keep the camera rolling and the audience knows it’s him pulling off these incredible stunts. And on top of all of that is his style and his on-screen presence. Of course, as a producer you’re thinking ‘What are we doing, that’s our star out there!’"
Cinema-goers get a real bonus with "Welcome To The Jungle" because it isn't just an action packed adventure, it's also a very funny film thanks to The Rock's co-star Seann William Scott [otherwise known as 'The Stifler']. 'The Rock' is quick to admit that he was enthusiastic about co-starring with Scott. That certainly comes across in "Welcome To The Jungle". "I have the best time with Seann," remarks The Rock, "It’s just so easy working with him. He takes his work very seriously yet, at the same time, he loves to have fun. Off-screen, we have become great friends. It’s non-stop laughter, continuously ragging and joking on each other. Hopefully that dynamic will come across on-screen as well." I'm tipping fans will pick that up early in the piece when their characters Beck and Travis first meet. The chemistry is instantly recognisable. And I'm tipping "Welcome To The Jungle" will be a big hit this holidays. The comedy, the action, the adventure, the jungle setting and the characters all combine to make "Welcome To The Jungle" just perfect for a fun time at your local theatre. And isn't that why we go to the movies? Casting About "Welcome To The Jungle" was directed by Peter Berg ["Race For Glory", "A Midnight Clear", "Across The Moon" and "Cop Land"] the producers include Marc Abraham ["A Midnight Clear", "The Road To Wellville", "For Love of the Game" and "The Emporer's Club"] and the story was adapted for the screen by James Vanderbilt ["Darkness Falls" and "Basic"] and the author of "The Rundown" R J Stewart ["Xena: Warrior Princess", "Major League II", "And God Created Woman" and "Remington Steele" ].
"Welcome To The Jungle" stars The Rock ["The Mummy Returns" and "The Scorpion King"], Seann William Scott ["Final Destination", "Road trip", "Evolution", "Bulletproof Monk" and "American Pie I, II & III"], Rosario Dawson ["Girls Night Out", "Josie and the Pussycats", "Sidewalks of New York", "Men in Black II" and "25th Hour"], Christopher Walken ["Heaven's Gate", "Catch Me If You Can", "America's Sweethearts", "Joe Dirt" and "Biloxi Blues" ], Ewen Bremner ["Judge Dredd ", "Trainspotting", "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk Down"], William Lucking ["Rescue Me", "The Limey", "Erin Brockovich" and "K-PAX"] and Ernie Reyes Jr ["The Last Dragon", "Legend of the Wild", "Small Time" and "Rush Hour 2"] as the Kontiki rebel leader. Jungle Trivia Producer Karen Glasser ["What Women Want", "An Ideal Husband" & "Payback"] worked for Mel Gibson's company 'Icon Productions'.
Fellow 'Jungle' producer Marc Abraham started his career as a copywriter with advertising agent Young & Rubicam in New York. He left the agency to take up full time writing starting out as a freelance sports writer. He wrote for televisions big hits "Moonlighting" [which starred a young Bruce Willis] and "21 Jump Street" [which starred a younger Johnny Depp].
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams once spent a year in Egypt and six months in Kenya teaching music to disadvantaged children. Since 1995 his music has been synonymous with such big films as "Armageddon", "Phone Booth", "Shrek", "The Replacement Killers" and most recently with "Veronica Guerin" and "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas".
Costume Designer Louise Mingenbach designed the costumes for both "X-Men" and "X-Men 2".
Director Peter Berg wrote and directed episodes of the acclaimed television series "Chicago Hope".
Bad Guy Christopher Walken started acting and dancing at the age of 10.
Seann William Scott worked double shifts at a Minnesota movie theatre while completing his high school studies. He credits the films he saw with providing the inspiration to become an actor. 'The Stifler' has come a long way since hitting the screens in "American Pie".
The Rock was born Dwayne Douglas Johnson in San Francisco but was raised in Hawaii. He was the youngest World Wrestling Entertainment Champion at age 26 and won 7 titles in all. His autobiography "The Rock Says" was number one on The New York Times best seller list in 2000. He has appeared in numerous video productions and was the star of the film, "The Scorpion King" which has grossed over $US400 million and broke USA box office records for an April opening movie.
The beautiful Rosario Dawson has appeared in two films about New Yorkers. The first was a romantic comedy about a group of people searching for love called "Sidewalks Of New York". The second film was "Love in the Time of Money", a dark comedy about a group of New Yorkers looking for love and sex in the city. More recently she was seen in the critically acclaimed "The 25th Hour" with Ed Norton.
Rebel leader Ernie Reyes Jr was a martial arts champion before he turned actor. The Story Beck is a debt collector. When his bosses patience runs out with a client, he is sent to collect. Beck has two options for those he calls on. Option one is pay up. Option two is get beat up. He's not all bad though. Sure he's a tough guy, but a tough guy with a dream. A dream to own his own restaurant. If only he could free himself from his current employer. Then he gets his chance. All he has to do is travell to the jungles of Brazil, to a wild west mining town run by a ruthless tyrant named Hatcher and bring the bosses son home. In one piece. If he succeeds, the boss will wipe his slate clean, pay him 250 grand and Beck can get his restaurant. What could be simpler. Welcome to the Jungle Beck where everything is far from simple. It seems that bringing the bosses son home is going to be one hell of a job. Yes, one hell of a job. The Verdict "Sex crazed monkies, stampeding cattle, bullets flying, explosions galore, pint sized rebels, the very funny Seann William Scott, The Rock at his best, Christopher Walken flying high as the bad guy and the delicious Rosario Dawson sweating it out in the jungle. What more could you want. Entertainment? Loads of laughs? Value for your buck? "Welcome To The Jungle" delivers on every level. Damn, this is so much fun!" The Cast

The Rock Seann William Scott Rosario Dawson Christopher Walken Ewen Bremner Jon Gries William Lucking Ernie Reyes Jr Stuart F Wilson Dennis Keiffer Garrett Warren Toby Holguin Paul Power Stephen Bishop Chuck Norman Jamal Duff John Duff Jeff Chase Filipe Teixeira Alberto Teixeira Adriano Paulo Reginaldo Santana

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Beck Travis Mariana Hatcher Declan Harvey Walker Manito Swenson Naylor Henshaw Head Indian Tracker Martin Knappmiller Mullaire Jamai Coggeshall Kambui Kontiki Rebel Kontiki Rebel Kontiki Rebel Kontiki Rebel

The Crew Directed by Peter Berg Produced by Marc Abraham/Karen Glasser and Kevin Misher From the story "The Rundown" by R J Stewart Screenplay by R J Stewart and James Vanderbilt Original Music by Harry Gregson-Williams Additional Music by Toby Chu Cinematography by Tobias A Schliessler Film Editing by Richard Pearson Casting by Lynn Kressel Production Design by Tom Duffield Art Direction by Patrick M Sullivan Jr Set Decoration by Gary Fettis Costume Design by Louise Mingenbach Production Manager Shelly Kidney Unit Production Manager Gerald T Olson Run Time 104 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - Columbia TriStar Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved