12 Rounds (2009) - Film Review

After The Marine, Was There a Need for another John Cena Movie?

Aug 17, 2009 Jason Parent

WWE Superstar John Cena excels and inspires in the world of professional wrestling. Why can't he just stay there?

Instead, the freakishly large, Frankenstein-looking athlete crossed over to Hollywood for his second action film, 12 Rounds (20th Century Fox 2009), released on DVD on June 30, 2009 (only three months after its theatrical release). A marked improvement over Cena's first film, The Marine (20th Century Fox 2007), 12 Rounds is still worse than most of Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan's films.

Despite a Decent Premise, 12 Rounds Is 12 Rounds Too Many

Cena stars as Officer Danny Fisher of the New Orleans Police Department. The FBI tails international criminal genius, Miles Jackson (Aiden Gillen), to the city. When the FBI's operation hits a snag, local police aid in Jackson's apprehension. Fisher takes him down, but Jackson's girlfriend is accidentally killed in the process.

A year passes, and Fisher has made Detective due to his capturing Jackson. Jackson escapes from prison, blows up Fisher's house, and kidnaps Fisher's girlfriend, Molly Porter (Ashley Scott). In order to save Molly, Fisher must play Jackson's deadly game, a series of instructions that constantly endanger Fisher's life. If he can survive all twelve rounds, Jackson promises to set Molly free. Should Fisher fail, she dies. And like any decent villain, Jackson doesn't play fair.

Tired Action and Dismal Acting

Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea, The Covenant), 12 Rounds offers nearly non-stop action. It partially succeeds in raising heartbeats and increasing tension. Yet, the action is unoriginal and less impressive than the films from which it pirates. Instead of stopping a runaway train, subway, bus, etc., Fisher stops a runaway trolley, its speedometer reading just over a whopping 30 m.p.h. at one point. Also, Fisher jumps into a pool from many stories above. Big deal; Arnold Schwarzenegger did it while riding a horse. (True Lies, 20th Century Fox 1994) His tumble out of a window and through a scaffold was outclassed by former WWE wrestler Mic Foley's earlier fall from atop a steel cage and through a table during a WWE pay-per-view. The most impressive stunt, however, was Fisher's miraculous ability to keep up with a speeding car for many blocks (and minutes of film) during the opening scene. It's amazing what cutting through yards and houses Ferris Bueller-style can do (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Paramount 1986).

And the acting? Cena is dismal. His attempts at humor are forced, sounding scripted. Perhaps he should take lessons on comedic timing from former WWE superstar, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In fact, the only emotions Cena seems able to convey are disappointment, which he displays by simply lowering his eyes and shaking his head, and anger. He should have anger down pat, given his night-time acting job. But other wrestlers-turned-actors, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, pull off rage and hostility far better than Cena, who comes across more like a constipated gremlin.

To his credit, Cena has the athleticism for action. So why not use it? 12 Rounds had almost no hand-to-hand combat. Maybe it is to 80s to hope for Cena to square off against a giant Russian or perhaps someone like the Great Khali, who played the big baddie in Get Smart (Warner Bros. 2008). But Cena likely outweighs Gillen, his only villain, by 100 lbs. Its like a kid picking on a Weeble, except Gillen (the Weeble) falls down.

The other stars put in moderately bad to moderately good performances. Jackson's was by far the best, followed not so closely behind by Scott and Brian J. White, who played Detective Fisher's partner.

With His Combined Films Grossing for Under $40 Million, Is Cena Done in Hollywood?

Cena is not a film star. Period. He can't carry an action film even if supported by a stellar cast, which he thus far has not been. An outstanding wrestler he may be, but a talented actor he is not. Let's hope he sticks with wrestling from here on out.

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