John Cena in 12 Rounds: Film Review
WWE Champ Redeems Himself in New Movie
If you aren't a wrestling fan and saw The Marine - starring the gigantic John Cena in his film debut three years ago - you may have gone out of your way to avoid the actor`s future movies. If you are a wrestling fan and liked The Marine, shame on you! Luckily for everyone, he got the horrible acting out of his system and actually handed in a decent performance in his next go-round (no pun intended), the action-thriller 12 Rounds.
Cena plays Detective Danny Fisher, whose good fortune on a fateful night in New Orleans lead him to capture international arms dealer Miles Jackson, minutes away from his escape from the FBI. However, that arrest also sees Jackson witness the accidental death of his girlfriend, for which he blames Fisher and vows revenge.
A year to the day passes and Jackson somehow (more on that later) escapes from prison, finds Fisher and proceeds to make his day a living hell. Kidnapping, arson and murder are a few of the twelve "rounds" Fisher must overcome to rescue his girlfriend Molly, played by Ashley Scott. Scott is no stranger to WWE Studios - she played Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's girl in Walking Tall.
Cast of Crazies
To say this film is light on action is as crazy as confusing Cena's physique with that of Dustin "Screech" Diamond. Thank director Renny Harlin for this. His resume includes Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger -- this man knows how to meld breakneck action with quality camera work, and the audience hardly loses sight on the focal point of the action. What it is light on is good writing, but that's a natural consolation when it aims to come secondary to the action.
Luckily, the film is superbly cast, with talented supporting actors bringing the ho-hum script to life with their personalities. Actors like Steve Harris as Special Agent George Aiken lend his chops to the fray as the determined member of FBI brass who will stop at nothing to get his man. Brian White plays Cena's partner Det. Hank Carver and also provides a bit of comic relief in the film. Both offer strong performances to complement Cena's acting, which has greatly improved from the blank stares and deadpan delivery (emphasis on "dead") he showcased in The Marine.
But you can't have a great hero without an equally convincing villain. Aiden Gillen goes to task as Miles Jackson and, like any capable character actor, he provides a steady stream of devious practices and smarmy repartee with Fisher to keep you rooting for the hero, but dying to see what the antagonist does next. Gillen also lends credibility to the role, as any viewer of critically acclaimed series The Wire will know. He certainly holds his own, but doesn't step over the star Cena's chance to shine.
Hole-y Plot Problems, Cena!
Credibility is a funny thing, however, when plot holes and quick fixes mire a movie into an icky mess at its conclusion. Calling the climax to 12 Rounds a rush job is a gross understatement, with the director glossing over the actual way Jackson breaks out of jail-- a missed opportunity to create a more evil monster out of the character. We find out how it was done by third party exposition, not even a visual flashback of some sort. The film's end, where Jackson's ultimate plan is foiled, became the only scene in 12 Rounds where the breakneck style mentioned earlier detracts from the outcome. Focusing on the necessary point of view when given more than one perspective on the action was too conflicting and brought the value of the ending down considerably. Your eyes had to do entirely too much to process what was going on-- and by the time it was over, the thrill was gone.
Regardless of these few bad points, the movie as a whole was an enjoyable 108 minutes, with all the bells and whistles you would find in a run-of-the-mill action flick. WWE fans will get a bit of a treat near the end with an old-school entrance theme of a current wrestler (not giving that away!), bringing Cena's roots full circle. WWE Studios is certainly getting better at providing wrestling fans with an extension of their favorite superstars, and casual moviegoers a quality action film.
See, Rent or Avoid?
Go see it. It's good enough to give a lot of the films out this season a few rounds.
John Cena in 12 Rounds
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