If nothing else one has to give credit to the WWE for attempting to spread out further than the squared circle. While their attempt at a new football franchise failed, their diving into the world of film has done well for them. Some movies hit highs and some drop to lows but they're almost always entertaining. They also provide a jumping board for the careers of their wrestlers. Such is the case with John Cena.Cena has starred in one film already, the well received THE MARINE. An action film seemed a natural leap for him and he did a fine job handling acting and action chores both with ease. The next step was finding a follow up vehicle and that came about with the new release 12 ROUNDS.
Cena stars as New Orleans policeman Danny Fisher who winds up by circumstance in the middle of an FBI hunt to track down a terrorist named Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen). A chase follows and after he stops the terrorist, Jackson tells his girlfriend to run before he takes the time to notice an oncoming truck in her path. Blaming Fisher for her death, he swears they'll meet again.
Fast forward one year later and Danny is now a detective. He heads to work only to get a phone call. It's Jackson and he informs Danny that he's taken Danny's girlfriend Molly (Ashley Scott) hostage. Just to let him know he's serious, Jackson blows up Danny and Molly's house while Danny watches. He then tells him they're going to play a game with the life of Molly hanging in the balance. All Danny has to do is win the majority of the 12 rounds Jackson has planned for him.
Danny contacts his partner on the force for assistance and then heads out to take on the first round. Each one sets him up for a life or death situation for either himself or some innocent person who finds themselves involved in helping him. While he rejoices at the wins, he begins to feel guilty over the losses as they involve the death or injury of someone else.
Along the way the FBI become involved since they've been watching all along. Of course Danny's not to keen to work with them since they failed to notify him earlier of the prison break involving Jackson. Unlikely allies begin to work together to try and take down this mad man while saving Molly at the same time.
Steve Harris stars as Special Agent George Aiken, the main agent in charge of catching Jackson from the start. His concerns focus more on the recapture than on saving Molly. Of course this results in head to head conflict with Danny and his goal of saving the woman he loves. Agent Aiken has a personal reason for wanting Jackson caught as well but eventually realizes he may have put his personal interests above the life of this woman.
The clock is ticking and with only so many hours allotted for Danny to complete all of his tasks, he struggles to find a way to beat Jackson at his own game. Beaten down, battered along the way, the final showdown approaches. Only then will we discover who wins and who loses the game of 12 rounds.
Cena does a fine job here with only one problem. He's never given much chance to act. Perhaps that's the intention, giving him just enough moments to convince people of his sincerity but for the most part just jumping, running and fighting to reach the films conclusion. Cena can do a decent job of acting but unless he's given the opportunity, his chances of a long term career in film dwindles.
While the film does offer the requisite amount of action with minimal amount of plot, the twists and turns Jackson puts Danny through are original for the most part. But as I was watching this film I kept thinking I'd seen it before. It was only after I was reminded by a friend that I put it all together and realized that Bruce Willis was pretty much put through the paces of games that kept him running in DIE HARD 3. While this film is not an exact copy, the overall feeling creeps in at times.
That being said, it remains a fine piece of entertainment. The production values are well done and all the money spent to make the picture shows on the screen. Rarely has New Orleans looked this good and with the bad press of Katrina, it's nice to see the locale used once again.
All in all you won't do wrong by renting this film to watch. And for Cena fans, you'll want to add it to your collection. But let's hope that he gets the chance to stretch himself a little further in his next film. Only then can he hope to achieve greater stardom rather than find himself in the straight to DVD category.
So it's absolutely NO surprise to me that 12 Rounds is a classic.
So many things to admire about a movie like this... of course you can't take the good without the bad. The first 15 minutes were some of the most predictable and generic cheesiness I have ever seen in my life.
I was almost ready to turn the movie off after those horrible 15 minutes, but then... John Cena began the chase, and when the storyline finally kicked in, this movie completely blew me away.
Everything from car crashes to explosions to shootings... 12 Rounds does it all.
I can't imagine how difficult it was to film something like this. I can't imagine how much money it cost to waste all those vehicles! Actually the same thought comes to mind with ANY action movie. It must cost a fortune.
John Cena proves why he was chosen for this rolehis acting skills are almost as good as his performance in the ring. He truly has a career as a movie star when his wrestling career is over.
The storyline is about John Cena's character accidentally killing a woman. To make a long story short, he goes to arrest a bad man, the wife/girlfriend of this man happens to be hit by a car right in front of them, so the guy takes it personally and, one year later when he mysteriously gets out of jail, he decides to take his revenge against Cena.
His revenge happens to be a carefully orchestrated and elaborate set of rounds that Cena MUST follow, or else his wife dies.
This movie is highly recommended for those who love movies such as Speed. GREAT edge of your seat action.
Buy 12 Rounds (Extreme Cut) (2009) Now
Great Action movie. Especially for all the John Cena fans. I found that this movie is better than The Marine.Read Best Reviews of 12 Rounds (Extreme Cut) (2009) Here
In his film debut, The Marine (2005), John Cena played a character trying to save his abducted wife from danger. A similar theme is the driving force in his second film, 12 Rounds (2009), where Cena is a cop trying to keep his girlfriend alive, by completing a series of harrowing tasks. Set in New Orleans, and directed by noted action specialist Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Die Hard 2), the film features some solidly executed action sequences, tied together fairly well, by an elaborate storyline.At a routine traffic stop, officer Danny Fisher (Cena) and his partner Hank Carver (Brian J. White) cross paths with Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen), a big time jewel thief, and murderer, and his girlfriend Erica (Taylor Cole). Fisher runs down Jackson, and makes an arrest, but in the process, Erica is hit by a truck and killed.
Approaching the one year anniversary of Erica's death, Jackson abducts Fisher's girlfriend Molly (Ashley Scott), and blows up the house she shares with Fisher. In order to save her life, Danny must complete twelve rounds of challenging tasks. Taking place within a single day, the tasks build up in intensity. In one round, Fisher drives a fire engine through heavy traffic, crushing anything in the way. But Fisher does not always succeed, as in another round, a man falls to his death, before Fisher can pull him off the top of an elevator car. Also actively involved in the pursuit of Jackson, are FBI special agents George Aiken (Steve Harris) and Ray Santiago (Gonzalo Menendez), who have been tracking him for some time.
The game appears to be nearing a tragic conclusion, when a lead that Carver was following, causes Fisher to reexamine the day's events. Like a magician, Jackson has been using misdirection, while setting in place the pieces of a grand scheme, where Molly's skills as a pilot, will play a key part. These events unfold very quickly, and feel somewhat rushed. The final action sequence involving a helicopter, features Cena's only real fight scene, and with a dizzying number of quick cuts, it does not play that well. After being a prisoner for most of the movie, when given a chance to shine, Molly doesn't exactly impress with her flying skills. The ending lacks realism, and puts a goofy topping on what was a film with a generally serious tone.
Although there are certainly weak points, the storyline has some clever aspects, that with a little more polish, and better pacing, could have resulted in a much stronger film. Rushing things at the end, and not giving the audience a chance to appreciate what Miles Jackson was trying to do, seems like a wasted opportunity.
Some may feel that John Cena should stick with wrestling, but the man definitely has a future in films. His screen presence stronger, and his acting is much improved, and working with Renny Harlin, was a big step up. If Cena can land a role with more variety, it might be interesting to see what he can do. A commentary track by Harlin, and a second with writer Daniel Kunka and Cena, provide an abundance of information about the production of the film, and such things as Cena's favorite beer, and fear of heights. Both the theatrical PG13, and unrated versions of the film are included.
Want 12 Rounds (Extreme Cut) (2009) Discount?
This was an exciting, gripping movie. The action and FX were gripping. Which, to me, is what it's all abount!Save 44% Off
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