Film Reviews

12 Rounds

• Rating:
• Director: Renny Harlin
• Starring: Aidan Gillen
• Details: US / 108mins (12A)

The kind of film that would've pulled in the masses in the eighties, 12 Rounds marks the second attempt at "break out movie star" for WWE wrestler John Cena. While his last effort, The Marine, looked like it was directed by someone who cut his teeth making 'happy slapping' videos, this one at least has a helmer of some pedigree on the payroll - Renny Harlin. Hardly a top drawer shooter by any stretch of the imagination, Harlin is nonetheless responsible for the fun likes of Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodnight. Here, all he manages to do is rip off better action films for about two hours.
Just like The Marine, story involves Cena's character chasing down an evil-doer who has abducted his missus - one would assume to make him look purposeful as opposed to just constipated. But this time he's a cop, and the evil-doer (played by Irishman Adien Gillen) is smarter than your average wrong sort; assembling a game of 12 Rounds, that sees our hero jump through various hoops in order to get his girlfriend back. Needless to say, Cena takes to these games like a duck to water, and almost appears to be enjoying them at points - this despite the death of numerous innocents and the life-threatening situation his better half finds herself in.
This just feels like an amalgamation of Speed, Die Hard, Die Hard With A Vengeance and countless other far superior action efforts. Harlin should really know better at this point in his career, and while he keeps things zipping along for the first half hour or so, the games soon grow tiresome and you may find yourself counting down the rounds so you can just leave.
Cena isn't an actor either, he's a glorified stuntman who looks like a Frankenstein monster of Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and a sh*tload of steroids. The Rock may also be a wrestler turned actor, but he has charisma to burn, something Cena cannot project on screen. Gillen at least looks like he's having a good time; his sleazy bad guy a slight highlight in an otherwise forgettable affair.

Review by Mike Sheridan