Release Date:
06/30/2009
The Skinny: New Orleans cop Danny Fisher (WWE hulk John Cena) gets caught up in the elaborate revenge game plotted out by a crook he once put away. It involves kidnapping, death traps, and lots of running/punching/shooting. Basically, it's Die Hard With a Vengeance if Bruce Willis had spent his salad years doling out piledrivers instead of doing Moonlighting.
The Good: For a movie with this kind of pedigree—a wrestler-turned-actor not named Dwayne Johnson, a cliche-addled plot, and Renny "Deep Blue Sea" Harlin behind the camera—12 Rounds is surprisingly not a complete pile of clearance rack. It's not great, don't get us wrong, but there's something pleasingly old-fashioned about watching the bulked-up Cena perform actual stunts. Reminds of the good ol' Schwarzenegger/Stallone/Jeff Speakman days. With a healthy dash of Busey.
The Bad: Again, 12 Rounds is disposable action junk food with a shitty ending, so keep those expectations in check. In the right mood, though, it's dumb fun. Also, the disc has both the "Rated" and "Unrated" versions of the movie, and you get a cookie if you can tell us the difference.
Best Extra: Well, "A Crash Course: John Cena Stunts" at least celebrates the movie's strongest point—it doesn't pussy-foot around when it comes to the banging of stuff up.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is a rental if you're watching it alone or with the guys. Don't even try getting your girlfriend to sit through it.
The Good: For a movie with this kind of pedigree—a wrestler-turned-actor not named Dwayne Johnson, a cliche-addled plot, and Renny "Deep Blue Sea" Harlin behind the camera—12 Rounds is surprisingly not a complete pile of clearance rack. It's not great, don't get us wrong, but there's something pleasingly old-fashioned about watching the bulked-up Cena perform actual stunts. Reminds of the good ol' Schwarzenegger/Stallone/Jeff Speakman days. With a healthy dash of Busey.
The Bad: Again, 12 Rounds is disposable action junk food with a shitty ending, so keep those expectations in check. In the right mood, though, it's dumb fun. Also, the disc has both the "Rated" and "Unrated" versions of the movie, and you get a cookie if you can tell us the difference.
Best Extra: Well, "A Crash Course: John Cena Stunts" at least celebrates the movie's strongest point—it doesn't pussy-foot around when it comes to the banging of stuff up.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is a rental if you're watching it alone or with the guys. Don't even try getting your girlfriend to sit through it.