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12 Rounds

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12 Rounds (2009)

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:1

Rotten:8

Average Rating:4.1/10

Consensus: Energetic but empty, 12 Rounds' preposterous plot hurtles along at a rapid pace, but can’t disguise the derivative script.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for intense sequences of violence and action.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Mar 27, 2009 Wide

Box Office: $12,220,258

Synopsis: Finnish director Renny Harlin (CLIFFHANGER, DIE HARD 2) brings first-time screenwriter Daniel Kunka’s story to life in the fast-paced action film 12 ROUNDS. When New Orleans police officer Danny... Finnish director Renny Harlin (CLIFFHANGER, DIE HARD 2) brings first-time screenwriter Daniel Kunka’s story to life in the fast-paced action film 12 ROUNDS. When New Orleans police officer Danny Fisher (WWE wrestler John Cena) apprehends Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen, THE WIRE), a villainous Irishman being pursued by the FBI, Jackson’s girlfriend is accidentally killed. One year later, Jackson is out of prison and seeking revenge, kidnapping Fisher's girlfriend, Molly (Ashley Scott), and setting up an elaborate game of cat and mouse that traverses the city. Now a detective, Fisher, with the help of the FBI and his fellow officers, has to survive 12 rounds of Jackson’s game--each more mentally and physically challenging than the last--if he wants to see Molly alive again. Meanwhile, the roguish Jackson may be seeking more than just retribution. Although the premise is completely implausible, 12 ROUNDS is a fun thrill ride. Jackson’s plan and Fisher’s ensuing pursuit leave an unimaginable trail of destruction throughout the city, managing to encompass fire engines, buses, a streetcar, and a helicopter, along with fires, explosions, and blackouts, among other things. There isn’t a dull moment as Fisher and the FBI agents, played by Steve Harris and Gonzalo Menendez, try to outwit the seemingly omnipotent villain. Cena, resembling a super-sized Mark Wahlberg, fits the bill for an action hero. Gillen is a solid nemesis: heartless, stone-faced, and completely out for himself. Brian White plays Hank, Fisher’s partner and best friend, and Scott is appealing as Fisher’s feisty girlfriend. [More]

Starring: John Cena, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Scott, Steve Harris

Starring: John Cena, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Scott, Steve Harris, Brian White, Taylor Cole, Gonzalo Menendez, Kyle Clements, Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, Travis Davis, Nick Gomez

Director: Renny Harlin

Director: Renny Harlin
Screenwriter: Daniel Kunka
Producer: Mark Gordon, Josh McLaughlin, Michael Lake
Composer: Trevor Rabin
Studio: 20th Century Fox

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 30, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • When New Orleans Police Detective Danny Fisher (John Cena) stops a brilliant thief from getting away with a multimillion-dollar heist, the thief's girlfriend is accidentally killed. After escaping from prison, the criminal mastermind enacts his revenge, taunting Danny with 12 rounds of near-impossible puzzles and tasks that he must somehow complete to save the life of the woman he loves.
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    Reviews for 12 Rounds

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    1 - 9 (sorted by date)
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    Heavy on stunts but light on plausibility, humor, surprise, visual ingenuity or psychological depth.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    09/01/09
    Rob Nelson
    Rob Nelson
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    12 Rounds is the unholy stepchild of Die Hard with a Vengeance and Speed, starring a man whose lack of range makes Steven Seagal seem nuanced by comparison.

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    James Berardinelli
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The future of vacuous action movies is clearly with the likes of Cena, humans who resemble characters from video games, albeit without the acting chops.

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    John Anderson
    John Anderson
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Renny Harlin’s 12 Rounds satisfies, on the most primitive level, the expectations for a second-rate action flick.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    Nathan Lee
    Nathan Lee
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Director Renny Harlin keeps the wall-to-wall action hurtling along at such breakneck speed, that it's not hard to get swept up in the crash-and-explode craziness of it all.

    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment 2 Comments
    03/30/09
    Gary Goldstein
    Gary Goldstein
    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Wrestling star John Cena is the dead weight that drags down this brainless but energetic action picture.

    Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    Maitland McDonagh
    Maitland McDonagh
    Hollywood Reporter
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Harlin makes good use of both the architecture of the city and of his formidably muscled leading man. But you will probably find yourself praying for this duel's knock-out punch to arrive long before it actually does.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    Clark Collis
    Clark Collis
    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Time for a revenge game cribbed right from the Die Hard series (and directed, hardly coincidentally, by Renny Harlin, who's an awfully long way from Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger here).

    Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
    03/30/09
    Tom Russo
    Tom Russo
    Boston Globe
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A big, dumb lug of an action movie, 12 Rounds is fronted by a big, dumb lug named John Cena.

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    03/27/09
    Leigh Paatsch
    Leigh Paatsch
    New York Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
    1 - 9 (sorted by date)
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    Latest News for 12 Rounds

    May 31, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Renny Harlin
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