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Movies / Upcoming / 12 Rounds
12 Rounds

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12 Rounds (2009)

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Reviews Counted:63

Fresh:18

Rotten:45

Average Rating:4.3/10

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

Australian Rating: M [See Full Rating] Violence

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 19, 2009 Wide

US 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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Reviews for 12 Rounds

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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If you leave your brain in neutral, you should have a fairly enjoyable ride.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
03/20/09
Andrew J. McGlinn
Andrew J. McGlinn
FILMINK (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This big-budget action thriller excels at dishing out a plot that's a bit like a chess game on speed.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment 9 Comments
03/14/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Awfully forgettable, but Harlin makes things go boom again, with ruthless efficiency that puts the flick just over the hump of the straight-to-cable Jeff Speakman school. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
08/12/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

With all the nuance of a fist to the groin, ... (it's) the kind of forgettable film that isn't impossible to enjoy but that only a Cena fan could truly love.

Full Review Source: Times-Picayune | comment Comment
07/24/09
Mike Scott
Mike Scott
Times-Picayune

A very satisfying and well made action thriller that could only be improved if Arnold Schwarzenegger was the star.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
07/09/09
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

With its wonderful post-Katrina NOLA setting and the standard stunt spectacle as only Harlin can deliver, 12 Rounds is actually quite good. It's no masterpiece, but then again, few post-millennial adrenaline rushes have been.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
07/04/09
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters

...a decent action movie that could've been a great one...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
06/24/09
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

Loud, idiotic nonsense.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
06/02/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Apart from the palpably improbable storyline, Harlan shows a massive disregard for characterisation, and so much bang-bang editing that you scarcely know where you are.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
06/02/09
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

Cena has the sort of likeable air that suggests he could just make it as an action movie type. However, it won't be thanks to this movie.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mail [UK] | comment Comment
06/02/09
Mickey McMonagle
Mickey McMonagle
Sunday Mail [UK]

This is a welcome throwback for audiences raised on ’90s action flicks — what they used to call “a pulse-pounding roller-coaster thrill-ride of a movie”.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/29/09
Genevieve Harrison
Genevieve Harrison
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There’s a decent little action movie somewhere inside ‘12 Rounds’: a bit more complexity of character, a few more jokes and a hero who doesn’t look like a two-by-four with a buzz cut might have gone a long way.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
05/29/09
Tom Huddlestone
Tom Huddlestone
Time Out

While 12 Rounds is well above average for an action movie, it's important not to get too carried away. This is, after all, a picture in which leading lady Ashley Scott is less appealing than her pet pug.

Full Review Source: Film4 | comment Comment
05/29/09
Richard Luck
Richard Luck
Film4

A lunk-headed, brawling action movie with more muscle than brains and the kind of editing that feels like being repeatedly shot in the eyes with a staple gun.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
05/29/09
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One long blur of car stunts and digital clocks counting down to detonation — passable for lazy television viewing, but not worth the price of a ticket.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment Comment
05/29/09
Edward Porter
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)

It remains to be seen whether this crude, dumbly entertaining outing will encourage the director to tackle more of the Greek myths.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
05/29/09
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

12 Rounds's familiarity undercuts any kind of suspense it hopes to build, and for an action-packed romp it's incredibly dull.

Full Review Source: Digital Spy | comment Comment
05/29/09
Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds
Digital Spy

Those in the mood for something kinda dumb but lotsa fun look no further.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
05/29/09
Rob Daniel
Rob Daniel
Sky Movies

The kind of passable in-flight entertainment you could watch half-asleep.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
05/29/09
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
 
 
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Latest News for 12 Rounds

May 31, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Renny Harlin
Finnish director Renny Harlin has one of the most schizophrenic CVs in movie-dom. He's directed some of the most beloved action films of the last 20 years, including Die Hard 2,... More...

March 30, 2009: 12 Rounds Star Wants Jericho Film Trilogy Opens in new window
In a recent interview, 12 Rounds actress Ashley Scott chimes in on rumored plans to bring the cancelled CBS sci-fi show Jericho to the big screen. In short, she's in -- how's a... More...

March 26, 2009: Critics Consensus: Monsters vs. Aliens Is A Blast
This week at the movies, we've got a war of the worlds (Monsters vs. Aliens, with voice work by Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rogan), a demonic abode (The Haunting in Connecticut,... More...

March 26, 2009: Box Office Guru Preview: Monsters vs. Aliens Ready For Mighty Attack
Ginormica and her mutant pals look to seize control of the North American box office with the animated 3D adventure Monsters vs. Aliens which will try to overtake a group of... More...

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