CINEMA: 12 Rounds

Director Renny Harlin isn’t known for his subtlety or finesse – his style tends to be all about relentless, bruising action and energy leading to nowhere – so watching 12 Rounds is a bit like battling it out with Mike Tyson.

It also happens to star this year’s slice of beefcake in the shape of pro wrestler John Cena, who certainly has the rippling muscles, but his acting ability is of the distinctly amateur dramatic variety.

The storyline is a no-brainer: New Orleans Police Officer Danny Fisher (Cena) manages to apprehend top criminal Miles Jackson (Aiden Gillen) after a heist. Unfortunately, Miles’ girlfriend is killed in the bust and he vows to wreak revenge on Danny for her death. Danny thinks no more about it until Miles breaks out of jail and kidnaps Danny’s lover Molly (Ashley Scott), threatening to kill her unless Danny can complete 12 seemingly impossible tasks in a limited timeframe. Thus, the action is full-on as Danny must rush about town in an attempt to get to Miles and Molly before she dies.

From exploding houses to out of control trams, plunging escalators to hijacked helicopters, John Cena sets his jaw, works those pecs, leaps off buildings and jumps out of cars in a valiant effort to save his girl. However, he really can’t save the movie, for although the action is impressive, you won’t give a damn about Danny, Molly or Miles, as they are two-dimensional characters without any depth or personality. The reason why the Die Hard movies worked so well is that you actually got to know and like Bruce Willis as John McClane; here Harlan concentrates on his special effects and stunts to the exclusion of all else and the movie suffers as a result.

It’s certainly explosive, but about as memorable as a car backfiring in the street.

Dee Pilgrim