The story of this movie focuses on the detective Dany Fisher, who does his best to protect his girlfriend that kidnapped by a group of ex-cons, then they obligate him to struggle and do many challenges till the end without any wrong to release his girlfriend.
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.
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.
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.
ReelViews
March 30, 2009
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.
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.
Reel Film Reviews
June 24, 2009
...a decent action movie that could've been a great one...
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]
