Fox Home Entertainment
Stars: John Cena, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Scott, Steve Harris, Brian J. White
Written by Daniel Kunka
Directed by Renny Harlin
Running time: 1 hr. 50 mins.
Theatrical release: March 27, 2009
DVD release: June 30, 2009
NOPD Officer Danny Fisher (Cena) backs up an FBI sting to arrest arms dealer Miles Jackson (Gillen). Making a break for it, Jackson’s girlfriend is hit and killed by a car. Jackson swears revenge on Fisher, and a year later, he escapes from prison and kidnaps Fisher’s girlfriend (Scott) and challenges him to a twelve-round game of cat-and-mouse, running him around New Orleans at his whim.
Cena, one of the least conspicuous wrestler-turned-actors, plays well enough off more seasoned actors like Steve Harris as FBI Special Agent George Aiken, obsessed with capturing Jackson. Under the direction of Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2) and produced by Mark Gordon (Speed), 12 Rounds is a well-paced, deeper-than-your-average B-movie thriller. Well worth a rent to action fans.
The DVD includes the theatrical and unrated cuts, two commentaries–one by Renny Harlin and one by John Cena and writer Daniel Kunka–a stunts featurette, a gag reel, and alternate endings.
–Gerald So
