Review: 12 Rounds (12A) (From Asian Image)

Review: 12 Rounds (12A)

12:42pm Friday 29th May 2009

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Running time: 107 mins. Starring: John Cena, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Scott, Steve Harris, Brian White, Gonzalo Menendez. Director: Renny Harlin.

Cinema audiences will forgive an inherently stupid action film almost anything, providing it is entertaining.

In Jan De Bont’s Speed, an explosive-laden bus defied the laws of gravity to leap across a 50-foot gap in an elevated highway - impossible, yet exhilarating.

In Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day, an invading alien race, far more technologically advanced than our own, was thwarted by a computer virus uploaded from the hero’s laptop - laughable, yet crowd-pleasing.

12 Rounds, the latest overblown adrenaline rush from director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger), would be afforded the same leniency if it didn’t take itself so seriously.

Certainly, it doesn’t help that the film’s hulking lead star is better known for his acrobatics in the WWE wrestling ring and delivers lines in monotone as if he is reading them off prompt cards.

However, Harlin and screenwriter Daniel Kunka carry on regardless, pitting a cop against a mad man in a series of preposterous challenges, which include halting a runaway tram.

If only 12 Rounds winked at the audience, just once, to let us know it is in on the joke.

New Orleans police officer Danny Fisher (Cena) and partner Hank Carver (White) become involved in the FBI stakeout of psychopath Miles Jackson (Gillen).

After a frenetic chase on foot, Danny apprehends Miles and is inadvertently responsible for the death of the suspect’s girlfriend and accomplice.

“Officer Fisher, I’ll remember you,” warns the criminal mastermind ominously.

One year later to the day, Miles breaks out of jail to wreak revenge on the man he holds responsible for taking away the one thing he held dear.

“You took from me what can never, ever be replaced. Now I’m going to take from you,” chuckles Miles just before he kidnaps Danny’s girlfriend Molly (Scott).

To save his sweetheart, the muscular cop — now promoted to detective — must undertake a series of games against the clock.

With partner Hank providing back-up, Danny is compelled to break the law to keep Molly alive, while Miles’s FBI pursuers — special agents George Aiken (Harris) and Ray Santiago (Menendez) — try to muscle in on the operation.

12 Rounds is a series of accomplished action set-pieces flimsily glued together by the battle of dull wits between Danny and Miles.

Gillen thankfully tries to inject his villain with a modicum of theatricality.

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