I lived in New Orleans for many years, so I can appreciate how they closed down the famous Canal Street to shoot an extensive action sequence for 12 Rounds. Having unknowns in lead roles can be risky, but often they can surprise us. Like The Rock, John Cena made the jump from professional wrestling to film and television, and 12 Rounds from 2009 was his second film. Cena has been in many movies since, and his career has taken off like Dwayne Johnson's.
From WWE Studios (yes, they make movies, too) and directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger), 12 Rounds is about revenge, but it's the antagonist who's out for blood. John Cena plays a New Orleans police detective, and Aiden Gillen (The Dark Knight Rises) is the villain who plays a deadly game called "12 Rounds", all the while taunting our hero and making him go all over the Crescent City à la Die Hard: With A Vengeance and In The Line Of Fire. In sort of a bonus, 12 Rounds is not just a thrilling action movie; it's also kind of a tour of The Big Easy.
12 Rounds seems to have gotten little marketing publicity for a big action film, which is a bit surprising for a commercial movie from 20th Century Fox. In fact, I first learned about the film as a Netflix suggestion several years ago. It's currently not on Netflix, but 12 Rounds is a very underappreciated movie that's a must-see for action fans.
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