Thursday, January 21, 2016

12 ROUNDS-LOCKDOWN: BETTER THAN EXPECTED



It seems that the WWE is determined to get into all forms of entertainment, not just sports entertainment. Not only have wrestlers had their own comic books but a number have been placed in starring film vehicles. Some were good, some okay and some terrible. Fortunately the third of the 12 ROUNDS films isn’t too bad.

Wrestler Dean Ambrose stars as John Shaw, a tough as nails cop recently returned to duty after being shot on the job. Few fellow officers want to work with Shaw as the incident that led to his being wounded also resulted in the death of his partner and Shaw needing psychiatric counseling. Needless to say his first day back on the job won’t be easy.

It becomes worse when evidence reaches Shaw that his ex-partner and the star officer in the station, Tyler Burke, is actually a corrupt cop who makes more from his illegal activities than he does as an officer. Burke is the head of a task force assigned to take down crooks but instead the elite team makes up his band of bandits. Drug deals and more do little more than line the pockets of Burke and his crew.

Word gets to Burke that the evidence is in the station house and he heads back to get it from the evidence lockup only to find that Shaw has it already. Staging an emergency, Burke empties the station house with the exception of his team and Shaw, cutting off all phones and cell phones as well. Armed with his handgun, a small amount of ammunition and his cunning, Shaw must battle his way through the team and find a way to get the information to the right authorities if he is to survive.

The movie borrows heavily from the DIE HARD films in set up and execution but not to the point of being a copy. It also doesn’t borrow the screenwriter as this film tends to offer some truly bad dialogue that the actors on hand deal with but can’t make better. It’s shot well and directed well for the low budget style of film it is and in the end doesn’t disappoint on most counts.

Ambrose is a rising star right now in the wrestling world but the odds of his turning that into a movie star aren’t likely with this film. I’ll give him credit for at least making the attempt but this feels like what it is, the first film for someone stepping into an arena he isn’t familiar with yet. That being said the end results aren’t that bad for a first time out. Given time, more roles and a little instruction and Ambrose has the potential many sports figures turned actors don’t display.

The standout here though is Roger Cross as Burke. My first exposure to Cross was on the TV series 24 where he played Curtis Manning. Even given some terrible dialogue in spots here he makes it fit. He pulls off what could have been a more cartoonish role and makes it somewhat believable. This is an actor worth looking for in the future.

The end result of this film is that it offers some entertainment value for action fans and a definite dose of Ambrose for wrestling fans. It’s not a bad movie at all but it’s not blockbuster status either. It makes for a fun rental night but only fans will want to add it to their collections.

Click here to order.

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