Michael Ledo
Nick Malloy (Randy Orton) is an EMT who hates chick flicks. He receives a phone call and is forced into a 12 round game or else his wife (Cindy Busby) will die. Nick has to follows directions and quickly find and decipher clues. We even get to see the man (Brian Markinson) making the phone calls to him. The question of "why Nick" is answered midway through the film, at which point Nick tries to go after his caller, while the cops go after him.We have seen similar films as this one, which I thought were superior. Other than Nick being an EMT, this one brings nothing new and exciting. The film is mildly entertaining at best. It might make for an inexpensive rental, but lacks the quality for a second viewing.Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Chelsey Reist)
Tss5078
WWE Films continue to surprise, giving us a string of terrific action thrillers from an unlikely source. Their latest straight to video release is a sequel to 2009s, 12 Rounds. While Randy Orton wasn't nearly as good as John Cena was in the first film, he gives a more than adequate performance as Nick Molloy, a paramedic who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After failing to save a rich mans wife at the scene of a drunk driving accident, the man decides to punish all those involved, including the paramedic who failed to save her. The story here is pretty solid, especially for an action film, but what bothers me is that this sequel was in no way connected to the first film. Reloaded is a different story in a different city, with an entirely different cast, so how did the bad guy manage to come up with the same game, from four years earlier? As for that game, the rounds weren't as long or as complicated, but what really makes this better than your average action movie is the compelling back story and the depth of the characters involved. Randy Orton, while having very limited film experience was pretty good and that will come as a surprise to many. It's hard to think of WWE Superstars as actors, but that is exactly what they are. Aside from wrestling in their underwear every week, they have to play a charterer and follow a script 52 weeks a year, so is this really such a stretch? For the most part the WWE Superstars have made for some pretty exciting action stars. The supporting cast of this film was also very good, in particular Tom Stevens, formerly of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid series. Stevens plays Tommy, another person caught up in this madman's game, and he is not only thrilling and charismatic, but he's pretty funny too. 12 Rounds 2 won't win any awards, but it is 90 minutes of non-stop action, packaged in a compelling story, which I found to be extremely entertaining.
FlashCallahan
Nick Malloy is an Emergency Medical Technician, who finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with a vigilante tied to the paramedic's past. With little time to spare, and his wife's life hanging in the balance, Nick must figure out why he's been chosen to be the pawn in this maniac's game before it's too late....If you enjoyed the first movie, and are ready to suspend disbelief for ninety minutes, you will have a ball watching this.Its a WWE movie, starring a huge jawed star who cannot act, but can run for miles and fight the good fight, and the villain stands in a sewer for the entire movie, ringing up Orton and getting him to drive somewhere and pick up a Wesley, maundering guy.And this is where you really have to suspend belief, the rationale of the villain is the act that Orton saved someone else before his wife, who died.So why is it Orton the guy picks on? Its really annoying, and if I were Nick, I'd tell him where to go, as his wife is pretty much safe for the majority of the movie.But like I've said, ignore this, and its a fun movie, with good production values and some good set pieces.In the end, you realise that Orton can fight two cops no problem, but struggles with a man nearly twice his age with one hand on the steering wheel.But its the best film ever made about having your best friend get caught in a blast, and never finding out what happened to him.
Wizard-8
I didn't much care for the first "12 Rounds" movie, finding it flat and not very exciting. So when I sat down to watch this next entry, I was expecting it to be even worse than the original movie. But I have to admit that I was surprised. Yes, this sequel does have some problems, not just with the awkward title imposed on the front of the Blu-ray box ("12 Rounds 2"????) The main problem with this movie is that a lot of key linking footage, as well as entire scenes, seem to be missing here and there. Also, the ending is kind of abrupt. Still, there's a lot to enjoy here. The production values are generally pretty good for a movie that bypassed theaters. Randy Orton, though not a great actor, does seem to be trying, and he makes his character sympathetic enough. The main selling point of the movie is its relentlessness - once the crisis starts, there's barely a lull in the action and intensity. I'm not saying that this movie is a GREAT movie, but you'll likely find it better than you might be expecting, and it passes its 94 minutes with a certain briskness.