The Bottom Line
While 12 Rounds is a step up from The Marine unfortunately the movie tries too hard to be Die Hard 3 but falls very short of that lofty goal. In my review of the theatrical release of the film, I compare the similarities between these movies and give my reason as to why I think they are so similar. While the movie is also available on Blu-ray, this review is for the DVD release.
Pros
- Great acting by Aidan Gillen.
- The stunts and explosions are much better than in 'The Marine'.
- The commentary track with John Cena and Daniel Kunka is entertaining.
Cons
- Movie is too similar to 'Die Hard 3'.
- Alternate endings advertisements are misleading.
Description
- The movie is available on both DVD and Blu-ray.
- The theatrical release and an unrated cut are on the discs.
- Commentary track with Director Renny Harlin.
- Commentary track with Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena.
- 2 Alternate Endings.
- John Cena stunts featurette.
- Gag reel featurette.
- 6 behind-the-scenes features exclusive to Blu-ray including filming tricks and the score.
Guide Review - 12 Rounds DVD Review
The Movie
In and of itself, this is a decent action movie. However, you can't watch this movie without thinking about Die Hard 3. If you've never seen Die Hard 3 you will enjoy this movie much more. The best comparison to this I can make involves toys from my childhood. Just as the Gobots weren't horrible toys, after playing with Transformers you never wanted to play with a Gobot again.
In and of itself, this is a decent action movie. However, you can't watch this movie without thinking about Die Hard 3. If you've never seen Die Hard 3 you will enjoy this movie much more. The best comparison to this I can make involves toys from my childhood. Just as the Gobots weren't horrible toys, after playing with Transformers you never wanted to play with a Gobot again.
The Extras
My star-rating for the DVD is slightly higher for the DVD than for the movie because of the extras. I enjoyed that there were two commentary tracks. However, there is a buyer-beware moment I have to warn you about.
One of the things being pushed about this release is there are two alternate endings. I was hoping for something significant but I was severely let down. The endings are the last minute of dialogue between John Cena and his girlfriend.
The DVD version of this film also features two behind the-scenes features. The Blu-ray version has 6 more of these.
Overall Recommendation
If you have a few hours to kill, watching this isn't a bad way to spend them. However, I recommend renting this film before buying it.
