12 Rounds is a huge step up from John Cena's first film The Marine. For starters, they got an actual director to helm this one. If you're gonna do an action film and can't get the biggest names in the business....why not get one that use to be big, until he crashed and burned: Renny Harlin. This movie borrows heavily from Die Hard: With A Vengence and Speed. But the premise is still the same as Cena's first movie: to rescue his woman that has been kidnapped. Cena does seem to be more natural and comfortable in front of the camera this time around. He's not as wooden and makes a case for being an actual action star. He's decent in 12 Rounds, but he does have a long way to go before he's even anywhere near Dwayne Johnson's level. As for this movie in particular, it's basically a throwback to 80's style action fare. But as I mentioned earlier, it does take a lot from two popular films and that may turn people off. Worth a Rent at best. I'd watch it again if I stumbled across it channel surfing.