12 Rounds - did not screen for critics

[PDepew2181]

Now the point of this post is not to bash John Cena whatsoever. I've said before that I like Cena, and that has not changed.

This is more a point at WWE generally and the joke that is WWE Films specifically. For those of you who don't know, if a movie is not screened for critics the day it is released to theaters, this is because the studio that releases the movie knows it sucks and will therefore get bad reviews. In order to minimize any damage that the bad reviews would cause to the film's box office take, the studio chooses to not screen the film for critics in order to prevent bad reviews from being published. Basically, if the average person sees a bad review for a movie, that person may not go see it in the theater. If the person doesn't see a review and isn't aware that this is how the system works, the person won't think anything of it and will still go see the movie if desired.

So, my long-winded point is this. GIVE IT UP WWE! Seriously, if you can't even come up with concepts for movies that aren't half-assed and unoriginal, which every entry from the WWE has been so far, don't bother releasing them to movie theaters. Just go ahead and release them straight to DVD, where they won't cost as much money to produce and market, and stand a decent chance of turning a profit. It's a good thing that the people who make these movies aren't in charge of WWE storylines. Oh, wait, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing, who knows!

So here's to the expected box office failure of 12 Rounds. My guess is it will make no more than $25 million total, if even that, and be gone from your local theater in about 2-3 weeks.

 

[avi01]

Most WWE films sucks. I`ve enjoyed Condemned (well it was not great either). This will suck as much as the marine.....if not more.

 

[Thugz417]

i Agree most WWE films suck major. I thought See No Evil was DECENT. Nothing SPECIAL but Kane did a pretty good job. The Marine was an absolute JOKE! I never saw MR. Kennedy's movie. And I will never watch another John Cena movie. I'm sorry but he is a shitty actor. He's got charisma on the mic but his acting...is rather...lacking.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

Good thing you caught onto the no-screening policy and what it actually means, as opposed to just glossing over it with no understanding like a lot of people unfortunately do. Not screening a film means exactly what PDepew2181 said above: that those in charge have no faith that it will receive good reviews and are so worried about it performing badly that they're hoping if they ban critics from seeing it before anybody else, then more people will go see the movie the opening day and it'll generate a wider margin of revenue than it would've.

Does it work? Yes. But not enough that it makes that much of a difference. Movies can draw people through various different methods, but word of mouth can kill or make a film's success. Some movies are a bundled package and you go to see them because they're simply involved in something else (like seeing a Bond film with no question because its a Bond film, so its an automatic view), some are marketable due to the cast or crew involved, some just have intriguing trailers with funny jokes or interesting looking storylines. But bottom line, if a movie receives nothing but horrible criticism, and the reputation is spread that its a waste of money to go see it, you've got a disaster on your hands. Look at how many films gross a lot of money the first weekend and then severely plummet. WWE Films is trying to prevent the loss from starting before they have a chance to make a dime. They'll make more money the first day because of it than they would've if they had allowed critics to rate it. But the next day, the harsh reality will set in. People who will go to see it tomorrow will tell their friends what they thought of it, the critics will review it, and by Sunday morning, everyone will already know whether or not the film is worth spending any money on - or if its even so bad that you shouldn't bother finding a torrent for it lol.

But another thing that is going to screw WWE Films is that they picked one TERRIBLE weekend to open the film. You're supposed to pick an opening weekend that will garner the most money possible for your film due to lack of competition and the right seasonal environment. IE, you don't open up a Christmas film in April because it won't do well, you open it at the end of November when people have already passed Thanksgiving. You don't open up a popcorn action flick in September when everybody's going back to school and their schedules are tighter, you open it at the beginning of July when people are off for the summer and looking for something fun to do.

Look at the competition this week for 12 Rounds:

1. The Haunting in Connecticut - Looks like utter garbage to me, as its just a generic horror film. But generic horror films have an audience that shouldn't be overlooked. And it just so happens that fans of generic horror films, a lot of the time, are fans of generic action movies. You've got lots of the same target audience fighting between these two films.

2. Monsters vs. Aliens - Shit, I hate kiddie movies, but this looks like a better film than 12 Rounds to me lol. You can COMPLETELY kiss the childhood audience bye bye with this film coming out. And when the parents have to pay to see the film as well, they won't be willing in this economy to turn right around and spend another 10 bucks a pop to see 12 Rounds later on at night.

3. Various limited release films - They're never a huge threat since they obviously aren't spread out everywhere, so there are less screenings. But still, you've got lots of little ones out there to eat up people that could go to a theatre and just pick a movie at random.

4. I Love You, Man - Hilarious movie and its a comedy, so it has a wide audience to target.

5. Knowing - Not the biggest blip on the radar, but it could steal people away as its only in its second week and it made a decent amount of money in comparison to what it should've made, as it looked kind of stupid to me lol.

6. Duplicity - About the closest thing to a romantic comedy out right now. This is the type of film that could be a "compromise movie". Girl wants to see something like a romantic comedy, guy wants to see something with an edge to it, so they choose the romantic comedy about the spies.


Translation: 12 Rounds is FUCKED. They only really have one grouping that is in their favor. 13-16 year old males who are into action, aren't very critical of movies and are more into "I want to escape for 90 minutes with lots of explosions and stuff; I don't want to actually think about it on a deep level and judge performances and such", and aren't choosing to opt for the generic horror flick instead.

WWE Films have no real sound future in my opinion. The only way to receive more revenue is to increase the product (which they clearly aren't good at, seeing as how none of their movies have done well with audiences OR critics) or to decrease the cost of production, but if you do that, that means you eliminate a lot of the special effects and explosions and such, which hurts your biggest audience of "explosions = yay, good movie" people. Nobody is going to take something that comes out of WWE Films seriously and Oscar-worthy. And hell, sometimes, the Academy Award winning films aren't the ones that make the most money. But if you spend more money than you make and you're receiving bad reviews on top of it, you're clearly failing in more than one department. I highly doubt they'll ever reach a point where they're banging on all cylinders and actually making enough money that its worth the effort.

WWE Films had potential, but with each new film that comes out, it looks more and more like the latest XFL venture.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Meh. Alot of mindless films these days don't do critic screenings, including Amityville Horror, Aeon Flux, ect. What do these films have in common? They all sucked. I'm not saying 12 Rounds sucks, but it might be in the films best interest to keep the movie from getting reviewed before the opening. Although I really don't know how many people actually take critics opinion to heart anymore(especially action fans)but if it does indeed suck this might be what's best for a marketing stand point.

And honestly if it does suck, who cares. Like I said there are many movies that don't get screened for critics and many many many sucky movies, but the can still be sucessful and cut a profit. And honestly I don't think WWE films or Vince is trying to get oscars or acclaim, their in these for the money(And to promote WWE). So if it at least turns out a profit then I think WWE should stick to what their doing.

 

[shafe_41]

not surprised. most pg-13 action films are awful anyway and i'm sorry... but a pg-13 action film with Cena as the lead? dreadful. I've seen all of the WWE films so far and for what they're worth and what you can expect out of them, some are actually worth watching if you're just a big film buff in general like i am. i'll watch any movie because i just love movies and I won't leave WWE films out either. Here's my short diagnosis of each film.

See No Evil- it was a horror movie. not good. but not bad either. i've seen horror movies way worse than this. it was enjoyable once, but forgettable. Again, it's a horror movie, you can't expect much from it. Although I will say just as a general statement to have a horror movie with Kane as the lead was a pretty strange launching pad for WWE films. You woulda thought they would have waited for Austin's movie or hell even Cena's... but Kane is the star of the first film under WWE films? That was strange.

The Condemned- not bad. Rated-R and it lived up to it. it didn't have to hold back with the R-rating and it worked for the movie's plot. definately the best wwe film to date. Austin is a pretty decent actor too. His role on Nash Bridges was also pretty good. Go see Austin's movies if he does more. They're worth it.

The Marine- o god where to start? I'm sorry but nothing about this movie was salvageable. Cena's acting... wow. I've felt broken bones less painful than Cena's acting chops. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was his first film gig. But if 12 Rounds isn't any better, bleh.

BEL3- Kennedy is actually a decent actor. I don't remember if it was a WWE affiliated film, but we'll just say it is. I was excited about this film and it was way better than BEL2 Axxis of Evil.

Basically... if Cena's acting didn't improve with this film, I will never watch his movies again. I will wait til DVD to even see 12 Rounds, but I'll give it a shot. I'm not here to bust Cena a new one either, but I honestly just can't say anything positive about his previous film or acting ability.

 

[TwistofRKO]

I've hated all of their productions, so I'll expect nothing better. Unlikely I see it, but there's a slight chance only because I don't mind Cena.

You know your movies suck when you star SCSA and still make no real profit.

 

[Slyfox696]

You know your movies suck when you star SCSA and still make no real profit.

What if they star John Cena and do make a real profit? Where do you classify that?

I don't have a problem with the WWE not screening this for critics. Lord knows I wouldn't. First of all, there will ALWAYS be a bias against WWE films because it's a "wrasslin'" company making movies. That is not to say that the WWE movies have been good, but you will be fighting an uphill battle before you even start.

Second of all, the WWE isn't interested in making a critically acclaimed movie, they are interested in making movies that get their workers in front of more people, and having the movie make money. The bottom line is what the WWE is concerned about, and they want to do it with their wrestling employees, as that will further their influence in mainstream culture.

Finally, what good will screening it front of critics do? At the end of the day, movie goers will understand this is the movie "with that wrestler", and will go accordingly. Furthermore, just because critics praise a movie, doesn't mean that people will go. However, if critics rip a movie to shreds, that CAN hurt the amount of people that go.

I see no problem with this. I'd say if you want to go watch it, then go watch it, and watch it with an open mind. I plan on watching it eventually, maybe in the theaters. I enjoyed the Marine fair enough, and so I'll give this a chance.

 

[Franchize1990]

I don't believe we can judge Cena's acting ability off of the Marine. He only had about 2 maybe 3 scenes where he actually spoke more than a few sentences (after he was fired as a security guard and when he was talking to his wife). The rest of the movie he was either alone or fighting someone. I liked the movie but thought Cena would've done much more in terms of acting. In watching the previews, it seems that Cena has much more lines and interacts with alot more people (which should make this better than the Marine). Only time will tell.

 

[AJAnder]

Now the point of this post is not to bash John Cena whatsoever. I've said before that I like Cena, and that has not changed.

This is more a point at WWE generally and the joke that is WWE Films specifically. For those of you who don't know, if a movie is not screened for critics the day it is released to theaters, this is because the studio that releases the movie knows it sucks and will therefore get bad reviews. In order to minimize any damage that the bad reviews would cause to the film's box office take, the studio chooses to not screen the film for critics in order to prevent bad reviews from being published. Basically, if the average person sees a bad review for a movie, that person may not go see it in the theater. If the person doesn't see a review and isn't aware that this is how the system works, the person won't think anything of it and will still go see the movie if desired.

So, my long-winded point is this. GIVE IT UP WWE! Seriously, if you can't even come up with concepts for movies that aren't half-assed and unoriginal, which every entry from the WWE has been so far, don't bother releasing them to movie theaters. Just go ahead and release them straight to DVD, where they won't cost as much money to produce and market, and stand a decent chance of turning a profit. It's a good thing that the people who make these movies aren't in charge of WWE storylines. Oh, wait, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing, who knows!

So here's to the expected box office failure of 12 Rounds. My guess is it will make no more than $25 million total, if even that, and be gone from your local theater in about 2-3 weeks.

That is because 12 Rounds will suck. Its basically "The Marine" but instead John plays a cop whose girlfriend gets kidnapped, sounds like a recycled movie script. WWE Films should close shop and stick to the wrestling business I know they want to branch out cause they are "entertainers" now but come on Vince just has to draw the line somewhere I mean he got lucky with the Rock and all he is trying to do is make a carbon copy that will actually stay with his company and not leave for Hollywood. Since WWE Films started I have yet to see a really good movie come out under their banner "The Marine" was ok, Austin's movie sucked the big one I can't believe they called that acting he rarely said anything, Austin is a bad actor anyway, Kane's movie was horrible, Mr Kennedy's film was horrible.

Just because they "act" I use that term loosely on TV and have a fanbase does not mean they should star in there own B or C type of movie. That is all WWE Films is going to keep turning out no matter how hard they try are B & C movies I highly doubt they will EVER have a blockbuster hit. WWE Films are movies you go see when there is nothing better in the movies.

 

[ThePeoplesChampion]

Really look at the plot.....a cops wife/girlfriend is kidnapped and john cena saves the day.....umm didnt i see that before....nope a marine saved the day....and by the way my dad is a former marine and said that movie is a disgrace to the corp and i agree....so wat make wwe think throwing the same shit back at us will do any better......face it u had one great actor and his name was dwayne "the rock" johnson......and for all u rock haters u know if u was offered more money to quit ur job u would....and john cena only disses rock cause he knows all his movies are flops.....i bet if cena was anything close to a good actor and had a movie that was worth a shit he would be doing the same thing as rock......dont care wat he says money talks and he would leave.....and another thing really look at cena....he looks like freaking matt damons brother....use someone wit a new face.....i think only guy that might be descent at acting is Randy Orton....

 

[ChrisIrvine]

I think the funny thing is John Cena is trying to compare himself to the Rock. The Rock was actually a GOOD wrestler and makes movies that are produced by REAL movie companies. John Cena gets booed by any guy in the stands, thinks he's a and then makes WWE Films produced movies and thinks he's an action star.

The Rock gets Disney.

Cena gets the company that made Eye Scream Man or See No Evil or whatever the hell they ended up calling it.

Yeah, you got a lot to brag about, John.

"I'd never leave wrestling for movies." -John Cena

That's because no one in their right mind would PAY you to be in one of their movies, dip shit. That's like no showing at work for 2 weeks, then walking in one day, going right up to your boss and say 'I quit' before he has a chance to can your ass.

Quote should have read, "I'd never leave wrestling for movies...because if i did, the real movie sets wouldn't let me run with my hands pointed straight to the ground and they'd wouldn't let me use the same facial expression in every scene. They also wouldn't give me a paycheck like WWE does."

Eat shit, Cena.

 

[PDepew2181]

By the way, just to clairfy, it was not WWE's choice to not screen the movie for critics. They are the producers, not the distributors. It is at the sole discretion of the distributors, the people who actually release the movie, as to whether they screen it for critics.

So blame Fox, not WWE.

 

[latinoheat8979]

12 Rounds does look like a rehash of the Marine. Cena is a decent, but not great actor. I can respect him because he's staying in the business that WE all and he loves. He won't be a sellout and try to distance himself from wrestling and act like he's too good for it now that he's a movie star. Now I like the Rock he was very entertaining in WWE and has a little more wrestling ability than Cena. I also think the Rock, excuse me Dwayne Johnson is a great actor and can adapt to any role. Either way I'll give 12 rounds a chance and check it out.

 

[kenvin100]

meh, I dont know why many people are acting so differently over WWE films..the majority of the films never really fare well to begin with..the only exception that I know of is The Rocks movies..correct me if Im wrong but wastn Scorpion King a WWE production? Then again, this is THE ROCK, who is working for Disney now and has a great 5-10 years ahead of him to look foward too..

As for having no filiming for critics, I understand that completely. Lets face it: Cena cant act. Hes a great guy and respectable to work with, but acting,...you guys watch him every week becoming the corniest face ever! I dont know why this guy complains about the Rock so much..he claims he can do two jobs..act and wrestle...but in reality he only really knows how to do 1...

 

[Undar8d]

First off, It's not John Cena's fault that he's in the movie. He's their face of the company and actually makes a real profit. John Cena's acting skills may not be up to par, but atleast he does his job, and gets WWE a little more money.

Also, why the fuck are you guys bashing on Cena just because he happens to star in a film, when people from all around the world tune in on Monday to see him? And for the guy who says John Cena gets booed by any guy in the stands, you hear that from like 2 groups of guys in one spot. Bashing on Cena = so 2007-08 . Finally, it's not like you're going to get a really good film from WWE. They are just making movies for some more ways of making profit, and that's exactly what they're doing.

 

[GamerAsh]

I haven't seen The Marine so I can't judge on his acting skills within a film. However, I am looking forward to watching 12 Rounds some day, as I really liked The Condemned.

As for 12 Rounds not having a critic showing is a smart business move on WWE's part. As Sly said, Critics will go into the movie knowing it's made from a "wrestling" company, and it will automatically have low impressions.