WWE Studios has
a bad habit of continuing every franchise, regardless of whether the narratives
match up or any of the original cast members are willing to return. They simply
see the opportunity to latch on to any minor previous success in order to
completely bleed it dry of profit. All of the straight-to-home-entertainment
sequels from this studio have a recycled production line feel about them,
making the product a shadow of the original product.
The one perk
that the studio has found from using a fresh cast with the sequels is the
opportunity it provides for more “professional” wrestlers in the WWE lineup. 12
Rounds 2: Reloaded is Randy Orton’s turn to step into the action hero role,
with a terrorist-type storyline that is similar to the original 12 Rounds.
Paramedic Nick Malloy (Orton) is pulled into the sick games of a psychopath
(Brian Markinson) seeking revenge for an incident in the past, resulting in the
title rounds. These rounds are not referring to the ammunition of a weapon, but
instead reference the levels of the game that Malloy is forced to play in order
to protect the one he loves.
A premise such
as this provides an opportunity for endless creativity, especially since the
film is not tied down by anything from the original movie. It would seem that
they could have had a lot of fun with the action sequences, but much of this
movie instead quietly plods along the expected routes, hardly even making
proper use of the set-up. Even for a sloppy sequel, too much of the film’s
action is completely forgettable.
The Blu-ray
release includes a commentary track with director Roel Reiné and editor Radu
Ion, along with a featurettes about Orton, the locations and the action in the
film. The package also includes a DVD and digital copy of the film.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3/10
Historical
Significance: 1/10
Disc Features: 6/10
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