Freelance (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – An ex special forces operator takes a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but, a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, they are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive.

My Take – While John Cena, the WWE superstar-turned-actor, has well proven his talents in features like Blockers (2018), Vacation Friends (2021) and The Suicide Squad (2021), and of course its Max spin off Peacemaker (2022), using his natural charisma, good sense of humor, and gym-built brawn to stand out.

However, the studios keep under-using him, evidently as he keeps following up memorable turns with curious cash-grabs. Starting from appearing as the foe-turned friend in F9 (2021) and Fast X (2023), fighting side by side with Jackie Chan in Hidden Strike (2023), to making cameos in the Barbie (2023) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), Cena has been quite active throughout, yet his star value seems to have begun to wane.

Unfortunately though, his latest too doesn’t make a case for him as a leading man. A remarkably bland old school by-the-numbers action comedy that is utterly predictable every step of the way. Sitting at the much (un) coveted 0% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, this Pierre Morel (Taken, Peppermint) directorial comes close to properly exploiting Cena’s charm, yet consistently misses the mark by an inch or two.

It is almost painful to watch the actor give everything he has to the project before realizing that he’s signed on to just another gap stop. Yes, his co-star Alison Brie too is adorable in her role, but the problem here is that writer Jacob Lentz’s debut screenplay is just too simple, and the action seldom rises to the point where it’s genuinely memorable.

The story follows Mason Pettits (John Cena), a Special Forces operator, who following a mission gone wrong, which kills half his team, retires and settles down into a humdrum existence with a wife (Alice Eve) and child as a lawyer. But then Mason’s old boss (Christian Slater) comes calling with a private security gig that will pay $20,000. The job is simple, he has to escort disgraced journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) for an interview with Juan Arturo Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba), the iron-fisted president of the fictitious South American nation Paldonia.

However, when they arrive in Paldonia, the three of them are attacked by a group who want to overthrow Venegas’ government. Further complicating matters is that Mason and Venegas share bad blood because the president was the figure who had ordered the killing of his friends while he was a member of the special military forces.

The premise is simple and has been done before, many times, even as recently as The Lost City (2022). Despite the film’s overall blandness, a few glimmers of potential poke through due to the natural charisma of stars John Cena and Alison Brie. Both have honed comedic skills and likable screen presence through years of acting experience, from Cena’s wrestling antics to Brie’s breakthrough on Community (2009-2015).

They bring an effortless charm to otherwise mediocre material. In one standout scene, they improvise humorous dialogue while awkwardly covering up their naked bodies after outdoor showers. Their comedic timing and expressiveness shine through the juvenile writing. Brie in particular squeezes hearty laughs from ridiculous lines no human should be able to deliver believably. Her eyes alone convey entire paragraphs of sarcasm.

While never fully realized, this serious undertone shows potential for elevating popcorn action-comedies. Surprisingly, a film like this one even attempts more layered political ideas alongside its buddy comedy bromance and CGI explosions. Whether successfully or not, the effort is admirable. Rather than relying on tired stereotypes, it explores the nuances of South American dictatorships, imperialist intervention, and corporate exploitation.

The fictional country provides a thought-provoking lens for such themes. Filmmaker Pierre Morel flexes his action muscles with crunchy helicopter crashes and combative shootouts. One prolonged vehicle chase demonstrates his grasp of spatial choreography and kinetic camerawork missing from other scenes. When focused on adrenaline-pumping action, a flicker of his Taken (2008) roots appear.

I love that John Cena is one of those modern heroes who has always been willing to poke fun at his action hero persona. He’s a chiseled mountain of a man, but he approaches this role as if he’s just an average Joe who can’t quite decide if he’s happy to be a part of this adventure or not. I absolutely adore Alison Brie and love that she is being considered for sexy, leading woman roles, albeit a little dorky, rather than the sweet and innocent girl-next-door we usually see from her. Her character is written as a bit of a caricature, so it’s understandable that she doesn’t make as much as an impact as her macho co-star.

Unexpectedly, Juan Pablo Raba‘s performance really stands out the most in this film. His character is lovable, even though, from the beginning, we are set up to avoid trusting him. His comedic timing is on point, and he carries most of the scenes he is in, even when every performance around him falters. In other roles, Christian Slater, Alive Eve and Marton Csokas are wasted. On the whole, ‘Freelance’ is a serviceable by-the-numbers action comedy that squanders its every element of potential.