Freelance

Freelance, the latest project from Taken director Pierre Morel, sees John Cena star as former US special operative Mason Pettits who gets hired as private security. His assignment is to accompany ambitious journalist (Alison Brie) into the fictional South American country of Paladonia where she’s set to interview the country’s powerful and charismatic dictator (Juan Pablo Raba). However, it doesn’t take long before the pair find themselves at the centre of a violent coup that’s spearheaded by shady foreign governments meaning to exploit the country for its wealth of natural resources. While the premise has the potential to deliver an action-packed comedy with some biting political satire, Morel’s film comes up short in almost every regard.

The best part of this flick is Cena’s charismatic performance. His easy-going charm makes it easy to root for him, even when the chemistry between him and co-star Brie is lacking. Raba likewise is enjoyable to watch as the extravagant politician. Though his character is essentially an amalgamation of various stereotypes, the actor’s personality manages to make up for the character’s shallow development.

Unfortunately, Cena and Raba’s entertaining screen presence isn’t enough to amend for this film’s shortcomings. In addition to being not especially funny, with one of the main gags revolving around the protagonist’s name meaning “small” quickly losing its appeal, the action sequences are missing that much-needed punch to bring a sense of excitement to them. Car chases and gunfights go through the motions without any sense of weight or consequence behind them, all of which culminates in an overlong and underwhelming climax.

Less engaging than the action, though, is the script’s attempt at creating substance. The protagonist’s fractured relationship with his family, for example, is more a cheap means of establishing emotional stakes than a meaningful part of the plot. Likewise, this film’s handwaving way of turning a feared dictator into a sympathetic hero leaves a lot to be desired.

While Cena’s endlessly likeable presence lends some entertainment value to Morel’s film, Freelance is a poorly conceived outing that has the feel of a crude comedy from 20 years ago.

Andrew Murray

Freelance is released on Prime Video on 1^st January 2024.

Watch the trailer for Freelance here: