Walking out after enduring Freelance, I’m left utterly befuddled. This cinematic catastrophe has left me in a state of perplexed disillusionment, struggling to grasp any semblance of its purpose or value. Despite its $40 million budget, a plot so shallow it’s practically a puddle, and the presence of familiar faces. Pierre Morel’s magnum opus (or should I say magnum minus?) somehow manages to suck the charisma right out of John Cena and Alison Brie, leaving them as lifeless husks parading around in a tedious parade of action-comedy noise. It’s as if the film’s sole purpose is to make you wonder how such a colossal waste of resources ever saw the light of day in the first place.
The plot, if one can generously call it that, unfolds in a fictional, war-torn South American country known as Paldonia. Director Pierre Morel and screenwriter Jacob Lentz, in their misguided collaboration, managed to create a film so devoid of merit that it boggles the mind. From the very outset, it becomes painfully evident that Freelance is an exercise in cinematic folly. The characters, bereft of any discernible chemistry, meander through a formulaic and uninspired plot, hamstrung by woefully misguided attempts at humor that land with all the grace of a leaden anchor.
Freelance is a haphazard patchwork of clichés and blatant rip-offs from more successful action films. It pairs a rugged, brooding protector with an uptight and sarcastic woman, placing them in perilous situations and expecting chemistry to blossom. Alas, the stars of this film fail to generate even a flicker of connection, rendering the entire endeavor as vapid as it is predictable. The portrayal of South American stereotypes is offensive and tasteless, contributing further to the film’s descent into sheer idiocy.
Mason Pettits, portrayed by John Cena, is a figure devoid of any substantial complexity. His journey ostensibly revolves around redemption, transitioning from a struggling law school student to a military operative. However, Mason’s insufferable self-absorption knows no limits, and his monotonous voiceover narration is as irritating as it is uninspiring. After his military career is cut short due to injuries, he embarks on a pedestrian path as an attorney, only to harbor a profound dissatisfaction with the comfort and security he enjoys. Mason’s self-centered contempt for the life he’s constructed with his wife and daughter is nothing short of exasperating.
When presented with an opportunity to escape his domestic life, Mason seizes it, plunging headlong into the chaos of Paldonia. His mission? To protect a disgraced journalist, Claire Wellington, played by Alison Brie, as she attempts to interview the ruthless dictator, Juan Venegas, portrayed by Juan Pablo Raba. Predictably, their initial clash of personalities serves as the catalyst for the film’s feeble attempts at humor. Claire’s condescension towards Mason, and his frustration in return, falls flat, failing to elicit even the faintest chuckle.
Juan Venegas, the film’s antagonist, is a dictator with the charisma of a wet napkin. His inappropriate advances towards Claire are cringe-worthy, serving only to exacerbate the film’s journey into mediocrity. The narrative careens through a series of shootout sequences and chase scenes, and even the action scenes, the one potential saving grace, are executed with a woeful lack of credibility and suspense.
Freelance meanders from one scene to the next with little coherence, leaving viewers to wonder whether the filmmakers had any regard for storytelling or cohesion. Secondary characters are one-dimensional and shallow, their presence adding little to the film’s already dismal landscape. From Juan’s buffoonish nephew to a trusted military ally, these characters are nothing more than empty vessels that further dilute the film’s narrative.
John Cena, in a role that is nothing more than a rehash of his previous characters, struggles to breathe life into Mason Pettits. Meanwhile, Alison Brie, despite her talent, appears out of place in this debacle. Juan Pablo Raba’s portrayal of Juan Venegas veers dangerously close to caricature, failing to evoke the menace required of his character. Even Christian Slater, despite top billing, is afforded a meager 15 minutes of screen time, a testament to the film’s inability to utilize its potential.
In Freelance, the action scenes, which should be a film’s cornerstone, are grating and devoid of any credibility. The cacophony of violence does little to mask the film’s insulting treatment of its audience’s intelligence. The film is an affront to the very notion of storytelling, a painful reminder of the perils of low-quality filmmaking. Perhaps the most bewildering aspect of this film is its inexplicable existence. With a budget of $40 million, one might expect a modicum of effort and artistry. Instead, viewers are subjected to a half-hearted, paint-by-numbers attempt at filmmaking. The chemistry between the leads is nonexistent, the stakes are uninspiring, and the action beats are lackluster at best. It’s as if the filmmakers stumbled upon an outline for a film and mistook it for a finished product.
The visual effects in Freelance are an absolute cringe-worthy disaster, a veritable carnival of abysmal cinematography, and action scenes that make a snail’s crawl seem thrilling. It’s akin to witnessing a train wreck in ultra-slow motion, where even the stand-in actors struggle to pass as crash-test dummies, and the green-screened backdrops evoke the aesthetics of a horrendous PowerPoint project. It lacks the fundamentals of storytelling and completely fails to engage its audience. Watching it is like enduring a never-ending, tedious lecture on a topic you have zero interest in. Freelance is a stark reminder of how low the bar can go in filmmaking. It doesn’t just miss the mark; it obliterates it.
Freelance is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Relativity Media.
Freelance lacks the fundamentals of storytelling and completely fails to engage its audience. Watching it is like enduring a never-ending, tedious lecture on a topic you have zero interest in. Freelance is a stark reminder of how low the bar can go in filmmaking. It doesn't just miss the mark; it obliterates it.
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GVN Rating 2
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It all started when I was a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons like the Spider-Man: Animated Series and Batman. Since then I’ve been hooked to the world of pop culture. Huge movie lover from French New Wave, to the latest blockbusters, I love them all. Huge Star Wars and Marvel geek. When I’m free from typing away at my computer, you can usually catch me watching a good flick or reading the next best comic. Come geek out with me on Twitter @somedudecody.