12 Rounds
Post to Twitter
The Story
Miles Jackson (Aiden Gillen), a ruthless Irish terrorist escaped from prison, holds New Orleans police detective Danny Fisher (John Cena) responsible for the death of his girlfriend during Miles’ arrest. In revenge, he kidnaps Danny’s girlfriend (Ashley Potter) and forces Danny to race back and forth across New Orleans completing 12 dangerous tasks (“rounds”) to keep her alive.
Content Issues
“12 Rounds” is kind of a throwback to the muscle-bound action movies of the 90s, but with far less brutal violence, sex, and language than in those typically R-rated films. Still, the PG-13 brings lots of explosive action violence, including several deaths. Blood doesn’t gush, but it is visible a few times. Danny and Molly live together unmarried, and some sexual dialogue is included. Harsh language is heard, along with uses of God’s and Jesus’ name for swearing.
Worldview Talking Points
As you’d expect, this movie isn’t full of big worldview ideas to chew on with your student. The emphasis is on the action; it’s probably better, in fact, not to try to work out the logistics of the plot.
Still, there is one sizable question right in the middle of it: Should Danny risk innocent human lives to keep playing Miles’ game in a doubtful effort to save his girlfriend?
The film’s answer is A) yes, he will do anything he can to save her, and then B) by continuing the game, Danny will get to Miles and stop him from hurting others once and for all.
In the real world, though, the question can be a dangerous one used to get us to pit one human life against others. In truth, we believe that all human live is valuable, and we trust God to be in charge with when it starts and ends, while we do everything we can to save and preserve life.
We would like students not to put themselves in the shoes of detached ethicists weighing lives against each other, but in the shoes of heroes ready to sacrifice themselves to save others. That’s what makes our hero, Jesus, so amazing. He died for us while we were still His enemies. (See Romans 5:6-8.)
We hope a few of these questions might spur some productive conversation with your child if he or she sees the movie.
- Have you ever watched John Cena as a wrestler? Do you think he did a good job in “12 Rounds”?
- Did you think this was a good action movie? Did you figure out how the film was going to end ahead of time? Can you think of any other movies that use a similar plot device of having the bad guy force the hero to run around to save someone?
- Did you notice anything in the plot that didn’t seem to make sense by the time the story was over?
- What did you think of the argument the two FBI agents had in the middle of the movie about whether Danny should keep playing the bad guy’s game? Do you think it was right for Danny to risk innocent lives to try to save the life of one person, his girlfriend?
- Danny was definitely willing to sacrifice himself to save his girlfriend and other innocent people. Have you ever wondered if you’d be willing to sacrifice yourself for others?
- You might be willing to die to save someone you love or even a stranger. How about an enemy? What would you have thought about this movie if Danny had sacrificed his life to save Miles, the bad guy?
- Did Jesus die for people who loved Him or for people who were His enemies? (See Romans 5:6-8.)
- Why would Jesus die for His enemies?
- Does knowing that Jesus died for you before you cared about Him make you more or less likely to follow Him now? Why?
Byron Williams on Apr 03, 2009 said...
Amen.Wow, that is great insight you guys. Thank you so much; i always stumbled on those scriptures until i read this. Thank you for the encouragement and keep on honoring God through faith and in Love.
God will bless you guys, i know He will!