Freelance is the newest film from director Pierre Morel. The same guy who directed modest actions films like Taken, From Paris with Love, District 13, and more. Add John Cena & Alison Brie to the mix and it doesn’t sound all that bad. I am sure that when they signed on for this, they knew it was going to be a masterpiece and it would be something fun. At the end of the day, I think the people making this were clearly just having fun, even if almost everything doesn’t make much sense to the audience.

The concept & cast alone immediately grabbed my attention. Even when the movie wasn’t getting great reviews, I still held high hopes that it may just be a mindless stupid comedy. I am a big fan of those. The problem is that the script goes in so many different directions without having any clear idea of characterization nor how to properly handle its action sequences.

Right off the bat, we are introduced to John Cena’s character through his POV. While that sounds harmless, there’s literally no reason for it. I am actually convinced that it was done because it was either out of Cena’s schedule or test screenings showed that the film needed to do more, so they tacked this on, because once again, it was out of Cena’s schedule. The action is told through cheap CG effects, characters are introduced in odd ways, and characters motivations are odd. Needless to say, it sets the tone for what’s to come.

After this rough set up, Cena is shown reminiscing on the good old days. He’s an alcoholic who is trying to make more money. From the looks of it, it looks like life is good as he has a house over his head with a family who loves him with a job as a lawyer. The plot makes it appear as though those things are the bottom of the barrel, even though it doesn’t seem that bad.

More characters are introduced in funky ways. Christian Slater, who was last seen in the POV beginning, is just here? He pops up here and there and acts like his reason for being there is bigger than what it was. He’s always in a hurry, too. Then, there’s Alison Brie. They show that she lost her job because of false resources, but then she lands a high profile job interviewing someone who only wants her there for her looks. It’s truly bizarre and out of touch with reality.

So, after all of this set up, Cena’s character reaches a point of no return with his wife, who tells him to move out. Then, as he is walking out, she gets upset that he is leaving for a job. You can’t make this stuff up. The script continuously contradicts people’s emotions based on what was said before. It’s like it is done on purpose, because the writing doesn’t know how real people talk.

Once the actual plot gets going, character motivations are thrown out the window, the bad CG effects come back, and characters continue to act in ways only for the sake of comedy. Cena plays the typical 80’s action star. This doesn’t sound bad in hindsight, but it does no justice for the level of quality he has been able to achieve. Brie is only there for the eye candy. Her character doesn’t know what they need to be. One moment, she hates Cena, the next, she is trying to sleep with him. Juan Pablo Raba’s character is lost between being a clown and a smart doctor. Lastly, Martin Csokas is introduced by creepily watching his daughter dance, which literally does nothing to push anything forward. The big reveal at the end is also lame and very anticlimactic.

Overall, Freelance has every single quality to make this an overall bad movie with nothing redeemable. If you are a super mega-fan of John Cena or Alison Brie, I don’t think it’s going to be the worst thing you’ve ever seen, but I also do feel like Cena & Brie can do much, much better.

VERDICT: Awful