‘Freelance’ review: A tired mash-up of action romances

It’s hardly ever a fantastic point when the blooper reel working over a movie’s credits demonstrates far more power, humor and charisma than the preceding two several hours, which is sad to say the circumstance with Pierre Morel’s “action-comedy” “Freelance.”

It isn’t until the credits roll that we see a bit of spark from the usually delightful Alison Brie, or evidence that John Cena can riff. There is also a telltale clue in these bloopers as perfectly, a eco-friendly-screen studio shot with a little bit of foliage dangling in the corner of the body as Juan Pablo Raba mugs for the digicam, which clarifies why so a lot of exterior shots glimpse so uncanny. Finally, all the things about “Freelance” commences to make perception — or does it make even fewer sense?

The confounding, strange and punishingly boring “Freelance” isn’t definitely a comedy (there are no jokes, even if Cena provides his strains as if they are), and though there is some action, practically nothing at any time gets the blood pumping. But it seems to be and seems like an motion-comedy, in the vein of “The Misplaced City” (a male with big arms and an clever brunette escape murderers in the jungle), which was, of study course, built in the mold of “Romancing the Stone.” But the script, by Jacob Lentz, plainly wished to be additional of a serious political commentary right before it was formed to in shape the capabilities of its stars.

Cena stars as Mason Pettits, whom we get to know in a collection of POV pictures in the opening credits. A rambunctious child who just needs to assistance folks, he finishes up heading the standard route and turning out to be a law firm and obtaining married, right before he offers it up for boot camp and a tour in the Distinctive Forces. A tragic incident in the fictional South American region of Paldonia leaves him wounded and grieving, and he’s grounded back again in the suburbs with his spouse (Alice Eve) and child, doing the job as an legal professional and battling suburban ennui.

He’s called again up by his buddy Sebastian (Christian Slater) for a personal security gig for disgraced journalist Claire Wellington (Brie), who is hoping to get back on her feet with a coveted interview with Paldonian President Venegas (Raba). On the outs with his household, Mason jumps at the probability. If you can not see the mid-movie expose coming a mile away, it is time to observe much more films.

This is all the tortured set up to get to in which we’re likely: Cena and Brie dashing by way of the jungle below significant artillery hearth, courtesy of a conveniently timed military coup. Cena and Brie (and Raba) sweatily arguing in the jungle with occasional gun battles, which is why we’re all here appropriate?

This brightly-lit movie is laden with overused tropes but light-weight on energy and allure. There is the Latin Lover, President Venegas with blindingly white tooth to match his crisp white suit, and the Sultry Journalist, a occupation-mad lady who will prevent at almost nothing for her scoop d’etat, except for maybe a roll in the hay with whichever person is sleeping closest to her. There is the bad male (Martin Csokas) who specifics all of his past wrongdoings to the hero even though in the center of a brawl.

Undergirding all of this is a remarkably cynical political story about the outsize influence of worldwide corporate entities in South The united states, the exploitation of organic sources in susceptible international locations and optically pushed political machinations in the vein of “Wag the Canine.” It feels like Lentz’s script could have been some thing significantly darker and extra savagely satirical (maybe a mash-up of Chris Pine’s “The Contractor” and the Sandra Bullock vehicle “Our Brand name Is Crisis”), but instead, “Freelance” is an extremely goofy jumble of tones, flailing about as it overstays its welcome. There is no have to have to use this contractor.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Services movie critic.