WWE’s The Reunion Called a “John Cena Love-fest”, Cena Compared to Rock

– WWE’s The Reunion with John Cena continues to receive negative reviews in the media. Here are some more comments:

The Los Angeles Times: “Following his monolithic turn in the generically solemn “Legendary,” muscleman John Cena gets to try his hand at cynical wisecracks as the oldest of four heirs — along with Amy Smart, Ethan Embry and Boyd Holbrook — to a despised father’s fortune. The catch in the will is that the brothers, who hate one another, have to go into business together as bail bondsmen, a venture that immediately sends the trio to Mexico to find a billionaire kidnapped by a vengeful businessman (Michael Rispoli).

The “Midnight Run” meets “Bonanza” idea isn’t exactly a terrible one, but writer-director Mike Pavone has only one point-and-shoot gear, whether the scene is light comedy, dysfunctional family drama or western-tinged gunplay. (Even television shows these days exhibit more directorial flair and editing variety.)”

The Washington Post: “If John Cena wants to follow in the footsteps of fellow wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he might want to learn to smile. Or at least to pick better material than “The Reunion.”

It’s strictly a John Cena love-fest here. The needlessly complicated plot contains a lot of nonsense about their late father’s will, which stipulates that the three must work together before they can collect his millions, but none of that really matters.

“The Reunion” is mainly for those who are already infatuated with Cena’s stoic, Mount Rushmore-esque countenance and who do not find the idea of the big lug leaping off the edge of a cliff onto an airborne helicopter’s landing gear remotely absurd.”

Variety: “A flabby, unfunny action-comedy produced, directed and written by former WWE exec VP Mike Pavone, “The Reunion” boasts one of the most poorly assembled scripts to emerge from the wrestling franchise. In the guise of forging a clan from mismatched half-siblings, pic tosses together spare parts from assorted action genres — it’s part prison movie, part south-of-the-border crime thriller, part cowboys-and-Indians oater, part corporate expose — glued together with the characters’ blind pursuit of money and sprinkled with reborn family values. Limited release begins Oct. 21.

In contrast with the juicy Michael Rapaport/Parker Posey/Bruce Dern trifecta of WWE’s “Inside Out,” the thesping is uninspired here, adding nothing to an idiotic story about three estranged brothers, forced to work together by the promise of a multimillion-dollar inheritance, who stumble into rescuing a kidnapped billionaire in Mexico. John Cena lends stoic muscle, Ethan Embry feebly simulates wit, Boyd Holbrook tosses his blond hair with Brad Pitt-like aplomb and spitfire Lela Loren chastely dangles sex. But not even Michael Rispoli’s computer-lovin’ kidnapper can breathe life into the result.”

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