Entertainment Blog #188 | Freelance [2023] - The Lawyer Bodyduard...

Ok.. What do we do with our life? We learn about 20-25 years to do a job for the rest of our life so we won't starve to death. But the thing is, the things we do should be interesting to us. If not, it may not feel alive, even though you won't starve to death..

"Freelance," which will be released in 2023, is Jacob Lentz's first feature film, directed by Pierre Morel. The film, which stars John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba, and Christian Slater, was first announced in 2021, with a notable budget of $40 million. Despite its star-studded cast and action-thriller premise, the film received negative critical reviews and a cold audience reception upon its release. Despite its attempts at action-packed sequences and a plot centered on political upheaval and personal chaos, the film failed to connect with both audiences and critics.

"Freelance" follows Mason Pettits, a dissatisfied ex-U.S. Army Special Forces soldier turned lawyer who struggles with his own feelings of a life without of meaning. Mason seeks comfort in his legal profession despite hating it after losing his purpose following a traumatic mission in Paldonia where his friends were killed during an assassination attempt on dictator Juan Venegas. Sebastian Earle, a former comrade-in-arms, approaches him for a one-time security job, and his mundane life takes an unexpected turn.

Mason reluctantly accepts the assignment and travels to Paldonia to protect journalist Claire Wellington during her interview with Venegas. The job quickly becomes dangerous, however, when the group is ambushed by a coup, leaving them stranded in the jungle. As the chaos intensifies, Venegas reveals to Mason that the true goal of the mission is to assassinate him. Mason finds himself caught between his loyalty to his family back home and the unclear intentions of those he's now entangled within Paldonia as a consequence of this discovery.

Mason discovers unexpected connections and findings about his past amid the chaos and information of Venegas' schemes. Despite growing closer to Claire, he struggles with his sense of duty to his family. As the situation gets worse and Mason discovers the truth behind the mission, he is forced to make decisions that test his morals and sense of duty, ultimately leading to a showdown in which he must confront the perpetrators of the crisis in Paldonia while redefining his own life's purpose.

"Freelance" tries to balance action and comedy against a backdrop of political mystery and personal redemption. Despite an intriguing premise and a stellar cast, the execution falls short of engaging. The film struggles to balance the weighty themes it aims to explore within its action-driven narrative due to a lack of consistency and depth in character development. But still, the movie is enjoyable. I personally enjoyed the movie.

The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics and audiences, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it only 7% approval rating based on 27 critic reviews. The film's Metacritic score of 24 out of 100 emphasizes the film's unfavorable reviews, indicating a lack of favorability among critics. Audiences gave it a modest "B" grade on CinemaScore, and PostTrak polling revealed a mixed 58% overall positive score, with only 27% expressing a firm recommendation for the film.

"Freelance" struggles to balance its action-driven narrative with the deeper themes it attempts to explore, resulting in a disjointed and unconvincing cinematic experience. Despite a stellar cast and an intriguing premise, the film falls short in execution, failing to connect with both critics and audiences. With a poor box office performance, the film appears to have failed to deliver an attractive and engaging action-comedy story.