Freelance Parent Guide

Wounded in the service of his country, Mason Pettits (John Cena) retires from the Special Forces and settles down to practice law. Without the sense of purpose he found in the miliary, Mason flounders and soon finds himself separated from his wife and much loved daughter. Then an old friend makes an offer he can’t refuse…

Sebastian (Christian Slater) owns a company that provides private security (“one stop shop-and-shoot”) and he wants to hire Mason for a specialized mission. Journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie), whose career was tarnished by scandal, hopes to restore her reputation by interviewing Juan Arturo Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba), reclusive dictator of the (fictitious) Latin American country of Paldonia. Given the volatility of the region, she needs a bodyguard and Sebastian thinks Mason is the right man for the job – but he doesn’t give him all the facts.

Mason’s hopes of a routine assignment evaporate hours after arrival when Venegas’ motorcade is attacked by rebels. Calling on his military training, Mason saves the day, and soon the unlikely trio are traversing the jungle and running from murderous rebels and foreign mercenaries. In order to survive, they’re going to need Mason’s specialized skills and Venegas’ political instincts – and they just might change Paldonia in the process.

Freelance isn’t going to win any film awards, but director Pierre Morel lucked out in casting Juan Pablo Raba as the brightly beaming, cunning dictator. Raba chews the scenery with gusto, rocks the cheesy autocrat vibe, drips with stereotypical Latin charm, and demonstrates keen political instincts and surprising courage. Venegas is the most interesting part of the film and I spent the runtime trying to figure out who he really is – a ruthless autocrat, a politician guided by expedience, or a patriot trying to save his country by whatever means necessary? The script tries to come up with other plot developments but none are as intriguing as trying to figure out what’s going on in Venegas’ impeccably coifed head.

Aside from Venegas, the rest of the movie is a paint-by-numbers action flick. There are umpteen firefights, with lots of squirting blood and some on-screen deaths. Cars explode, grenades fly, helicopters crash, and people punch, hit, toss, and choke each other. The violence feels repetitive and mindless, but bear in mind that I’m not a fan of shoot-em-ups. I’m also not a fan of profanity, so I didn’t appreciate the seven-plus sexual expletives in the movie. As for sexual content, there is a carefully shot post-shower scene where all three main characters are clearly naked. Venegas’ buttocks are visible and Claire’s breasts can be seen despite her attempt to cover them with her hands. There’s some cringeworthy discussion about genital size which doesn’t produce much in the way of humor. The Restricted rating is merited and you’ll want to keep that in mind if your teens are clamoring to see this one.

In between the shootouts and general bloodshed, Freelance tries to deliver themes of courage, loyalty, and the power of people to change. It also loads up explicit messages about national sovereignty, corporate malfeasance in developing nations, and the quest for economic justice and political freedom. It’s an unusual combination but at least the movie is trying to say something – if anyone can hear it as the bullets whiz past.