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''Freelancers'' is a 2012 American
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
directed by
Jessy Terrero Jessy Terrero (born October 7, 1972) is a Dominican film and music video director. Career Terrero appeared as an extra on the 1992 film ''Juice'' starring Tupac Shakur. According to Terrero, it was his experience on the set of the movie that in ...
, written by L.Philippe Casseus and stars
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his fil ...
, and
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
.Freelancers Blu-Ray Movie Review
/ref> It had a limited release in very few in Los Angeles and New York on August 10, 2012 with a simultaneous VOD release and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 21, 2012.50 Cent Talks Robert De Niro
/ref>


Plot

With his two best friends, Jonas Maldonado, the son of a slain
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the New York City, City of New York, the largest and one of ...
officer, joins the police academy. After graduating, he's taken under the wing of his father's former partner, Captain Joe Sarcone, who invites him to join the Street Vice Crime Task Force. Under Sarcone's tutelage, he becomes part of a rogue task force that consists of dirty cops. After he learns from the District Attorney's office that his father was murdered by Sarcone after
turning state's evidence A criminal turns state's evidence by admitting guilt and testifying as a witness for the state against their associate(s) or accomplice(s), often in exchange for leniency in sentencing or immunity from prosecution.Howard Abadinsky, ''Organized ...
, Maldonado frames Sarcone for a theft from powerful mob boss Gabriel Baez. Baez orders Maldonado to kill one of his friends as a sign of loyalty, which he reluctantly does. With Baez's help, Maldonado then kills the dirty cops responsible for his father's death. At the end, the Drug Enforcement Agency approaches Maldonado, urges him not to take Sarcone's place as Baez's right-hand man, and Maldonado ponders whether to go straight or not.


Cast

*
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
as Jonas "Malo" Maldonado *
Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his fil ...
as Lieutenant Dennis Lureu *
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
as Captain Joe Sarcone *
Matt Gerald Matt Gerald (born May 2, 1970) is an American actor and screenwriter. Gerald was born in Miami, Florida. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, he is best known for his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) roles as White Power Dave in ''All ...
as Billy Morrison *
Beau Garrett Beau Jesse Garrett (born December 28, 1982) is an American actress and model. She began her career appearing in GUESS advertisements in the late 1990s after being discovered by an Elite modeling agent at age fourteen. She made her feature film ...
as Joey *
Malcolm Goodwin Malcolm Goodwin (born November 28, 1982) is an American actor, known for his role as Clive Babineaux in The CW supernatural comedy-drama series '' iZombie'' (2015-2019). In 2022, Goodwin portrayed Oscar Finlay in the Amazon Prime Video series ...
as A.D. Valburn *
Ryan O'Nan Ryan O'Nan (born March 25, 1982) is an American actor, writer, and director, best known for his role as King George in '' Queen of the South''. Career In 2009, O'Nan had a recurring role on the crime drama series '' The Unusuals''.Robert Wisdom Robert Ray Wisdom (born September 14, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Howard "Bunny" Colvin in ''The Wire,'' Norman "Lechero" St. John in ''Prison Break'', and Harold Conway in the 2021 Hulu movie '' Vacation Friends''. ...
as Terrence Burke *
Dana Delany Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television drama '' China Beach'' (1988–1991), for which ...
as Lydia Vecchio *
Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer. Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, C ...
as Sully * Pedro Armendariz Jr. as Gabriel Baez *
Michael McGrady Michael Steven McGrady (born March 30, 1960) is an American theater, film and television actor. He is known for playing Tom Matthews in Beyond. He is also an artist. Life and work McGrady was born in Federal Way, Washington, to Gloria, a hair s ...
as Robert Jude *
Andre Royo Andre Royo (born July 18, 1968) is an American actor, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins on the HBO crime drama series ''The Wire'', and his appearances on '' Fringe'', '' Party Down'', '' How to Mak ...
as Daniel Maldonado *
Jeff Chase Jeff Chase (born Jeffrey L. Sniffen; January 17, 1968) is an American film and television actor who played for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League. Chase was born in Paterson, New Jersey. Raised in Totowa, New Jersey and West Pate ...
as Angie * Jesse Pruett as Mercer Bartender * Anabelle Acosta as Cyn


Production

In February 2011, ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' announced that 50 Cent will play a lead role in the film. He will star as the "son of a slain NYPD officer who joins the force and welcomed by his father’s former partner into the ranks of his vice crime task force — and on to a team of rogue Gotham cops." A month later, '' Deadline'' reported that
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
and
Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his fil ...
had joined the film. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' announced in May of that year that
Dana Delany Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television drama '' China Beach'' (1988–1991), for which ...
would play a lead female role. 50 Cent said that he felt compassion for his character despite the character's ambiguous morality. That and other aspects of the film that he could identify with from his own experiences drew him to the project.


Release

''Freelancers'' had a limited release on August 10, 2012, and was released on home video on August 21, 2012. It was number six in the top ten DVD and Blu-ray rentals in the week of August 30, 2012.


Reception

The film received generally negative reviews from critics. R. L. Shaffer of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
rated it 3/10 and wrote, "Freelancers is a dull, lifeless cop drama built on cliches, powered by throwaway supporting performances from Forest Whitaker and Robert De Niro." William Harrison of
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
rated it 1.5/5 and wrote, "Freelancers gives its audience nothing it hasn't seen a hundred times before in better cop dramas. This tale of corruption and retaliation is predictable and largely uninteresting, and actors 50 Cent, Robert De Niro and Forest Whitaker do little more than go through the motions." Gordon Sullivan of
DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...
called it a derivative and forgettable cop drama with a good cast.


References


External links

* * {{Jessy Terrero 2012 films 2012 crime action films 2010s police films American crime action films Films about the New York City Police Department Films about police corruption Films set in New York City Films shot in New Orleans Lionsgate films MoviePass Films films Films directed by Jessy Terrero 2010s English-language films 2010s American films