John Cena recently surprised audiences with his performance in the HBO Max series, Peacemaker. The series followed the events of The Suicide Squad after Cena’s character, Peacemaker, was sent to the hospital. John Cena may be new to the world of TV but he’s been steadily acting in movies for a number of years now.
Letterboxd hasn’t gained the popularity that IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes has, but it’s generally considered a place for like-minded film fans to share their love of movies. John Cena had a rough start in movies if Letterboxd is anything to go by, but he has been trending upwards since then, for the most part.
Daddy’s Home 2 (2017) – 2.5
John Cena’s role in Daddy’s Home was a fairly small part when he drove up on his motorcycle as the biological father of Mark Whalberg’s stepdaughter. But the sequel brought the character back in a more substantial role. Daddy’s Home 2 sees Mark Whalberg and Will Ferrell’s characters having to deal with their own fathers during the holidays, and John Cena, who’s also trying to win his biological daughter’s affections.
Most users on Letterboxd felt the movie wasn’t as strong as the first. The larger cast seemed like a good idea, in theory, but the script wasn’t strong enough to support all the new characters. John Cena plays a muscle head father with a goofy side to him, which was his typecast for a while. While he’s not the standout of the movie, some praise has been directed his way since he brings a fun energy to the film.
F9: The Fast Saga (2021) – 2.6
The ninth entry in the Fast and Furious franchise, F9: The Fast Saga, sees Dom and his crew tasked with taking down a man who wants to use Project Ares to hack into every computer in the world. Dom’s long-lost brother, Jakob, arrives on the scene to throw a wrench in the crew’s plans. It’s revealed that after the death of their father, Jakob became a super-spy for Mr. Noboby before going rogue.
John Cena joins the cast of the film as Jakob Torreto, and while the film isn’t considered the best on Letterboxd, his inclusion was seen as a mostly positive thing. Cena believably plays the role of Dom’s estranged brother and the way they set him up for the future had Letterboxd users interested in him returning in a future film.
Sisters (2015) – 2.7
Sisters sees Tina Fey and Amy Poehler play two estranged sisters who are asked to clean out their childhood home before their parents sell it. During a party that Tina Fey’s character decides to throw, the two try and buy drugs from a muscled drug dealer played by John Cena.
The role that John Cena has in this film is pretty common for the type of roles he would have in his earlier acting years. There aren’t many reviews on Letterboxd that call out his performance, but since some have returned to the film, seeing Cena has been a surprise to those who haven’t seen it in a while.
Trainwreck (2015) – 2.8
Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck follows Amy Schumer as Amy Townsend, who doesn’t think that a committed relationship is possible. She’s a woman concerned mostly with her career and has been sleeping with John Cena’s Steven. Steven falls in love with Amy but is heartbroken to learn that she’s not who he thought she was.
While John Cena’s role isn’t a big one, he is considered one of the funniest characters in a Judd Apatow film. Even though he’s one of the guys Amy hurts along the way to finding what she wants, a few reviews on Letterboxd point to John Cena delivering a solid if underutilized performance.
Vacation Friends (2021) – 2.8
Vacation Friends stars Lil Rel Howery and Yvonne Orji as Marcus and Emily, a nice couple about to get married. Everything is thrown for a loop when a couple they met on vacation, Ron and Kyla, played by John Cena and Meredith Hagner respectively, show up unexpectedly.
Most users on Letterboxd were fairly indifferent to this film, but John Cena’s performance has been listed as the biggest highlight of the film, many times. His charm and comedic timing add to it, setting it above others in the genre.
The Wall (2017) – 3.0
Doug Liman’s 2017 single-location thriller, The Wall sports a small cast of three main characters: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, and Laith Nakli. The film is similar to Ryan Reynolds Buried, which was released a number of years earlier. John Cena’s Matthews gets shot down by an Iraqi sniper and Johnson, who plays his spotter tries to go and save him before he’s killed, only to be pinned down himself.
It’s a simple premise, and the trailers heavily feature Cena and Johnson, but some have expressed disappointment in the fact that Cena ended up not being in the movie as much as advertised. Outside of that, Letterboxd users found a lot to enjoy in this low-budget single-location thriller since it had some stellar performances.
Ferdinand (2017) – 3.1
Ferdinand is the story of a gentle bull who doesn’t want to fight, as he wants to be seen as a kind soul. The 2017 animated film is based on the classic 1936 children’s book by Munro Leaf and stars John Cena as the voice of the titular bull. Ferdinand is taken from his home when he’s mistaken for one of his ferocious cousins and he has to show everyone there is more to him than what they can see.
John Cena proved to be an effective voice actor, even though he wasn’t used to voice acting prior to this. Letterboxd users were surprised by this film overall, it’s charming and has a lot of humor and heart. The animation is pretty and there are enough fun and colorful characters that kept plenty entertained.
Blockers (2018) – 3.1
In the 2018 film, Blockers, three single parents learn about their daughter’s pact to lose their virginity on Prom night. Now the parents, played by Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz, are out to stop them. They get into all sorts of hijinks as they hilariously attempt to stop their daughters without being seen. Blockers is also considered one of Leslie Mann’s best films.
One of the things that have appealed about John Cena over the years, especially with his comedy, is how willing he is to throw himself into ridiculous situations. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in Blockers. John Cena fits right at home with the more seasoned comedians of the cast and is often the highlight, if Letterboxd reviews are anything to go by.
Bumblebee (2018) – 3.2
With the success of the five Michael Bay-directed Transformers films, a spin-off was inevitable. Finally, one came in the form of 2018’s Bumblebee. Bumblebee serves as a loose prequel to the five films that came before it. In it, Bumblebee, a powerful Transformer, is sent to Earth to await the arrival of the other Autobot survivors. While there, he meets and befriends a young girl named Charlie. He’s also pursued by John Cena’s Agent Jack Burns and a pair of Decepticon hunters.
Often considered the best of the Transformers films, Bumblebee invokes the same type of feelings that films like The Iron Giant do. It’s not the most groundbreaking film in the Transformers canon but it was a breath of fresh air coming off of the fifth film. One user even thinks John Cena should have won a Best Supporting Actor award for the film.
The Suicide Squad (2021) – 3.7
The latest film in the DC film canon sees Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn, take the reins. The Suicide Squad follows an all-star cast of b-list supervillains, including John Cena’s Peacemaker. The squad is tasked with taking out project starfish for Amanda Waller, which turns out to be Staro, the giant alien starfish. Peacemaker has other orders, however, which puts him at odds with his team.
Unfortunately for John Cena, this film isn’t high on his list solely because of him. While his performance as Peacemaker would go on to receive acclaim in the television spin-off Peacemaker, here, Cena plays the straight man to the others. He’s got some good action beats and his murder of Rick Flag is often pointed to as one of the highlights of the film, however.
