Release: Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem

Genre: Action/Comedy

Director: Shane Black

Writers: APJ & Chad Taylor

Based on the video game series

Cast: John Cena, Walker Scobell, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Hannah Kepple, KJ Apa, Carl Weathers, Famke Janssen, Ken Jeong, Katrina Bowden, Callie Haverda

Budget: $100,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $408,493,500

Foreign Box Office: $292,033,339

Total Profit: $309,550,888

Reaction: The first starring role in LRF for John Cena (after a handful of supporting roles) has become a pretty big hit - the highest grossing R-rated film in LRF history to be precise. It's probably safe to say that his days as a supporting player in LRF productions is over....

"Duke Nukem is a rollicking joy to watch from start to finish. The script from APJ and Chad Taylor found the perfect way to make a character like Duke Nukem work for modern audiences. This story is tailor made for director Shane Black and star John Cena. There's never a dull moment in this one, with the film jam-packed with action and humor. The plot itself is mostly inconsequential as what the film is really about is the surrogate father-son relationship developed my Dylan and Duke which is not only hilarious at times, but also almost sweet." - Francis McLaughlin, The Guardian​

"In a manner reminiscent of other work from the underappreciated Shane Black, APJ & Chad Taylor ingeniously create a film from a video game that many believed was inadaptable. Despite a somewhat sluggish midpoint, the movie regains its momentum eventually. John Cena's performance stands out, proving that he's an actor to watch. His dynamic with his co-star Walker Scobell is remarkable, leading an electrifying final act that left me wanting more. All in all, it's a summer blockbuster that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best." - Clara O'Boyle,  Irish Times

"When I heard about this one and recognized the writers, I didn't know what to expect heading into it. Were we getting a straight up Duke Nukem adaptation, or we going to get something different. Duke Nukem was the latter, giving us a retelling of Last Action Hero set in a Duke Nukem universe. Certainly an ode to the 90s, I think fans of the games, the time period and its movies would undoubtedly be entertained. And for this film, John Cena was perfectly cast in the titular role. Don't expect it to light the genre on fire though cuz it does hit a few tropes that have happened so many times before with varying degrees of success. Fun for those who grew up on Duke Nukem and Last Action Hero, but if neither of those do it for you, you may feel left out of the fun." - Sherman J. Lovitz - USA Today

Rated R for violence, language and sexual content/nudity