Welcome back to the over-the-top action movie days of the 1980s with the DVD release of The Marine – a film that has one huge explosion after the next, a totally unbelievable plot, and requires absolutely no brain activity to keep up with it.
The Marine is a decent action film for fans of the genre, but don’t expect anything to make it stand out.
Following on the heels of the somewhat successful horror film See No Evil (which also starred a wrestler turned actor), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) teams with Fox Home Entertainment to bring a film that features WWE champion John Cena (making his feature film debut), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2), and Kelly Carlson (“Nip/Tuck”).
John Triton is a tough as nails Marine who is also bullet-proof
It was directed by John Bonito (who has a history with the WWE and is also making his feature film directing debut). It was written by Michelle Gallagher and Alan B. McElroy (who also had a hand in writing Wrong Turn, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and Spawn).
The film’s plot is pretty straight forward – Marine John Triton (Cena) is discharged from the service following a mission where he disobeys orders (even though he saves the day), and returns home to start life as a civilian with his beautiful wife Kate Triton. While he is adjusting to his new life (there is a funny scene where he attempts to be a security guard), criminal Rome (Patrick) and his crew rob a diamond store, kill a few cops, and hit the road on the run. Rome is a somewhat controlled killer, but doesn’t think twice about murdering someone if they are in his way. Sadly, most of his crew are psychos and look forward to causing as much damage as possible (including blowing stuff up every chance they get).
It doesn’t take long for Triton and Rome to cross paths – which results in Triton’s wife being kidnapped; another explosion; and one huge unbelievable car chase where thousands of bullets are sprayed all over Triton’s car yet none make it into Triton. Believe me, Rambo has nothing on John Triton’s ability to leap out of an exploding building or dodge a bullet.
The movie’s pace stays pretty much at full throttle from the time Mrs. Triton gets taken, and focuses on Cena’s one man quest to get his wife back. Following the car chase, he tracks the group of killers through a swamp (huh?); slowly takes them out one by one (armed with just a knife); and even manages to get another big car chase in before the credits finally roll.
Robert Patrick is the typical action film villain
Along the way, Cena and company make sure the film is filled with plenty of one-liners (such as "This place smells like baked ass") that make it feel even more dated than the huge fireballs going off every 10 minutes. Like the plot, the filming is pretty much straight forward with nothing to really set it above the mediocre story.
Bonito delivers a decent action film for fans of the genre, but don’t expect anything to make it stand out. This movie has been done thousands of times before by action heroes like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Cena does a decent job in the film, but is a bit clunky as an actor from time to time. His performance is about on par with the wrestler Kane (who was the “star” of See No Evil), but lacks some of the natural charisma and talent that helped Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson make a successful transition from the ring to the screen. Robert Patrick provides some decent “bad guy” lines, but is pretty much wooden throughout the entire film. The role is not much of a stretch for him, and his performance pretty much comes across as cliché and predictable. Other than providing a pretty face, Carlson is forgettable in the film and sticks to the “damsel in distress.”
The Marine was simply made for the action fans who like mindless explosions, lots of big stunts, bigger fight sequences, and don’t really care about the acting (Cena is ok, but is clearly not quite ready for the big screen). On that level, the film succeeds in every requirement. It is a fun rollercoaster ride, and makes no apology for it.
The DVD comes loaded with special features -even if at times they feel like one big commercial. They include a standard “making of” look at the filming; a profile on Cena that details his rise in the WWE; a look at the training that he went through to get into role (which included a training day with real Marines); a feature on the movie’s premiere at Camp Pendelton; and some WWE promotional features.
The Marine features tons of explosions, but very little plot
The Marine is a film that has lots of big stunts, bigger explosions, but very little story. It is a throwback to the big action films of the 80s, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If you are looking for an over-the-top action movie that requires no thought, check out The Marine. From start to finish, the film is filled with enough excitement, explosions, and fight sequences that you can’t help but find some moment of entertainment.
The Marine is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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