Despite being widely slammed by critics, WWE Films’ 2006 action/adventure movie, The Marine, is still WWE Films most successful picture to date (doing better in the home market than at cinemas; making $30 million in rentals in just its first twelve weeks of release) and has now been given a direct-to-video sequel starring the WWE’s own Ted DiBaise Jr. as the titular marine; Joe Linwood. Although the new marine movie is a sequel in name only, as it has nothing to do with the previous film (which placed professional wrestler John Cena in the lead role), and is actually inspired by the 2001 Dos Palmas kidnappings (albeit extremely loosely); which saw armed terrorists seize control of a luxury island resort and take twenty hostages in the process.
It begins by following Joe, a recon sniper, on his latest foreign mission (just to hammer home the fact that he is a marine and used to combat situations), before he gets some well earned downtime to spend with his wife Robin (Lara Cox, The Lost World), a high-flying assistant to Darren Connor (Robert Coleby, who actually played a completely different character in The Marine), an extremely wealthy man who’s about to open a fabulously luxurious island hotel in Southeast Asia.
Needless to say, after having a small amount of fun in the sun, not getting on too well with Robin’s arrogant boss, and coincidentally meeting a retired Army Ranger named Church (Michael Rooker, Jumper), on a scuba diving trip, it’s time for the hotel’s opening party which, like the rest of the film, goes with a bang; during a fairly impressive fireworks display, a well trained band of Asian terrorists storm the hotel, killing anyone who stands in their way, and taking the majority of hotel guests and party attendees hostage.
As luck would have it, Joe was taking a walk by himself when everything kicked off, and got dragged to safety by Church before all the explosions and gunfire could properly get to him, but before long he inserts himself into the government/military operation to rescue the hostages, as he is desperate to see his wife (who ended up as one of the hostages) safe and doesn’t fully trust in the capabilities of the local forces; so decides to storm the resort singlehandedly, regardless of whether or not the government employed mercenaries want him there.
What follows is a surprisingly good action flick, that sees Joe working not only by himself, but with the mercenaries, and employing a range of tactics to take down the terrorists; from stealthily sniping or sneaking up and knifing guards, to massive open gunfights and running some men over in a jeep, as well as some decent hand-to-hand combat, and a rather gruesome torture sequence that is likely to make plenty of viewers grimace. And the best thing is that all of these elements combine to ensure that the action never becomes stale or dull, as you are always watching something fresh feeling and new, that is fast paced, and fun to watch.
It’s also fun to watch Ted DiBiase Jr. taking on his role, as he delivers an unexpectedly great performance; it’s true that much of his dialogue is rather cheesy and clichéd (but then the whole film is essentially one giant action cliché), but he delivers every line as well as it can be delivered, and never once looks uncomfortable or out of place in front of the camera; in fact if you didn’t realize that he was a professional wrestler by trade, then there are no clues (aside from his physique) that give it away, and he is not only more proficient than John Cena, but easily on par with other action stars such as Fighting’s Channing Tatum.
Unfortunately the majority of the supporting cast don’t pull off their roles quite as convincingly, as while Lara Cox and Robert Coleby are serviceable (but forgettable) in their roles, and Michael Rooker (who’s generally a welcome addition in an action picture) is as good as ever as the reluctant Church, the head of the terrorist group (played by Temeura Morrison, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones) does a less than satisfactory job; as not only does he never once seem in control, but never feels truly believable as a character. Although he still fares better than the rest of his team, and the Asian actors that make up the government and military officials (aside from the head of the mercenary squad, who is clearly talented), as it is often truly difficult to make out what kind of emotion they are trying to convey, and many of their interactions play out like a badly dubbed Doritos advert.
And like a Doritos advert, the plot leaves something to be desired, as it brings nothing new to the genre whatsoever, and despite the odd bit of backstabbing and treachery, is always predictable and, has all been seen before. Thankfully however, whilst watching, that doesn’t matter in the slightest, as The Marine 2 delivers exactly what it promises, and more than most viewers would expect; a fast-paced, action-packed ride that is fun from the outset; as and for being inspired by true events, it is by no stretch of the imagination a true story, and shouldn’t need that moniker to sell, as it’s a solidly good action film, and whether or not it’s based entirely in reality shouldn’t matter if it’s entertaining, and it is.
The effects and fight scenes are also good for the most part (although some of the explosions do look rather fake, it’s clear in one section that wire work was used, and one of the hand-to-hand fights is pretty laughable), and are always pretty engaging, despite never feeling like the hero is in too much danger. They are also well choreographed and shot, just like the rest of the film, as director Roel Reiné (Deadwater) did a terrific job in providing the film with some unusual yet effective shots, and instilling the movie with a sense of style that isn’t generally reached by direct-to-video films.
In short, The Marine 2 has a lot of problems; a poor supporting cast, some dodgy effects, bad dialogue, and a predictable and clichéd plot (it’s Die Hard on an Island, Under Siege in a hotel, etc. etc.); but it is still, somehow, a great action film. True it would never have done that well had it had a theatrical release, but for a straight-to-DVD film the production values are great, and as long as it isn’t taken too seriously, The Marine 2 provides a good deal of fun, some quality action, and is a prime offering from WWE Films that is miles better than the original, and something that any action fan should enjoy.
Picture:
The picture transfer for The Marine 2 is a solid one, and one that should please its fans, as despite being quite grainy (an intentional aspect that comes from using 16mm film), the level of detail is generally quite good throughout, though it does tend to fluctuate somewhat during certain scenes. The colours also look great; whether it’s the subdued beiges of Joe’s foreign mission, the dark greens of the jungle, or the luscious deep blue of the ocean surrounding the island, contrast levels are always solid, and effectively showcase whatever’s on screen (the beach scenes in particular look very good); although they can be a little warm, and fleshtones do look slightly hotter than they would naturally.
Black levels however are superb, and extremely deep (the best example is seeing the swimming pool at night, which looks like a deep and endless pit of ink), although shadow detail is not as high as it could be, and there are many instances during the night sequences where it can be quite difficult to see exactly what’s happening.
It’s clear when watching that this isn’t a high-definition transfer (if you’re just looking for some good island visuals, try Couples Retreat on Blu-ray), and it does have a few issues (some people will be put off by the grain, and not being able to distinguish some of the night scenes does get a bit distracting) that means it isn’t on the same level as some of the larger studios more modern releases, but for a straight-to-DVD title, The Marine 2 looks fantastic.
Audio:
The audio (a Dolby Digital 5.1 track) is also fairly solid, and suitably aggressive; with gunshots and explosions sounding appropriately strong and violent, racing through the rear channels, and being delivered with some fairly deep bass. Dialogue is also well reproduced, always remaining crisp and clear, and the entire track is excellently levelled.
The track does have a couple of failings however, including the ambient noises of the island which, while they do exist, are often absent from the rear speakers, and in comparing it to other similar action movies; The Condemned for example (another WWE Films production), makes the audio for The Marine 2 sound extremely muted and not nearly action-heavy enough.
Overall however, the sound quality of The Marine 2 is very good, especially considering it’s a direct-to-video release, and while it may seem slightly subtle and muted in comparison to a few action films with bigger budgets, every one of the sounds it emits is well represented, and shouldn’t disappoint action fans; it just won’t blow their head off either.
Extras:
The special feature include some extended scenes (which only have minor dialogue changes and are easily skippable), two deleted scenes (that are hard to hear as the sound wasn’t properly finished, and are very take-them or leave-them, as they aren’t bad at all, but only show more of Joe and Robin’s relationship, and add little to the overall story), and a montage of deleted shots (which are introduced by director Roel Reiné, and consist of several minutes of unused shots; including everything from explosions and action, to beautiful island shots; accompanied by Trevor Morris’ heroic score, and is fun to watch, as much for the music as anything else), as well as outtakes from the Muay Thai fight sequence (just rough cuts of a fight scene that is still in the movie, and will only be interesting to hardcore fight fans, and dull for anybody else).
There’s also a collection of behind the scenes featurettes, discussing everything from designing the final fight sequence, to filming in Thailand, filming the initial terrorist siege, and preparing the film’s many fight sequences, and include interviews from many members of the cast and crew. There’s also a feature that focuses solely on Ted DiBiase Jr.’s legacy; as he moves from the WWE into making movies; and is one of the most interesting features included on any recent DVD release; featuring interviews from Ted Jr. and Sr., Vince McMahon (WWE Chairman), the director, and Lara Cox. All of which are extremely well made, broken down, and nicely paced, and are never a chore to watch as they are all informative, and interesting.
As with any DVD, there are going to be some extras that won’t be for everyone; here that’s the extended scenes, and Muay Thai outtakes; but the majority of bonus features on this disc are of exceptional quality, and would be of interest to not only fans of the WWE, or even really the movie itself, but contain plenty of information, and an interesting style, that should appeal to even the most casual viewers.
The Bottom Line:
The Marine 2 is a film that, by rights, shouldn’t be as good as it is; sure it’s not going to win any awards for originality, script, acting, or anything else for that matter, but it definitely succeeds where it counts; in making a simple and fun action film that anybody can pick up and watch with ease. There’s not much thinking involved, and true the film has been seen before, but it’s engaging and entertaining escapism at its best.
The supporting cast might be terrible, but Ted DiBiase emerges from the film having shown a clear talent for acting (he’s not the next De Niro, but still a capable action star), and excels in the action sequences, all of which are well choreographed and executed, and never become dull.
If you weren’t aware that this was a straight-to-DVD release, you would also be forgiven for not realizing it, as the picture and sound quality, although they have their issues, are both very good, and the extras included on the disc are of a stellar quality.
In short, The Marine 2 would be an excellent blind buy for any action enthusiast, and even any casual action fan that wasn’t too fond of the original, as this movie is far superior in just about every respect, and even though it’s not one to watch when you’re in a serious mood, it isn’t intended to be, and is a fun and amusing, action-packed, way to while away an hour and a half.
