Product: The Marine (Unrated Edition) (2006)
Rating: 4.0
Cheesy, but surprisingly entertaining.
The Marine is a no holds barred action vehicle filled with cardboard characters and a plot straight out of an episode of the 1980's G.I. Joe cartoon. Yeah, there are plot holes, logic bombs and more cheesy dialogue than Kraft could put in a dozen commercials, but this doesn't stop the movie from being a lot of fun to watch.WWE wrestling superstar John Cena plays John Triton, a U.S. Marine who has been scapegoated and dishonorably discharged for disobeying an order from commanding officers and is making an adjustment to civilian life with his hot wife. He gets a job at a security firm where...he gets fired for disobeying an order. After this mishap he and his wife decide to go away where at a gas station they run afoul of some diamond smugglers who kill a cop and kidnap take his wife for a hostage so they can make their getaway. In the quest to get her back, Triton goes through car chases, explosions, and death defying scenarios. It's best not to take these too seriously; this is the kind of action movie where you turn your brain off and enjoy the show.Despite the logic holes, The Marine reminds me of the kind of old-fashioned action movie I used to watch back in the late 1980's-1990's like American Ninja or Ninja III: The Domination (WHY ISN'T THIS ON DVD YET!) Low budget movies that were full of over the top stunts, car chases, big explosions and cliché lines from the heroes. The kind of movie you turn your brain off for two hours and unwind with. The kind of movies I'd watch on a Saturday afternoon when I had nothing else to doJohn Cena is fun to watch as Triton, he has great charisma and a strong screen presence that keeps you watching in spite of the campy script. He shows the potential to be a solid B-action star in the not unlike Michael Dudikoff or Michael Pare. Kelly Carson is good as Triton's wife. She does the best she can with the weak script she's given. Robert Patrick takes his character way over the top The rest of the cast here is fodder for Triton to kill or beat up.If you catch this on TV one Saturday afternoon, after you've done the shopping or are coming back from a late night date don't miss it. The Marine is the perfect movie to kill some time or catch for a nightcap.