Starring: John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick
Director: John Bonito
2006 | 92 Minutes | PG-13
“Training…covert reconnaissance, close quarters hand-to-hand combat, demolition. Not a high call in the work place for skills like that, Joe.” – John Triton
The Marine holds the distinction of being only one of three WWE Films releases that actually made money. Its easy to see why as it is a solid action release.
John Triton (John Cena) is a marine who is discharged after disobeying orders in order to save some of his fellow Marines in Iraq. When he and his wife, Kate (Kelly Carlson), decide to go out of town they cross paths with a group of diamond thieves led by Rome (Robert Patrick). Rome & gang abduct Kate and run from the police and from John Triton. Triton chases the gang through South Carolina to get his wife back.
John Cena is great in The Marine. Sure he isn’t the greatest actor but he does ok. Where he does excel is the action and fight scenes. He is a natural. John Cena takes an exorbitant amount of punishment but doesn’t show much more than a few scratches. If The Marine had gone for an R rating I would have expected Cena to be a bloody mess by the end of the movie. Cena performs three perfect swan dives into water throughout the movie, once from an exploding car and twice from exploding buildings. The Marine is filled with huge explosions that, while CG, still look great. John Cena even performs the song that plays while the credits roll at the end of the movie, “If It All Ended Tomorrow”.
Robert Patrick plays another great villain with Rome. As the leader of the gang of diamond thieves he has no problem double crossing his partners, killing his friends and doesn’t seem to care whether his girlfriend lives or dies. The only thing he cares about is the money.
The Marine plays out like a 2000s version of Commando. The only difference is it is Triton’s wife instead of his daughter. The movie gets to the action quick and keeps it up all the way through to the very end. The pacing is great. There is never a dull moment.
It isn’t original, there aren’t deep/complex characters and it doesn’t cause you to look deeper into yourself but The Marine sure is a lot of fun and that is what movies are supposed to be about. I am actually surprised that Cena hasn’t been featured in more action movies by now.
Action Movie Fanatix 