Project-Blu 'The Marine 2' Blu-ray Review, By Nate Boss

The Marine 2

By: Nate Boss, 1.3.2010

The Movie Itself:
Project-Blu Points Bulletin (The PB PB)

Pro:
Plenty of action!
Painful stunt doubles? Not so much.

Con:
Some performances beyond wooden.
Some straggling moments, too far from action. Character development, in MY Marine 2?!?

The WWE has been a stable for Hollywood (and vice versa) when they need a young male with great physical prowess. Modern wrestlers have had to learn the ability to cut promos, interact with opponents with their mind rather than just their body, so the transition from sports entertainer to entertainer has been all too easy to exploit.

The WWE knows what they have, they're no dumbies. Hence, WWE Films. Their creations have been less than golden (The Condemned, See No Evil, Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, and so on), but they must be making somehow, and, more importantly, they're entertaining their target audience, while exposing their branding and stars to a broader market.

One of the WWE Film productions, The Marine, starring superstar John Cena, must have been HUGE in Venezuela, as a direct-to-video sequel was made. The star has been changed, with young buck Ted DiBiase Jr. (that's right, the son of the Million Dollar Man) taking the wheel of this crashed school bus. Can a performer who cannot star on his own two feet put this runaway vehicle back on track, or will he just send it careening off a cliff?

After a successful deployment that brought down a high profile terrorist, Marine Joe Linwood (DiBiase, Jr.) is given a few weeks leave, in which he is to accompany his wife Robin (Lara Cox) to a tropical island resort where she planned a large event. Seeing as this IS an action movie, the pair don't have much time to soak up the scenery, as a group of terrorists raid to compound, taking everyone hostage.

Everyone, that is, but Joe. With a retired army explosives expert (Michael Rooker) not so much at his side, and the entire island government fearful to act, Joe has to take on the entire terrorist group, led by Damo (Temuera Morrison, Jango Fett from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones), save the hostages, and prevent a much larger conflict. The man who normally has partners and spotters by his side must do it alone. Trust no one, kill every one. Go Joe!

I have to wonder, why, why, WHY, of all the contracted talent to pick from, possibly the least charismatic and most unmarketable "star" was picked for The Marine 2. Did they want him off the air for a month, while the movie was filmed? Did even "Festus," "Hornswaggle," and "Santino Marella" turn it down, hence the 85th best option was gone with? This young man has no draw, none. No real championships or merchandizing. His on air role? A freaking lackey, a jackal, a second rate performer who can't cut a promo, who looks generic, has a generic wrestling move set, and only "strives" due to being written in as a helper for one of the main eventers for the company.

My concerns with The Marine 2 (yes, I went in with trepidation. I did, after all, watch The Marine) centered solely on how well the young DiBiase would be in his first non-WWE role. While he was as to be expected, the strength of the story actually made up for it, making the movie actually very watchable, possibly even rewatchable, and quite a few times better and more entertaining than its predecessor. DiBiase Jr. is a distraction, though, with a few shots showing his complete lack of understanding of film, with a prolonged "THIS IS MY SERIOUS FACE" moment that had me nearly in stitches.

The acting may be subpar, and unbelievable, a bit overdramatic, but the action more than makes up for it. Fight sequences are long, with extended shots, showing a great amount of work put into the choreography. The hand to hand is believable, though, ridiculous in the context of the film. The gun fights are solid, and the tension constant. That's what I wanted from the film, and that's what I got.

The Marine 2 isn't going to set the world on fire, and will not create a starring actioner spot for years to come for DiBiase Jr., but everything the film sets out to accomplish, it succeeds at. WWE films doesn't have the best track record, but their eye for entertaining audiences, rather than critics, shows.
Rating: 5/10

The Presentation:
What 'The Marine 2' lacked in subtlety as a movie, it more than....wait, no. The AVC MPEG-4 encode (at 1.78:1, in 1080p) is in your face, to the point that you taste its sweat, and can feel the machismo gushing out from its pores. The Marine (part 1) had its problems visually (MPEG-2, anyone?), but they're much less pronounced here.

Skin tones are natural as can be, throughout the entire film. Colors aren't amazingly powerful or deep, but they certainly are full bodied. Fine object detail is strong, to the point that fake CG debris from explosions stands out like horrible sore thumbs. The film has an average grain level, which goes ape shit during night sequences (aka the entire second act), then back normal again.

The picture has average depth, but a nice three dimensional quality in day shots. Facial features are ridiculously detailed. You never knew Dibiase had so much character! (Get it? Get it?) Stray hairs pop, as edges are natural and clean. Establishing shots are a tad underwhelming and unnatural, standing out from the rest of the film. There's some aliasing, and some blurring, partially the fault of a juttery, jarring camera effect used a bit too often. Delineation is a problem in the dark second act, but not in the other two portions of the film. Sometimes there's a light smudge which may be a bit of the ol' dee enn arr, but it could just be from the off camera movement. A respectable transfer. Couldn't really expect much more.

To prove that 'The Marine 2' has the most massive case of roid-rage in history, I'd like to bring into evidence the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. You'd halfway expect the Hulk, or the Thing, or Lobo, or any other massively ripped psychotic "hero" to be in charge here, as things are so far over the top any arena roof would be blown off.

From the start, you know what kind of track you're in for. Technically, since you're going in to a WWE action film, if you didn't already know, you really shouldn't be watching. Bass levels are freaking insane, with score going BOOM FUCKING BOOM! Explosions go BOOM REALLY FUCKING BIG BOOM! Gunfire goes BAP BAP BOOM!!!!! Dialogue goes...wait...funnily enough, dialogue isn't hurt by the mix. There is some feedback issues, and some weird lines, but for the most part, each and every bad line is delivered clearly, so you can tell the lack of talent or enthusiasm in the actors. It struggles for its piece of the pie, but it's there.

Directionality is solid, as is motion and localization. Gunfire rips through the room, to the point I wish the film had more (really, it did need a bit more gunfire). The high range is used quite well, especially in the opening sniper fire. My. God. Atmosphere and ambiance hit rears plenty, though dialogue stays front and center. Honestly, this track is freaking good, just one of those cases where too much of one thing can affect others, a lack of real balance. It's a fun listen, for sure. You will NOT fall asleep watching this film, even if you're a tad bored.
Rating: 8/10 (video score: 7.8/10, audio score: 8.7/10)

The Extras:
The Marine 2 has a lingering timeline, that will stay on screen long after you resume play if you happen to pause. A word to the wise: don't pause. Extras include:

Extended Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Making the Cut: Deleted Shots Montage
Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Muy Thai Fight Outtakes
PMT- 'Jennifer's Body,' 'Family Guy: Something, Something, Something, Dark Side' 'Gentlemen Broncos,' an outdated trailer for 'Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia,' and '12 Rounds.'
Rating: 4/10

Overall:
As I was writing this review, thinking of other WWE contracted talent to discuss as more marketable than Ted DiBiase Jr., I thought about Hornswaggle, the Irish midget character. How awesome would it have been if he were married to the hot girl, and took on a legion of terrorists? How great would it be to see him bobbing through water, frantically trying to pull men above down to kill, yet he couldn't reach? How funny would it be him escaping handcuffs due to his size, and constantly being missed due to his small stature? WWE Films, please heed my call, bring in a midget Marine for The Marine 3.

The Marine 2? Oddly enough, I found it perfectly enjoyable, loaded with solid action. The Blu-ray has solid technical prowess to boot. This one will get some shit due to being related (in name alone) to The Marine, but it is superior in nearly every way. Sure, both stars have the charisma God gave a pile of elephant shit, but they LOOK the part, at least.
Rating: 7/10