The Marine (2006)

Director: John Bonito

Writer: Michelle Gallagher, Alan B. McElroy

Composer: Don Davis

Starring: John Cena, Robert Patrick, Kelly Carlson, Anthony Ray Parker, Abigail Bianca, Jerome Ehlers, Manu Bennett, Damon Gibson, Drew Powell, Frank Carlopio

More info: IMDb


Plot: A group of diamond thieves on the run kidnap the wife of a recently discharged marine who goes on a chase through the South Carolinian wilderness to retrieve her.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again? Probably not.

I watch an awful lot of movies over the course of a year (in the hundreds) and I'm frequently pleasantly surprised.  This is one of those times.  It's a fun flick that confidently knows what it wants to be.  There's a nice blend of comedy and action although it's firmly an action movie.  Robert Patrick (as the lead villain, Rome) is hilarious and there's a GREAT Terminator gag that'll get a belly laugh out of you.  Cena does a good job as the action hero.  There's not much in the script for him to play with and throw out some charisma but it's a role that doesn't really require it.  One of Rome's henchman, Morgan (Parker), adds nicely to the picture with some fun comic relief.  He's even got a moment when tells a story that explains why he doesn't like camping and rock candy that goes from funny to sad in seconds.  There were a few jokes at his expense leading up to it but once you know the story it'll almost make you feel for the guy.   The action is plenty and it's paced well enough to keep you from looking at where your watch used to be.  It's a fun action flick that surprises me that it's got such a low IMDb score.  It deserves better.  Action fans should dig it.