The Marine: Critic Reviews

A delectably bad '80s-style actioner.

The Marine proves a poor showcase for the homeboy charisma Cena shows week in and out with the WWE.

A happy surprise.

The Marine will trigger a strong sense of deja vu for anyone who recalls the slapdash, slam-bang action fare that was standard-issue drive-in fodder during the 1970s.

Such bizarre touches remind one of the appeal of WWE televised bouts.

An unrepentant B-movie, The Marine features the sort of bare-bones plot that would in previous years have served as a vehicle for the likes of Charles Bronson.

It's not a good film by any practical standard, but The Marine is bad in just the right way, a mindless throwaway that's at least smart enough not to take itself too seriously.

It's a shame that The Marine did not receive a theatrical release in Australia. Not only was much of it shot here, but as an action popcorn adventure, it has reasonable merit.

Some crazed jewel thieves get trigger-happy in a gas station, and kidnap John Cena's wife. This is useful, as it adds the dangerous excitement of having an angry pro-wrestler chase them through South Carolina forests.

The story is minimal and the action is preposterous, but it doesn't try to be much else.

Derivative in the extreme, but some good stunt work and humorous touches make it a lot more tolerable than it could have been.

It has the air of garbage, but is kind of cute, despite the awful dialogue.

The Marine subscribes to the notion that there's no such thing as a gratuitous explosion.

It is not particularly a bad film. It is just nothing special.

Cena's dialogue is held to a monosyllabic minimum...

The Marine often feels like an oddball black comedy about a dysfunctional band of sociopaths, just masquerading as an action movie about one tough ex-Marine.