The Marine 2 (2009) Ted DiBiase Jr., Temuera Morrison, Lara Cox, Robert Coleby, Michael Rooker, Kelly B. Jones Movie Review

The Marine 2 (2009)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Lara Cox and Ted DiBiase Jr. in The Marine 2 (2009)

This Marine is Die Hard

U.S. marine Joe Linwood (Ted DiBiase Jr.) has got a couple of weeks leave and was looking forwards to getting back home to Michigan to be with his wife Robin (Lara Cox). Unfortunately Robin is due to assist her millionaire boss with the opening of his new luxury, eco friendly hotel and as such Joe ends up going with her rather than returning home. It is on the hotel's tropical island location they meet former soldier Church (Michael Rooker) who shares some secrets of the island with them including a hidden tunnel. But when things kick off with a group of terrorists taking over the hotel in order to get tribute, Joe finds himself using his training to bring them down and save his wife.

Imagine a world where Bruce Willis didn't run around in a grubby vest shouting "yippee ki yay", I know it is hard to do but I wonder whether we would have had all the "Die Hard" knock offs which have shown up over the years. I say this because "The Marine 2" is another one of those movies where in this case we have a marine in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to take down a group of terrorists who swarm over an island hotel he just happens to be at. Even when it attempts to be different it only ends up drawing on other movies with a standard opening action scene full of slow motion gun fire and there is even a scene which is a take on the classic kissing in the waves scene from "From Here to Eternity".

But what "The Marine 2" lacks in originality it makes up for in action which is clearly where most of the movie's budget was spent. But whilst watching Joe run around, taking down bad guys and so on is entertaining there is nothing which stands out about the action as being either original or spectacular. What does stand out is the casting of Ted DiBiase Jr. who took the role after original choice Randy Orton ended up injured. Now Ted DiBiase Jr. is not a great actor but he doesn't bring any baggage with him from his wrestling career and as such the character of Joe, whilst basic, is quite likeable as he doesn't have a big personality.

What this all boils down to is that "The Marine 2" is simply an enjoyable action movie which features a "Die Hard" style storyline. In truth this is the sort of movie you end up watching late at night when you have nothing better to watch.


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