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Whenever I am
asked where I go when I’m looking
for top-notch actors to fill very heady
and difficult roles, I never recommend Julliard.
I don’t suggest looking at the resumes
of Academy Award winning actors. I don’t
even tell people to check out the hungry
world of regional theater. Nope, I tell
them to check out the WWF – OOOPS!
I mean the WWE (The World Wildlife Federation
sure took care of that).
That’s right… World Wrestling
Entertainment churns out some of the best
actors the world has ever seen. After all,
we all know that every fight is no more
than a show, with the actors playing their
parts. (Living in Texas, I’m sure
I’ll get a beer can or two chucked
at my head for saying that.) Look at the
roster of talent that has made the leap
from the big ring to the big screen. Hulk
Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Triple H, Kevin Nash,
and Kane have all made their marks in the
annals of movie history.
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Even the great Tor Johnson was originally a professional
wrestler. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper earned
cult classic status with the line I came here
to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all outta
bubblegum." And who could forget Andre the
Giant’s wonderfully unforgettable performance
in “The Princess Bride.” Of course,
the most successful has to be The Rock…
oh, excuse me… Duane Johnson.
More recently a movie franchise has propelled
not one, but two professional wrestlers into the
silver screen limelight. In 2006, John Cena starred
in “The Marine” and took on a criminal
mastermind who had taken his wife hostage. Three
years later, we have Ted DiBiase as “The
Marine 2” (perhaps it should have been called
“Another Marine” or “Marine
Also” since he is a completely different
character). This marine however doesn’t
just go up against criminals, nope. He gets to
face off against a group of International Terrorists
who have taken over the island resort that happens
to employ his wife. (It’s just not safe
to be the wife of a marine according to these
flicks…) So, before you can say “Die
Hard,” DiBiase is taking down the terrorists
one at a time.
“The Marine 2” offers just what
you should expect from a lower budget action flick.
There’s plenty of fighting, guns, fighting,
explosions, yelling, fighting, and to top it all
off… a little fighting. DiBiase, as an acting
fighter by trade does an admirable job with the
action and fighting sequences. His acting is also
what you might expect as he acts just like a marine
whose wife has been taken hostage by International
Terrorists. Actually for the most part, the acting
throughout is on a level one would expect from
a movie of this type. The one real standout is
Michael Rooker who knows how to act like an old
army guy.
The recent Bluray release of “The Marine
2” offers a decent transfer overall, but
there does seem to be a problem with focus in
some scenes that do not seem directly related
to the transfer. The sound on the other hand is
quite up to the task of handling all of the loud
explosive scenes.
What is most surprising about this Bluray is
the large amount of extra features, considering
it isn’t a big budget blockbuster film.
Along with the obligatory deleted scenes, there
are featurettes about the final ‘big fight’
of the movie, the Muay Thai fight scene, how the
director set up the shots for the hostage takeover
and a look at the shooting locations. And if that
isn’t enough, you’ll also find additional
featurettes that focus on the director’s
style of working, Muay Thai fight outtakes, and
background on DiBiase’s family.
“The Marine 2” is a better than average
action flick. Not really sure it is worth buying,
unless you are a big WWE fan. But a rental and
a weekend beer party should make for a fun afternoon.
Directed by: Roel Reine
Starring: Ted DiBiase, Lara Cox, Michael Rooker,
Robert Coelby, Temuera Morrison
Extras: Deleted and Extended Scenes; Village Virtuoso
– The Final Fight; The Last Resort –
Inside the Terrorist Siege; East Meets West –
Muay Thai Fight; Production Paradise – Filming
in Thailand; Building a Legacy – Ted’s
Story; Play by the Roels; Muay Thai Fight Outtakes
Specification: 1080p (1.85:1); DTS HD Master Audio
5.1
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 12/29/2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13
We'll give The Marine 2 (Bluray) a C.
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