The resort where Joe Linwood (DiBiase) and his wife are staying is violently overrun by extremists and many of the visitors are rounded up and held for ransom. While the government forces bide their time, a group of mercenaries are sent in to try and diffuse the situation. Joe, having escaped capture, accompanies the group as they walk right into a trap. Only Joe and the leader of the group manage to avoid being killed. Joe, still desperate to rescue his wife, seeks the aid of Church (Michael Rooker), a retired army explosives expert who has taken up residence on the island. Against overwhelming odds and constant threat of betrayal, Joe stages a one-man assault, determined to free the hostages or die trying.
The Marine 2 is about what I expected in a follow-up movie. DiBiase, in his first lead-acting role, is passable, but generally underwhelming. The plot was very predictable, with little in the way of surprises. Even the "twists" are easily spotted ahead of time by an observant viewer. The action scenes are decent, with special effects that are sometimes fantastic, sometimes over-the-top CGI. This movie provides a good example of where the high definition of Blu-ray actually acts as a detractor, as some of the digitally-enhanced explosions become readily apparent even on a modest 42" screen. There are some decent fight scenes, but I did find myself questioning some sequences. For an example, when an unarmed marine, in the midst of a fire-fight, manages to eliminate an armed opponent, why in the world would he proceed to the next opponent without first arming himself with the weapon from the first foe?
The Blu-ray version of The Marine 2 offers a bevy of bonus features. These features include the standard behind-the-scenes fare, deleted and extended scenes and a biographical mini-documentary on Ted DiBiase's family history. There is enough here to significantly extended the experience of interested parties and, all of the features are moderate in duration, allowing for viewing without significant time investiture. All criticisms aside, anyone watching this movie likely already knows what's in store and it is a decent offering. It certainly isn't the worst WWE film that I've seen (See No Evil wins that award easily), but it isn't the best either. If you are a WWE fan, this is clearly a showcase for one of the up-and-coming stars of the sport/business. For action fans, you can certainly do worse with some other straight-to-video offerings that are currently in stores, so if you are bored, The Marine 2 might be worth consideration.
