Movie Review: The Marine

* * * * * / 5

Action, Thrills and some good FUN!!!

Firstly, let me tell you that if you are an elite critic and watched this movie, ask yourself why. Do you even like the action-movie genre? No? Then don't waste our time by writing reviews about stuff you don't enjoy. We like it here and we like Hollywood. So astalavistababy.

For all WWE Fans and those who have come to see John Cena blow things up by more than just his fist - this is an awesome action flick. I too came to see this movie because I am a fan of WWF now known as WWE and because I admire John Cena as a person and not just as what we see him do inside the squared ring.

The first 5 to 10 minutes of the movie needs to be passed over. To be forgiven. It is not the best start to an action movie. And this is an out and out thriller of an action movie. But then Robert Patrick shows up and everything rocks and everything is cool again. Yes, I came to see Cena and got bowled over by Robert Patrick. Patrick carries this movie. I would say he saved the movie. Cena is great. He is our hero. And we cheer for him throughout the movie as he gets beat while trying to rescue his dear wife. But you can't help fall for Robert Patrick. He waltzes in all bad-a$$ and mean. He is ultra, uber-cool. He makes the badguy role come alive and give meaning to the whole story. As in any story, for the hero to be a hero, you need a strong adversary. We get that in the form of a team of criminals led by Robert Patrick.

The action is non-stop. As soon as the villain has done his first job in the movie - the action keeps up the tempo and we get big gunfights and bigger explosions. The crazy black dude routine is well played here by a henchman of Patrick. I was a bit disappointed with the truth behind the "rock candy story" - they should have made it as big as it sounded. But there is plenty of more fun in the movie. Some dark humour and Cena is incredible as he chases down the bad guys in the mandatory car chase sequence and then on in the swamps. This is thrilling from there till the very end. Some good hand-to-hand fights. Cena gets punished and he triumphs. The deviation with the 2 other crooks in the same swamp thinking Cena is a cop looking for them is also brilliant turn of events. More action. More a$$-kicking. The scenes with the explosion are very well shot.

The two big ones with Cena at the petrol pump explosion and him at the shack in the swamp exploding are incredibly well captured. You could feel Cena getting the fury of the fire. Awesome stuff. And Patrick is unstoppable too. He is determined and he has the wife as a leverage and hostage. There is the essential bad girl accompanying the villain, Patrick. She does a great job, better I think than the actress who plays Cena's wife. In all I would rate high the casting as the team of Patrick is well picked bunch of actors doing what they do best. These bad guys are worth cheering for.

Cena of course makes it to the climax. An epic one it is, involving a truck, a motorboat, explosions, fistfights, splattering of blood and the suspense of whether Cena's wife will survive this ordeal or not.

Watch this one and make sure you reload the popcorn.