The Marine parents guide

The Marine Parent Guide

Overall C-

John Triton (John Cena) is a discharged Marine who will stop at nothing to get his wife (Kelly Carlson) back after she is kidnapped by some trigger-happy jewel thieves. And the screenplay is equally determined to pack as much action, bullets and explosions as possible into this movie showcasing a former WWE wrestling celebrity. (Plot, however, is optional.)

Release date October 12, 2006

Violence D+
Sexual Content B-
Profanity C-
Substance Use B

Why is The Marine rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Marine PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, sensuality and language

Run Time: 93 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Coming home from combat can be a tough transition. Highly trained and fresh from an Iraqi battle zone, John Triton (John Cena) has been discharged after disobeying orders when he single-handedly rescued three fellow officers from an Al Qaeda terrorist group. Now the war vet is stuck behind a desk working as a security guard in a large office building.

However, his cushy civilian life takes a turn when a gang of trigger-happy jewel thieves kidnaps his wife Kate (Kelly Carlson) during a gas station stop. While the fueling station burns in the background, John pulls an injured state patrolman out of his cruiser and heads after the escaping criminals.

Barreling down the highway, the speeding cars tear through heavy traffic and nearly clip a crew of construction workers before one of the vehicles crashes over the side of cliff. From there, snakes, alligators and the South Carolina marshlands add to the tension as the bandits try to escape on foot. But John, armed with a huge assault knife, tracks the depraved heist leader (Robert Patrick) and his dwindling group of thugs through the southern bayou.

Like the discharged soldier in the film, WWE wrestler John Cena is undergoing a transition from the mat to the big screen. Following the career path of WWE champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who tested his acting skills in films like The Mummy Returns, The Rundown and Gridiron Gang, Cena takes on the role of a super action hero.

Unfortunately the exploits in this filmsometimes feel as staged as a professional wrestling match with slow-motion camera angles, a stirring musical score and the exaggerated indestructibility of the muscular hero who is beaten, kicked, shot at and simultaneously attacked by a whole host of brutes. His foolhardy actions, like running with a knife, are also anything but exemplary.

Individuals and property become as disposable as spent bullet shells to the lawbreakers who make a habit of torching every crime scene they are involved in, leaving a sky-high plume of smoke to alert law officials of their whereabouts. The script also contains brief sexual comments, some foreplay between a married couple and repeated profanities, including a strong expletive.

While this tough-minded Marine locks on his target like a land-launched missile, the movie’s excessive violence and the far-fetched abilities of this one-man recovery unit make this film fizzle before it hits the mark.

Starring John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick. Running time: 93 minutes. Theatrical release October 12, 2006. Updated

The Marine
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Marine rated PG-13? The Marine is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violent action, sensuality and language

As long as viewers take this film with a large grain of salt, the over-the-top antics of an action hero bent on rescuing his wife are tolerable. Unfortunately for many families the violence factor won’t be. Characters, including innocent bystanders, are beaten, shot at close range with automatic rifles and hand-held missiles, tossed through glass windows and thrown from a moving semi. The crooks in this film also have a penchant for blowing things up like gas stations, police cruisers and fishing lodges. One fire results in a man being horrifically burned. The script contains profanities and an extreme expletive, sexual comments including references to homosexuality and child abuse, depictions of a married couple passionately kissing in their underwear and a woman dropping her clothes.

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The Marine Parents' Guide

One of the thugs hates the idea of having to drive a minivan for his getaway car. How can a car, clothes or other material possessions affect a person’s self-image?

How does the film justify vigilantism? Who are the “bad guys” in the movie? Is there ever a time when taking the law into your own hands is defensible?

How does greed affect relationships between characters in this film? What does the gang leader’s girlfriend (Abigail Bianca) feel she has to do to keep his attention? How does he value human life in comparison to the diamonds?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Marine movie is January 29, 2007. Here are some details…

The Marine takes the DVD market by storm in three editions: The Marine (as seen in theaters), The Marine (the unrated version) and The Marine (in Blu-ray). The theatrical and Blu-ray presentations come with only the theatrical trailers for bonus material.

But the Unrated edition is fully loaded. Providing both the cut and uncut versions of the film, this DVD also packs the following featurettes: The Making of The Marine, World Premiere at Camp Pendelton, Stuck in the Elevator and WWE Promotional Features. Fans of the film’s star will also get to know every thing about him with: John Cena Profile, John Cena Military History, Cena Basic Training, Cena’s Aussie Day Of. Audio tracks are available in English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in English and Spanish.

Related home video titles:

Robert Patrick, who plays the diamond thief in The Marine, also stars as the father of country music icon Johnny Cash in the film Walk the Line. As well, he has a role in the fireman story Ladder 49.