Professional wrestlers have a long history of exploring the domain of the silver-screen. The secret that good wrestlers must also be "good" actors in the ring is well known, but few of these incredibly gifted athletes have made a successful transition to the cinema acting. Some, such as Jesse "The Body" Ventura and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, have been able to pull off some decent movies in both supporting and lead roles. The recent success of personalities, most notably Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has promoted a new surge in this cross-over venture. WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) not only supports this, it is now taking an active role, producing movies in which its superstar wrestlers hold the leading roles. Since 2003, WWE Studios has produced six movies that have seen nationwide theatrical release and one straight-to-video offering. Several of these films have received decent reviews from movie-going audiences; titles such as The Rundown, Walking Tall and 2006's The Marine, starring John Cena. WWE is following up on this success by releasing its eighth feature-length film, a straight-to-video follow-up to Marine. The Marine 2 stars Ted DiBiase (son of the former WWF superstar of the same name) as a member of the USMC who meets his wife on a tropical island for a little R&R. Of course, it would be a boring movie if not for a group of separatists who take offense at the encroachment of outside cultures and influences.

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.