Wizard-8 Review of The Marine 5: Battleground

The Marine 5: Battleground (2017 Video)

It needed a lot more spark

[9 December 2017]

I've now seen all five entries of this movie series, and after watching this fifth entry, I think that the series is really starting to show fatigue and needs to be either retired or put on moratorium for an extended period. I'm not saying that this entry is terrible or bad - it's never boring, for one thing. But at the same time, it is really missing serious juice to be really engaging. There are some pretty good hand to hand combat sequences that work well because they feel both realistic and exciting. But outside of those sequences, the movie doesn't engage the viewer. Most of the first hour of the movie is set in an underground parking structure, a backdrop that is pretty dull looking and doesn't exactly present potential for explosive action. And the first hour really needed a lot more action than what you actually get. Things pick up a little in the last half hour, but it isn't enough to save the movie. I'd say give it a pass, unless you can't find a better action movie.