The Marine 5: Battleground Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "The Marine 5: Battleground" provides a reasonably robust 1080p transfer, maintaining a consistent 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The film's digital origin lends it a glossy, somewhat flat visual aesthetic, typical of WWE productions. Predominantly shot in low-light settings such as dimly lit bars, carnivals at night, and subterranean parking garages, the video maintains commendable detail fidelity in well-lit close-ups, where facial stubble and make-up effects are rendered sharply. The leather jackets display intricate textures of dirt and creases well, although overall depth remains subdued.

Despite the generally reserved visual palette, sporadic bursts of color vibrancy punctuate certain scenes. Bright yellow accents and neon signs offer occasional pops of color, while red blood in later scenes stands out distinctly. Black levels hold well throughout the film, staying deep and avoiding crush even in complex black-on-black scenarios. However, the color grading tends towards a muted spectrum with scenes in the parking garage exhibiting a notable yellowish hue. Flesh tones are mostly accurate but occasionally veer into vagueness due to the subdued color scheme.

Technically, the transfer does exhibit some minor flaws. Noise spikes appear intermittently in darker scenes, and there is noticeable banding in select areas. However, issues such as aliasing are effectively mitigated, providing an adequately clean image. While not visually striking or particularly attractive due to its inherent production choices, the Blu-ray's transfer manages to capture the movie's intended visual style faithfully without significant deviation.

The audio presentation of "The Marine 5: Battleground" features a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that caters effectively to its action-packed scenes. This soundtrack does an admirable job of balancing the multitude of elements inherent to this genre. While the music score is somewhat underwhelming, often overshadowed by the dominant sounds of motorcycle engines, it still manages to contribute to the overall suspense of the film. Despite some early struggles with gunfire clarity and dialogue intelligibility during a bar scene, the audio stabilizes as the movie progresses. The parking garage sequences showcase remarkable surround usage, providing natural echoes and reverbs that pull the audience into the scene convincingly. Ambient noises from bikers and other motorcycles are well-distributed through the rear speakers, adding to the immersive experience.

Action sound effects in "The Marine 5: Battleground" are robust and dynamic, particularly the punchy gunfire and visceral impact sounds of punches and kicks. The mix demonstrates good directionality, ensuring that effects like reverb and echo within confined settings such as the parking garage are impactful and enveloping. Motorcycle engines deliver impressive bass that resonates through the soundstage. Dialogue clarity is mostly commendable, with issues rectified after the initial bar scene sequence, ensuring that conversations remain crisp and free from unwanted noise artifacts such as pops, cracks, hisses, or shrills. Overall, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix provides a satisfying and immersive audio experience suitable for an action-oriented film like "The Marine 5: Battleground."

The Blu-ray release of "The Marine 5: Battleground" features a succinct yet informative extras section, offering viewers an insightful look into the making of the movie. The featured extras delve into behind-the-scenes aspects, including the shooting locations, characterization, and the collaboration amongst the WWE ensemble cast. Through cast and crew interviews, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and film clips, audiences gain a better understanding of the production dynamics and the practical stunts executed within the film. While concise, these featurettes efficiently capture the essence of the movie's creation and the camaraderie among the WWE superstars involved.

Extras included in this disc:

• Evening the Odds: A quick look at shooting locations, characters, firearms, and the movie's visual texture.
• Superstar Studded: A closer look at the WWE ensemble cast.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

The Marine 5: Battleground assembles an impressive cast of WWE Superstars, spearheaded by The Miz. However, despite this star-studded roster, the film struggles to deliver on its potential. The plot follows EMTs Zoe (Anna Van Hooft) and Jake (The Miz) as they respond to a gunshot victim call. They soon find themselves entangled with a revenge-seeking biker gang in a dreary parking garage setting. The narrative attempts to escalate from dimly lit fights to a tepid climax at a deserted amusement park but perpetually falls short, hindered by monotonous backdrops and unimaginative action sequences.

The confined setting of an underground parking garage offers little excitement, creating a dull visual experience that significantly hampers the movie's pace. Even when the scene shifts to an amusement park, the film fails to capitalize on the environment’s potential for thrilling sequences. The shootouts and fistfights play out in predictable and tedious manners, culminating in an uninspired finale.

The WWE stars deliver mixed performances; The Miz's portrayal of Jake fluctuates from an empty shell in the beginning to a more convincing action figure as the plot progresses and his character becomes increasingly battered. Unfortunately, Bo Dallas, who leads the biker gang, does not convincingly embody the menacing biker persona needed. While other WWE stars fulfill their roles adequately, they remain largely disposable.

Overall, despite moments of solid action and The Miz's physical transformation into his role, "The Marine 5: Battleground" is bogged down by lackluster settings and a formulaic storyline. Enthusiasts might still appreciate seeing their favorite WWE faces, but the film offers little surpassing basic action thrills.

"The Marine 5: Battleground" delivers a mixed bag of results for action movie aficionados and WWE enthusiasts. The film centers around a paramedic drawn into a perilous situation, tasked with saving the life of a stranger amidst a myriad of adversaries. Unfortunately, while the premise holds promise, the overall execution falters. Dreadful settings, lackluster action sequences, and uninspired performances plague this installment. However, it's pivotal to highlight that the script bears most of the blame for these shortcomings, rather than the cast.

In terms of technical quality, Sony's Blu-ray release effectively preserves the visual and auditory integrity of the film. Both video and audio presentations are stable and proficiently executed, enhancing the viewing experience despite the film's narrative deficiencies. Nevertheless, the supplementary content included is minimal and unremarkable, adding little value to the overall package.

Conclusively, "The Marine 5: Battleground" may find its niche audience among die-hard WWE fans and those who appreciate straight-to-video action flicks. However, it markedly pales in comparison to its predecessors in the Marine franchise. With its subpar execution and uninspired direction, this movie sets a less favorable precedent for future installments. While it may entertain devoted fans, others might find it advisable to skip this entry.