Summary

John Cena’s critically panned movie The Marine has become a global hit on Netflix, with 7.6 million hours viewed and 5 million total views. Despite negative reviews, The Marine spawned a series of five direct-to-video sequels with WWE wrestlers in lead roles. The unexpected success on Netflix could potentially generate interest in the little-known film series.

One of John Cena’s many critically panned action movies, The Marine, has become a global hit on Netflix. Released in 2006, the action film follows a recently discharged marine attempting to save his kidnapped wife from a group of jewel thieves. The Marine, which was produced by WWE co-founder Vince McMahon, served as the professional wrestler’s acting debut, which was met with dismal reviews from critics, though it did launch a little-known film series consisting of multiple direct-to-video sequels.

Now, nearly two decades after its release, John Cena’s acting debut has become a global hit on Netflix. For the week of December 18-24, The Marine received 7.6 million hours viewed and 5 million total views, ranking 10th and marking its first week in Netflix’s Global Top 10.

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The Marine Launched A Film Series Despite Being Critically Planned

The 2006 action film, directed by John Bonito with a screenplay by Michelle Gallagher and Alan B. McElroy, received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The consensus was that The Marine is exaggerated in every imaginable way, though critics were divided in a sense, with some feeling the film took on a “so bad it’s good” quality, and others feeling the film was just flat-out bad. The Marine wasn’t a box office success either, grossing just $22 million against its $15 million production budget.

Yet somehow, The Marine managed to spawn a series consisting of five direct-to-video sequels starring WWE wrestlers in lead roles. The first sequel, The Marine 2, featured Ted DiBiase, Jr. in the lead role and was released in 2009. The next four sequels were released from 2013 to 2018 and subtitled Homefront, Moving Target, Battleground, and Close Quarters – all of which starred Mike “The Miz” Mizanin in the lead role. With John Cena’s The Marine unexpectedly making its way into Netflix’s Global Top 10, perhaps it could inspire interest in the little-known and unlikely film series.

The Marine currently isn’t available to watch on Netflix in the United States.

Source: Netflix