On this edition of Direct to DVD Dissection, it’s a direct to DVD sequel to a nealy 10 year old film, starring COLE HAUSER. Yes, that is his real name. This is actually not a review of the film, it’s just an excuse to say COLE HAUSER.
COLE HAUSER!
The Story
Battle-scarred and disillusioned by the war, Corporal Chris Merriman is put in charge of a unit whose next mission is to resupply a remote outpost on the edge of Taliban-controlled territory. While driving through the hostile Helman province, a Navy SEAL flags down their convoy and enlists the unit on an operation of international importance: they must help an Afghan woman famous for her defiance of the Taliban escape the country. Without tanks or air support, Merriman and his team will need all the courage and firepower they can muster to fight their way across the war-torn country and shepherd the woman to safety.
The Bullets
-Released on August 19,2014
-Runtime: 104 minutes.
-Released by Universal Studios
-Languages are English & Spanish, with subtitles in French & Spanish
The Dissection
COLE HAUSER!!!!!!!!!
…..Moving on.
The original JARHEAD was a film that was a modest hit when it was released in 2005. It was a memoir of a soldier and his experiences during the course of a tour of duty during the Gulf War, and a bit on the perils and turmoils on being in the military machine.
JARHEAD 2, meanwhile, is not based on anything, and is more a stand alone action story, and is very much a more straightforward portrayal of the military in this film. None of the characters from the first film are involved in this film, and the local and even the war are different from the first film. It is reminiscent of overseas films that are given the title of unofficial sequels to films. It’s a film that feels like it would have been released under a different title if the person in charge of releasing this on film had not found the license to JARHEAD and slapped the title on this and made it an instant sequel.
While the film is more a sequel in name only, it doesn’t adequately reflect on the film’s quality. The movie itself is actually a pretty good film in it’s own right. It also seems to be one of the better DVD films to be released revolving around a military mission. The film follows this burned out Corporal (played by Josh Kelly), who leads this mish-mash team of soldiers into this mission, and he gets sidetracked by Hauser’s Navy Seal character by the name of Fox. Some characters die off, and you have the main character trying to reignite his spirit in the face of insurmountable odds. The acting Iin the film ends up pushing the movie up to a bit above average. The plot, while basic, tells Iitself well enough to help keep the interest during the hour and a half runtime.
The Verdict
While not the best film to wear the title, JARHEAD 2 does bring a few interesting moments to make a viewing worth the investing.
Plus, COLE HAUSER!
(That is just fun to say)