Today’s quick review: Jarhead 3: The Siege. Corporal Evan Albright (Charlie Weber), an up-and-coming Marine, gets transferred to the security detail of a US embassy in the Middle East. There his hotshot attitude puts him on the wrong side of Gunnery Sergeant Pete Raines (Scott Adkins). But the Marines must put their differences aside when the embassy is attacked by Khaled al-Asiri (Hadrian Howard), a terrorist with a deadly amount of firepower.
Jarhead 3: The Siege is a budget action movie about a terrorist attack on a US embassy. Jarhead 3 follows in the footsteps of Jarhead 2, trading the introspection and anticlimax of the original Jarhead for more conventional patriotism and action. The movie does pack a fair amount of firepower for a budget flick, but not enough to stand out in a crowded genre. Combined with a weak story, this makes Jarhead 3 a movie with limited appeal.
Jarhead 3’s main failing is that it gambles on a shallow main character. Albright is meant to be a talented Marine who has to put his ego aside and learn to work with his squadmates. But the movie never figures out how to pull off this character arc, resulting in a weak setup that vanishes entirely when the fighting starts. The rest of the story is similarly bare-bones, a token plot that succeeds in moving the action along but doesn’t do much else.
Jarhead 3: The Siege has the sheer quantity of action to appeal to fans of the genre, but its plot and characters are lacking. Those just looking for a few firefights may want to give it a shot. Those looking for more impressive stunts, deeper characters, or an insightful war movie will want to steer clear.
For an intimate take on the life of a Marine, try Jarhead or Full Metal Jacket. For budget action in a similar vein, try Jarhead 2, Unlocked, or Close. For a drama about the aftermath of an embassy attack, try Rules of Engagement.
5.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for passable action but not much more.