Today’s quick review: Jarhead: Law of Return. With just five months to go until retirement, Gunnery Sergeant Dave Torres (Amaury Nolasco), the leader of a Marine special forces team, is sent to Israel for a training exercise. When Major Ronan Jackson (Devon Sawa), an Israeli fighter pilot and the son of a US Senator, is shot down over Syria, Torres and his squad join an IDF black ops team on a covert mission to rescue him from a militia group.
Jarhead: Law of Return is a budget action movie about a joint US-Israeli rescue mission. Torres and his men are sent into war-torn Syria in search of a pilot being held by the Ghost (Georgi Zlatarev), a cunning militia leader. Jarhead: Law of Return is a straightforward action movie that packs a lot of firepower relative to its budget. Expansive firefights and decent storytelling make the movie a modest but enjoyable pick for action fans.
Jarhead: Law of Return sticks to the basics but largely gets them right. The action scenes include a nice variety of gunplay, explosives, and vehicle action. The plot holds few surprises, but it is well-paced and keeps the focus on the action. The characters are simple but fill their roles well, with just enough characterization to flesh out Torres and Jackson. Even the movie’s missteps—minor plot holes and some weak dialogue—are not too damaging.
The result is a action movie with limited scope that knows how to play to its strengths. Jarhead: Law of Return does not have the jaw-dropping stunts, the rich characters, or the mind-bending plot of other movies, but it does manage to avoid any major mistakes. Viewers who are used to budget action movies will find it to be a solid entry into the genre. Viewers looking for something that stands out more will want to skip it.
For a rescue mission with more heart, try Saving Private Ryan. For an even more combat-oriented budget action movie, try All the Devil’s Men. For a more grounded look at the life of a Marine, try the original Jarhead.
5.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for competent but unexceptional action.