We, The Marines

Former Marine Gene Hackman narrates this upbeat, handsomely filmed IMAX tribute to the Corps that is more recruitment video than in-depth documentary. Weighing in at a mere 38 minutes, We, The Marines offers a few general historical tidbits (touching on the formation of the Marines in 1775, involvement in major wars, and role in contemporary humanitarian disaster relief missions), but essentially offers brief glimpses of daily life at numerous Marine camps and outposts, including boot camp at Parris Island, SC; the grueling "Crucible" training course; officer candidate school at Quantico, VA; and the mountain warfare training center near Bridgeport, CA. Three of the more impressive sequences focus on working with canines, escaping from a submerged helicopter, and a massive military drill operation at Twentynine Palms, CA. With only very short moments of people speaking, there is little in the way of character here, although to be fair, IMAX films are really about spectacular visuals, and We, The Marines certainly boasts some incredible sights—particularly in the 4K edition of this combo set. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews that is often more compelling than the main feature. Likely to appeal to both veterans and IMAX fans, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)