Jan-Michael Vincent fans are most apt to enjoy Baby Blue Marine, a muddled and not terribly involving mid-1970's film that takes an intriguing idea and then wastes it by the indecisive treatment it is given. There's a great deal of potential in the idea of a young man who wants to fight for his country getting washed out of the Marines because he may be willing and able-bodied, but still not able. There's potential for incisive drama and a great character study, but Marine blows all that, settling for a not-very-credible story about a person willingly being mistaken for a hero who eventually gets to prove his mettle by -- falling into a river and needing to be rescued? It also doesn't help that Marine ignores the moral issue surrounding the Japanese-American internment camp that forms is responsible for its climactic sequence. All that said, there is a gentleness and wistfulness to much of Marine that many will find appealing, and its nostalgic look at what it considers a simpler and more patriotic time will definitely ring bells with many viewers. Vincent looks great and has the right persona for the part, but he's not an interesting enough actor to carry a film that depends so much on its leading man. The rest of the cast, however, helps to make up for Vincent's lack of acting prowess.
by Craig Butler
review
