“G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” had the Joes go up against Cobra, in their attempt to conquer the world again, only this time they have nanotechnology that gives Cobra the upper-hand. However, that doesn't stop them, as they get assistance under the wing of General Hawk. Now this film was given a lot of hate upon its release, but I'm actually among the few that actually enjoyed it. Sure, there are problems with it, but I at least found it a much more enjoyable film than the first two “Transformer” films. It actually has a plot that works, shows what to expect in the film (the RISE of Cobra), as well as give some good performances. Channing Tatum, pre-Soderbergh, was a surprise and become the first film that I enjoyed him in. Dennis Quaid did a great job as Hawk, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a great villain, and even Marlon Wayans was TOLERABLE! Overall, “Rise of Cobra” was one film that took me by surprise, and I still find it an enjoyable movie, no matter WHAT anybody says.
While its success wasn't as big as “Transformers,” the film still got a sequel, this time from Jon Chu: “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”...which was overdue a year ago. This was yet ANOTHER film that was pushed back from a 2012 release for technical reasons. It was scheduled to come out last June, which was going up against another Channing Tatum movie, “Magic Mike,” which people are regarding it Tatum's best. However, due to Tatum's popularity with “The Vow,” “Haywire,” and “21 Jump Street,” the film was pushed back to add a couple more scenes of Tatum and Dwayne Johnson, as well as make it 3D, despite earlier trailers already released.
Now the definitive question remains: Was this film worth the long wait and 3D? Well...kind of. Let me explain.
In this new film, the Joes are sent on a mission to take back nuclear weapons from Pakistan, when they are fired at and taken down. All that remain, are Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes, Jinx, and the original G.I. Joe: Joseph Colton; their job now is to take down Cobra from their global take over, with the use of a doppelganger president and their possession of the ultimate weapon, Project Zeus.
Now let me say this, I liked this movie. Not love, but like. It did have some problems, but for the most part, it was a good movie. The film really shows much desperation of the remaining Joes, as their outnumbered, outgunned, and rely on most of their wits and strategy. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is a very thrilling movie, that, while not as much as what was good about the first movie, does have a few little bonuses to go with it.
Let me say that casting does a great job here. Dwayne Johnson really shines as the go-to-guy of the survivors. He proves that even in these types of situations, there's always a way through it. D.J. Cotrona and Adrianne Palicki do a great job as Flint and Lady Jaye; I don't know if their characters were done right, but they did good as characters for this film. Even Channing Tatum, despite him not having that much screen time, really does his best like he did with the previous film. Ray Stevenson was a great addition as Firefly, and that fight he had with The Rock was just enjoyable all the way through. Luke Bracey and Robert Baker were...okay as Cobra Commander. They weren't bad, but I kind of wish Joseph Gordon-Levitt was still playing the character, since he was one of the best parts of the film. I was at least happy that they kept Lee Byung-hun and Ray Park as Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. It was actually surprising later on in the film to see the two work together in the end for the battle. And let's not forget Bruce Willis as General Joe, which he brings so much flare to the film, and I was really glad they added him into the mix, because he's the kind of actor that would be the original Joe. However, that doesn't quite make up for “Die Hard 5.” He'll need a miracle to get me to forgive him for that.
What didn't exactly work, you ask? Well, some of the action scenes suffer from what other action films suffer from today: Fast-cut-syndrome. The editing really does make some action scenes hard to see what the hell is going on, and rarely will some movies do it right. Granted, it wasn't as bad as the editing in “Bullet to the Head,” but it still doesn't make it good, does it? Also, there were moments where the depiction of things, like how the president's an impostor was a bit too sudden on subtle movements. Hell, even Bruce Willis points that out in the film.
Now what about the added scenes of Tatum and the 3D? Well, the scenes added didn't really take away from the film that much, and I'll even admit I had a few good laughs with them. It did show some of the good chemistry that the two had for what it was. And as for the 3D...it was okay. There are moments that really make the 3D shine well, but for the parts that don't, yeah it makes it useless. But, the 3D glasses it had for when I bought my ticket were pretty cool.
Overall, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is a fun and enjoyable action film that isn't quite as good as the last film, but still fun. While there are some actors that I wished came back for the sequel, I'm not too disappointed that they didn't. If you got some time to spare, definitely check the film out.
Rating: 7/10
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