2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was by most accounts an odd flick. The trailer left a bad taste in my mouth. The productions values didn't match the astonishing budget. The script left something to be desired. It may not have been a good movie, but it provided entertainment. Hey, the task to construct a sensible movie out of a toy line littered with sci-fi inspired vehicles and characters who shoot guns without killing each other isn't a walk in the park. It exceeded my admittedly low expectations, and even appeared to set the groundwork for an improved sequel. That sequel is G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but is it an improvement?
There aren't a lot of returning faces among the Joes, the heroic Special Forces squad tasked with saving the world. Duke (Tatum Channing) is now captain of a team, which includes Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki). The only other returning hero is Snake Eyes (Ray Park), a ninja whose lack of countenance and vocals may as well mark him as unfamiliar. Playing off the conclusion of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the President of the United States has been captured and replaced by a double seeking to rule the world. When the opportunity arises he strikes to wipe out the G.I. Joes.
This time around out heroes have at least one foot grounded in reality. There's no more secret base beneath the pyramids. The cavalcade of Star Wars derived vehicles have been melted for scrap, possibly to construct the contemporary-esque armor worn by the personnel. Though the costumes are awesome, this franchise isn't served well through gritty reinvention. This is no reboot, but a loose continuation akin to what The Incredible Hulk (2008) was to The Hulk (2003). A mere 15 minutes in, a highly unfortunate casting decision lets the air out of the movie, at which point chemistry takes a frag grenade to the chest.
Hard to believe it's been nearly 4 years between releases. This treatment was postponed for the addition of 3D, which this viewer neglected. It's tough enough keeping track of the action in a more traditional format. New director to the franchise, Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets), keeps the action dizzying. Save for a stunning ninja battle across cliffs, I couldn't sense out of what I was seeing, who was shooting at what. I heralded the previous film as the best ninja action of the year. Here, I'm not fully convinced any actors completed a given move without the magic of editing. Visual effects are far more realistic, but what good are they when married to a lack of ambition?
The downsized set pieces take away what made G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra unique. So while this movie may appear up to par with bigger names on board, especially an appearance by Bruce Willis, there are few moments that push the envelope. G.I. Joe: Retaliation gets right everything the last movie did wrong, while getting wrong everything it did right. What should have been an easy upgrade becomes a push.
There aren't a lot of returning faces among the Joes, the heroic Special Forces squad tasked with saving the world. Duke (Tatum Channing) is now captain of a team, which includes Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki). The only other returning hero is Snake Eyes (Ray Park), a ninja whose lack of countenance and vocals may as well mark him as unfamiliar. Playing off the conclusion of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the President of the United States has been captured and replaced by a double seeking to rule the world. When the opportunity arises he strikes to wipe out the G.I. Joes.
This time around out heroes have at least one foot grounded in reality. There's no more secret base beneath the pyramids. The cavalcade of Star Wars derived vehicles have been melted for scrap, possibly to construct the contemporary-esque armor worn by the personnel. Though the costumes are awesome, this franchise isn't served well through gritty reinvention. This is no reboot, but a loose continuation akin to what The Incredible Hulk (2008) was to The Hulk (2003). A mere 15 minutes in, a highly unfortunate casting decision lets the air out of the movie, at which point chemistry takes a frag grenade to the chest.
Hard to believe it's been nearly 4 years between releases. This treatment was postponed for the addition of 3D, which this viewer neglected. It's tough enough keeping track of the action in a more traditional format. New director to the franchise, Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets), keeps the action dizzying. Save for a stunning ninja battle across cliffs, I couldn't sense out of what I was seeing, who was shooting at what. I heralded the previous film as the best ninja action of the year. Here, I'm not fully convinced any actors completed a given move without the magic of editing. Visual effects are far more realistic, but what good are they when married to a lack of ambition?
The downsized set pieces take away what made G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra unique. So while this movie may appear up to par with bigger names on board, especially an appearance by Bruce Willis, there are few moments that push the envelope. G.I. Joe: Retaliation gets right everything the last movie did wrong, while getting wrong everything it did right. What should have been an easy upgrade becomes a push.