With G.I. Joe: Retaliation coming out today, I didn't want to wait until Friday movie night to see it so I dragged myself to it after work today. Going into this movie I wasn't expecting a lot of depth of story but was hoping for some exciting action scenes with lots of excitement and that is basically what I got.
About 15 minutes into this film there was something that happened that seriously pissed me off and it wasn't until I got over this (and I am not certain that I did completely) that I was able to settle into the overall actions. With this event I felt like I experienced a bait and switch and not in a good way that some films pull off. Anyway back to the synopsis.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a quasi reboot of G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (2009) as it is set in the same G.I. Joe universe by it doesn't follow the previous set up but has some returning actors. In this movie, the G.I. Joes are set up as people to betrayed their country and the world and are destroyed. The person setting this up has taken over the U.S. Presidency by doing some type of face cover up thingy that isn't really explained as it isn't really important. He works to bring the Cobra Commander back into power and a position to take over the world. Several G.I. Joes that come out alive after the destruction of their company come together with retired General Joe Colton, played by Bruce Willis, to save the county and world from being destroyed by the Cobra Commander and his cronies.
Overall this was a solid action movie, its plot was extremely simplistic and included stuff just to set up action sequences, I'm talking to you side of mountain sword fight, and reasons for the Joes and Cobra soldiers to fight and shoot at each other. Bruce Willis is fun as his gruffy old soldier, a role that he has played a lot recently and in this one he fits the bill. I have to say that I tend to like him in these type of roles. The action sequences changed up and were not too drawn out. I like that they switched up between gun fight, sword fight, car fight, motorcycle fight so that the action wasn't to repeatedly. I will once again complain that there were several points where the action was too close up, but it was nice that there was the mountain fight scene/ sword fighting that made it harder for the cinematography to get in too close for long periods of time.
I went and saw this movie in 3D and I do not really think that it did anything. I am getting tired of movies in 3D that seem to only use it to have stuff be thrown, shot, exploded out at me. It does not really utilize the art form to just have me closing my eyes because something is being projected out at me. This is no longer the cool thing that excited me as a child. I want the use of 3D to really focus on depth and being drawn into the world of the movie, instead of things coming out at me. Anyway rant over.
Like I mentioned above the plot was very simplistic and slapped things together with little development or explanation for the story to move along, but as it is a OTT action movie the plot isn't really want I am going for.
I recommend this movie for anyone who likes actions movies, but who doesn't mind a week story line. the acting was a little forced but again it is an action movie.
My Rating: 2-
A Fan's Cut
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This is my blog on how Great Films Could Have Been Made Differently.
if you have time then please take a look.
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Sorry for disturbing,thanks.
and i really liked your blog's title-"my reviews by jane" sounds good like a letter
The scene that was shown briefly in the trailer where they're fighting on wires on the side of a mountain was fun to watch. That scene had me entertained. The rest of the action is somewhat enjoyable, but not as awesome as that. Solid review Jane.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan. I agree that was one of the cool points of the movie and one that was enhanced with the 3D but overall I am getting oversaturated with 3D.
DeleteThere are many backgrounds and history to many of things seen in this film, which, like you noted, are never really explained.
ReplyDeleteOne example, the GIJOE Marvel Comics ('80's) contained an ongoing story arc with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. This is where the Arashikage ninja you see (the mountain sword fighting) originate from in this film.
Zartan, the villain who is the Presidential imposter, in the same on going Marvel comics story arc was also the assassin who killed Storm Shadow's Uncle, the leader of the Arashikage Clan. Interestingly, in the Marvel story, Firefly was originally hired to assassinate the Hard Master, but felt outmatched, and passed the job to Zartan.
In Retaliation, there is brief exchange between Firefly and Zartan that I think reflects this.
I think the movie played out like a comic book the more I think about it, limited plot, lots of action,etc. ?
Thanks for some of that info, I have not read any of the comics nor had any knowlege of the G.I Joe lore. I wanted a bit more explanation of what was going on.
DeleteThe PITT and Hawk in first movie. Snake-eye's story's fucked up I'll give you that but I think actual romance is unrealistic in their military setting. You got to realize that G.I. Joe Retaliation never had much realism. A major part of the story, especially in the comics, was ninjas. Used car salesman turned terrorist, an origination run in a fake city, the stories pretty out there. The sooner you fan boys realize that sometimes your favorite stories don't always translate the better.
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