G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra review

snake eyes

Following the success of the films based on its Transformers toy line, Hasbro decided to adapt another of its well-known properties for the big screen. This time, the "Real American Heroes" get the live action treatment.

A good amount of negative publicity surrounded the film prior to its release. Backlash was strong against the first glimpses of the movie in advertisements, and there was even a rumor at one point that director Stephen Sommers had been fired. As if to top this all off and assure the public that Paramount had no hope for the movie, it was not screened for mainstream critics prior to its release.

Fortunately, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra rises above expectations (albeit very low ones) to deliver a fun two hours' worth of entertainment. Admittedly, the construction of the majority of the promos for the film was very poor, highlighting the worst aspects of the movie rather than the best. These commercials were the main culprit in creating low expectations for the movie. This was almost certainly unintentional, but it works to the viewing experience of the final product's advantage.

None of the actors deliver particularly great performances, but nor do any of them drag the movie down with blatantly poor showings. Channing Tatum is serviceable as Duke, one of the Joe's newest recruits, and Marlon Wayans provides his typical comic relief as Ripcord. Dennis Quaid, arguably the biggest name in the cast list, gives one of the poorest performances in the film as General Hawk. The standout on the Joes' side is by far Ray Park as the silent warrior Snake Eyes. Best known as Darth Maul from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Park does what he does best - martial arts - and quite a bit of it as well.

The primary villains in the story are Sienna Miller as the Baroness, Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow (Snake Eyes' rival), Christopher Eccleston as McCullen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as The Doctor. The majority of these villains undergo significant changes throughout the course of the story, contributing to the titular rise of Cobra, the Joe's rival organization.

There are two key issues with the movie. First, it is so overly reliant upon CGI that the creators should have gone to great lengths to ensure they were top notch, but its excessive use and poor implementation makes it easy to fall out of the movie experience. And after the extreme levels of action in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, the filmmakers eschew one or two spectacular events for nonstop mediocre action sequences.

The second is that it simply isn't G.I. Joe in the traditional sense. Many of the heroes aren't even American. Character names are the same, and the use of the brand facilitates cross-promotion and merchandise sales, but it also generates preconceived notions about what the story should and should not be in the audience. A similar movie without that brand attached may have been received more positively overall.

Nevertheless, there are seeds for a franchise here, and lots of room for improvement without this film being a total waste. Unlike many big budget action movies, the experience does not demand a theatrical viewing, but it is a fun diversion. Recommended at a discount viewing or as a rental.