Entertainment Today and Beyond

G.I Joe Rise of the Cobra Review

There’s little doubt that G.I Joe Rise of the Cobra has been one of the biggest stories in the industry this year. Very few films I can remember have had the type of cancerous pre-release buzz as this one. It’s evident that certain people went out of their way trying to sabotage the film before even seeing it as rumors were rampant that director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) and the studio fought over creative control a few months before the movies release. Amazingly Paramount has survived, at least so far, as the film took in $100 million in its first weekend at the box-office worldwide.

While reaction is all over the board I must say I enjoyed it. It had a sense of fun that Michael Bay’s Transformer’s sequel did not. While it’s somewhat over the top I dug the action sequences and liked most of the cast.

The basic plot is simple. An elite group of military men and women known as G.I Joes band together to save the world from the baddest elements on earth. The film has an array of characters, many of them very appealing. I particularly enjoyed Sienna Miller (Factory Girl) as Baroness. She seemed to be having a blast doing the bad girl thing and she literally lights up the screen with her good looks. I was surprised how much I liked her here. Rachel Nichols does a good job as Scarlett and her fight sequence with Miller’s character is one of the movie’s highlights. While the jury’s still out on her overall acting ability, she has a unique presence and is very likeable. I must admit I’ve been a fan ever since seeing her in the horror film P2. Marlon Wayons is solid as Ripcord, giving the film an injection of humor. He’s very comfortable here and clearly in on the fun. Ray Park (The Phantom Menace) is terrific as the silent but deadly Snake Eyes and Dennis Quaid brings a solid presence as General Hawk. While I won’t give away Joseph Gordon Levitt’s (500 Days of Summer) storyline I really enjoyed him in this film, even when his character totally goes over the top in the films last act. Channing Tatum (Fighting) playing Duke, who is technically the film’s lead, is pretty stiff but for what is required of him he fits in fine.

Overall G.I Joe Rise of the Cobra is well paced and the flashback scenes that are used to give backstory really helped flesh out character motivations and are well placed and executed. While I’m not always a big fan of flashbacks they really worked well in telling the story. The extended action sequence where the good guys are on the trail of the bad guys as they try to stop a major terrorist havoc on the Eiffel Tower is well done and exciting. This is the sequence shown in the first trailer that has Duke and Ripcord in their accelerator suits jumping over cars and crashing through buses. While it did look cheesy in that trailer, in plays pretty well in the context of the overall film and is really is a lot of fun to watch. I honestly can’t say how this film will hold up upon repeat viewings but I had a good time watching it. The movie also sets itself up nicely for a sequel, which the studio has already announced is being developed. 3.5 zombies out of 5.

August 12, 2009 - Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | Reviews | G.I Joe Rise of the Cobra Review