G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Movie Review)

Rating:

G.I. Joe: Retaliation” the best action movie of 2013 so far? The year is still too young to give a credible opinion, but “Olympus has Fallen” might take that prize. It is rated R and it is hyper-violent. We also have to wait for “Iron Man 3,” “Man of Steel” and “Pacific Rim” to make a final decision. Nevertheless, G.I. JOE 2 is a Red Bull overdose as soon as you walk into the theater. In regards to its entertainment value, it is going to be a ridiculous hit. All the violence, one-line bad jokes, and 3D action your brain can handle are all present – and I must admit it is fun!

Even with all its visual sizzle, the one thing the film can’t mask or escape is its putrid script. I think the 80’s cartoons had better plots than this film. The G.I. Joe team is ordered to rescue some nukes from the US government, but they’re set up and framed. Some soldiers die and the remaining few have to recover in order to clean their names after being betrayed from within the government. COBRA on its end is trying to free Cobra Commander from an “inescapable” prison fortress to assume their ultimate mission – total world domination!s

I wish Hollywood would really make a more concerted effort to improve and be more creative with its stories. The story above line is overused, tired, and disrespectful at this point. Cinematically, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is junk. There is really not much you can applaud about it apart from the likeability factor of some of the cast members and some action sequences. A movie like this is not being made for its Oscar-winning screenplay. Director Jon M. Chu, new to the action genre, understands that having The Rock, Bruce Willis, and Channing Tatum (the last two are barely in the film) as part of your cast spells handfuls of cash. Chu sticks to focusing on the action. He seems to be naturally good at action sequences and it is evident in the breathtaking, inventive ninja mountain scenes. The crowd I was sitting with almost broke into applause.

If you are up in the air about paying extra to see it in 3D, I would suggest against it. Action genres play too well in 2D for 3D to drastically improve upon them. Aside from some swords and debris flying out of the screen, it felt like a 2D movie. Perhaps it was because “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” was not shot in 3D but rather converted in post-production. The differences are minimal though, affirming that the conversion technology is getting better and better by the day.

You don’t need to see the original to understand the sequel since the producers seem to want to erase the very memory of it. The first had a very comedic tone, unlike this new second part. It really is about blowing shit up. If you are going to see this movie because of The Rock, then you are in for a treat. This is The Rock’s movie and they will make a franchise out of it with him, a very successful one. If one can believe the word from Hollywood, early screening research says JOE 2 will break $100 million opening weekend. As you can see, it’s all about the money in Hollywood and nothing else, evidently not the stories.