Yo Joe!

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra
Category: Movie
Rating:


I have been wanting to make a review of this since I watched it on the first day it was shown but work keeps getting in the way.

Contrary to what my friend Becca said about the movie, I this reincarnation very much.

It has a good balance of drama, action and comedy. There was actually a plot and good story line that is very typical of any GI Joe series and animated movies that I had watched when I was a kid.

The story was simple enough that they really did a good job in broadening it without making dull moments. The story revolves around a different type of weapon that the US has purchased from a foreign arms dealer. The weapon needed to be protected from possible terrorists who wanted the technology. Call in the special forces to keep the weapon safe but even with all possible precautions, the bad guys still succeeded in getting said weapon. Then they would aim the weapon to popular areas that would devastate a country. The good guys come to the rescue. Simple plot made a bit complicated with side and back stories that would explain a particular character in the movie.

It was really action packed. It was filled with a lot of fight scenes and state-of-the-art weaponry that is so similar to the animated series.

They also have a very nice way of putting in the side stories and back stories of each of the characters. It didn't hinder the progress of the whole movie rather, it helped you understand why a certain situation is like that. I love the back story of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Though, I can't really recall in the comic book or in the series that they are the arch enemies, it gives you a better understand of the reason why Snake Eyes has never spoken.

The love angle is okay. I have seen it in the TV series, so I get the point why they have to include it in the movie as well. Though the angle of Duke and the Baroness surprised me since in the series, Duke's girlfriend was Scarlett. But the angle was well written without being too mushy that would not fit in an action film.

The characters played their parts well. Though, Channing Tatum as Duke didn't really seem right for me. Of course, Ray Park did an excellent Snake Eyes...he really fit the part very well. Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow was also good. Though I was shocked that they didn't get a Japanese actor to play the part..but then again, Hollywood keeps getting Korean actors to play Japanese characters (Like Rain in Speed Racer).

For a film where ILM was never involved in the CG, it was quite good. I don't really have a bad comment on the effects.

All in all a good movie. The reason for a 4 out of 5 tumbling babies is because of the Duke character and they did not show Zartan much. It would have been nice to have added Zartan's famous line "Ah! The light! It turns me green!"

But like I said, all in all it was a good movie.