G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA 2-Disc Digital Copy Blu-Ray Edition
 

Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Year: 2009

Rated: PG-13

Film Length: 1 hour, 57 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
 

Release Date: November 3, 2009
 

The Movie
 

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the live action update of the Marvel Comics and animated series of the 1980s, which in turn were based on the toys made by Hasbro. Duke (Channing Tatum) is a soldier recruited by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid) to join G.I. Joe, the secret anti-terrorist squad.

Many of the colorful characters from the original comics and cartoon series are brought to life here including Scarlet (Rachel Nichols), the Baroness (Sienna Miller), Snake Eyes (Ray Park), Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee), Destro (Christopher Eggleston), Ripcord (Marlon Wayans), and Zartan (Arnold Vosloo).

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is full of stunning visuals, and credit is due the director. Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) is the perfect choice to direct this film. His Mummy films were fast-moving, kinetic action spectacles, and Sommers delivers this same level of energy to G.I. Joe. Other than Michael Bay, who has been busy producing film adaptations with Paramount of Hasbro’s other toy line, there is probably not another director better suited to this film than Sommers.

There are certain liberties taken with the characters and their relationships that has probably infuriated the purists, however, this film was intended for a broader audience. This film has been vilified unfairly, in this reviewer’s humble opinion. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra does have a story, and a fairly entertaining one at that. This film was obviously designed to follow the formula of the Transformers films, and it succeeds in that mission, providing a fast-moving vehicle filled with action and amazing CGI special effects, with enough story to motivate the characters in their respective roles.

Prospective viewers probably know ahead of time if they will embrace or reject this film. If you enjoyed both Transformers films, this may be right up your alley. If you ordinarily do not like this type of high concept action film, or if you liked the first Transformers film but hate the most recent one, then you are unlikely to be converted by this film. If you go into G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra with an open mind, you may be pleasantly surprised. As someone who was a fan of the comic book and cartoon series of the 1980s, I believe the film-makers did an exceptional job in bringing that world to life.
 

Video

The movie is in 1080p high definition in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. There is probably as much CGI in this film as in the last few Star Wars films, and film grain is minimal to non-existent in these types of films that rely so much on CGI to tell their story. A good portion of the film takes place in dark areas, and blacks are solid with excellent detail on shadows and fine objects. The daylight portions are equally fine with great dynamic range and no compression artifacts. Any edge enhancement is minimal or non-existent on this transfer.
 

Audio

The English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio make extensive use of all speakers for all of the gunfire, explosions, music, and dialogue in this film. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra may not receive many Academy Award nominations, however, a nomination in this category will be well deserved. The English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio definitely do this film justice. Do not be astonished if you see this film on display by stores selling high end video and audio equipment.
 

Special Features

Other than the director’s commentary on disc 1, the special features are located exclusively on disc 2. Disc 2 consists of nearly 1 hour of special feature bundled with a digital copy for transfer to portable media device.

The special features on the Blu-ray discs are all in 1080p and include all of the following:

Commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay.

The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE (29:32): The cast members, director Sommers, and producer Bob Ducsay, are interviewed regarding the making of the film. Comic book writer Larry Hama also appears in this program.

Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE (21:07): This interesting behind the scenes documentary shows how some of the stunning visuals were produced with CGI assistance.

Conclusion
 

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra succeeds in bringing the comic book and cartoon series to life. The special features are fine but could have been so much more: the G.I. Joe toy line has a fascinating history, from the 12 inch dolls of the 1960s to the 4 inch figures of the 1980s, and an interesting documentary of this history would not have been out of place on this edition.

The video and audio on this BD undeniably surpass the quality of the film itself, which is not to say this is a bad film. I found this film entertaining in the same way I enjoy the Mummy and Transformers films, and if you enjoy those films, you might find much enjoyment in losing yourself in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on Blu-Ray.