- Joined
- Nov 15, 2001
- Messages
- 5,322
- Real Name
- Neil Middlemiss
2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra won over few fans and though the box office take was respectable, Paramount (and fans) felt the response should have been more positive. Blame was largely rested at the feet of director Steven Sommer’s who had committed similar filmmaking sins with Universal’s much derided Van Helsing (and to a lesser extent, The Mummy Returns), throwing cartoon-like spectacle at the screen at breakneck speed with precious little character elements to fill the intervening moments on film. With G.I. Joe: Retaliation, sweeping changes have been made, including replacing much of the cast and bringing in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the main draw. Many of the changes work, though a number of storytelling flaws remain.
Studio: Paramount
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD, Other
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 110 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy, UltraViolet
Standard Amaray with SlipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: 1
Release Date: 07/30/2013
MSRP: $39.99
The Production Rating: 3/5
“Everybody wants to rule the world.”
America’s elite Special Forces group, the G.I. Joes, are framed for treason upon completion of a high pressure mission recovering loose nukes. All but three are killed. The survivors vow to clear their name and avenge their fallen brothers and sisters in arms. Roadblock (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Flint (Joseph Mazzello), are all that remain of the active Joes, and suspecting that the President of the United States of America – the only man who could have ordered the strike upon their team – may not be who the world thinks him to be, set about to uncover the truth and have their revenge.Seeking to set the potential Joe franchise on more stable (and respectable) footing following the generally disliked and noisy G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Paramount attempted to hit the reset button, leaving behind the entire cast with the exception of Channing Tatum’s Duke and Jonathon Pryce’s President. Stephen Sommers, director of 2009’s Rise of the Cobra, took most of the blame for the cartoonish, loud and comically sloppy earlier outing though that film wasn’t as nearly as bad as the critics suggested and the pseudo-sequel/reboot isn’t quite the remedy, though there is still much to enjoy.Jon M Chu’s direction is confident and the set-pieces largely cohesive and entertaining. Briskly paced with the action upping the ante until the fully armored finale, the plot for Retaliation is entirely more focused than its predecessor film. Besides the good-guys on the run angle, which admittedly is well-worn, there are some good elements that provide for solid set-pieces, including the prison break of Cobra Commander and Storm Shadow, and the stolen identity of the U.S. President by the nefarious Zartan (played all-too briefly by Arnold Vosloo).However, the elements that help raise this film above its predecessor also give way to some of the problems that weigh it down. There’s simply too much story trying to be told. Besides the Joe’s making their way back to U.S soil and investigating who betrayed them, the story adds in a replay of the Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) / Snake Eyes (Ray Park) rivalry, complete with an excursion to a mountain-top retreat where Blind Master, played by the RZA, delivers some Zen rehabilitation for a Storm Shadow injured in his prison escape, right before Snake Eyes swings by to recapture him (one of the highlight action sequences). Then add to that the Joe’s seeking help from the original G.I. Joe (Bruce Willis), the evil Cobra plot, a surviving Joe with father issues, and it all adds up to an action-vessel with just a few too many characters and story elements to service.There is a likeable camaraderie between Johnson’s Roadblock and Tatum’s Duke character, filling the opening portion of the film with genuine character moments that seem to promise something unexpected in a film like this. But it’s too short-lived. When Duke isn’t involved, the interaction between the remaining cast lacks sparkle and draw with the possible exception of Bruce Willis and The Rock enjoying a little snappy dialogue. Adrianne Palicki’s Lady Jaye character by turns is proving her equal with her male Joe’s, but in the next scene is forced to use her sexuality to progress the mission. It’s a defeating turn for the character. Finally, Joseph Mazzello’s Flint is very one-note, adding little to the film beyond the requisite doubting Thomas (we’re screwed).Director Jon Chu capably handles the spectacle of the action sequences nicely. The visual effects are slick and at times very creative, and even the person to person combat moments are well choreographed and performed, but the necessary compelling story that threads these bits and pieces together is too weak to give us a fully rounded action film experience. The hurried sense that kicks in at the start of the second act takes over and doesn’t relent until the dust settles at the very end. This sequel is a more competently made film than the 2009 predecessor, but there’s still plenty of work to do to give G.I. Joe a genuinely successful turn on the big screen.
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4.5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
- Mission Briefing—A look at pre-production, previsualization, storyboards and more.
- Deployment— As filming begins we take a closer look at the stunts, costumes and more.
- Two Ninjas—Focus on two G.I. JOE favorites, SNAKE EYES and JINX, and the filming of the Dojo sequence.
- The Desert Attack—An in-depth look at the filming of this pivotal action sequence.
- COBRA Strikes—Highlights of the villains featured in the film.
- The Lone Soldiers—Behind-the-scenes as ROADBLOCK, FLINT and LADY JAYE go on the run.
- The Monastery—An examination of the Himalayan escape sequence.
- Fort Sumter—An all-access view of the epic climax.
Deleted ScenesDisc TwoFeature film in standard definition Digital Copy of the Film
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed By: Neil Middlemiss
Support HTF when you buy this title:
