Josh Wilding Reviews: G.I. JOE: RETALIATION 3D
It's been out for just over a week, but if you're still on the fence about whether or not to check out G.I. Joe: Retaliation this weekend - read my spoiler-free verdict after the jump!
Let's get something straight. I know nothing about G.I. Joe. I've never read the comics, watched the cartoons or even bothered checking out 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for that matter. For that reason, I can't tell you how happy G.I. Joe: Retaliation will make fans of the Hasbro franchise. I can however tell you that this sequel is tremendous fun! My main motivation for checking out this movie was undoubtedly Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and that's more than likely what Paramount were counting on when they signed him up as Roadblock. As per usual, he dominates the screen with his charm and charisma, while it's surprising just how much chemistry he shares with the ever improving Channing Tatum (Duke) in the early stages of the film.
Elsewhere, the quality of performances vary greatly. Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Elodie Yung (Jinx) and D.J. Cotrona (Flint) are totally forgettable, while Ray Stevenson is wasted as Firefly - for a far more impressive villainous turn from the actor, check out the latest season of Dexter. Bruce Willis is decent as the original Joe, while Jonathan Pryce has a lot of fun as the apparent Commander in Chief. The always excellent Walton Goggins also has a brief but fairly memorable few minutes as Warden Nigel James. However, it's Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye) who steals the show here. Not necessarily because of her performance - though she is very good to be fair - but due to how damn stunning she is! Wow.
Director John M. Chu does a great job with his first big budget action blockbuster, with the highly publicised ninja fight sequence on the side of a cliff and the destruction of London a definite highight. G.I. Joe: Retaliation does run into a few problems when it comes to some choppy editing and dodgy dialogue (not to mention the mostly mediocre story), but for the most part, it really is a fun action romp. Whether it was worth delaying it for the so-so 3D conversion is debatable though. Regardless, while it may not be a masterpiece or even a VERY GOOD blockbuster, it's still possible to enjoy a lot of what's on offer here if you're willing to switch your brain off and accept it for what it is; dumb fun.
Macho madness that makes for a decent warm-up to the impending blockbuster season. Hoo-rah!
2013 Reviews So Far...
• The Last Stand (3/5)
• Bullet To The Head (1/5)
• Wreck-It Ralph (4/5)
• A Good Day To Die Hard (2/5)
• Warm Bodies (4/5)
• Mama (3/5)
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D (3/5)
• Oz: The Great and Powerful 3D (4/5)
• Evil Dead (4/5)
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonventura and Brian Goldner, from screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I Joe characters.
STARRING:
Channing Tatum as Duke
Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock
Bruce Willis as General Joseph Colton
Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye
Ray Park as Snake Eyes
Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow
Ray Stevenson as Firefly
RZA as Blind Master
Arnold Vosloo as Zartan
D.J. Cotrona as Flint
Elodie Yung as Jinx
Stephen Martines as Cross-Country
Eddie Hargitay as Tunnel Rat
Joseph Mazzello as Mouse
RELEASE DATE: Out Now!