From the director of The Mummy is this actioner adapted from the line of Hasbro toys (originally created in the 60s). The film is an origin story, charting the rise of the evil Cobra Organisation and the formation of team G.I. Joe – which includes Dennis Quaid as General Hawk, Channing Tatum as Duke, Marlon Wayans as Ripcord and Sienna Miller as The Baroness.
For the most part, G.I. Joe is jam-packed with exciting and coherent action sequences. Director Stephen Sommers keeps a short leash on his effects team, while the script allows room for genuine characterisation and the cast seem perfectly suited to their parts. Put simply, this film begins as a blockbuster that exceeds expectations.
When the third act arrives though, the film falls apart under its own weight. Take our advice: leave the theatre when you see the CGI-created polar bear. Its appearance marks the turning point where a once-fun movie becomes a noisy monotonous mess of submarines and explosions. Set in the murky depths of the Arctic from then onwards, it becomes awfully hard to understand who's firing at whom. The actors, no doubt surrounded by green screens while they filmed this skirmish, make no effort to hide their apparent boredom. Easily distracted kids mightn't notice the tonal shift, but you can bet their parents will.
The Rise of Cobra is a patchy way to start a franchise, but there's enough potential here to inspire some really fun sequels.
By Daniel McClelland, Flicks.co.nz
Let's begin with the fanboy review: Lame. Lame, lame, lame. (I'd say SPOILER ALERT, but who cares) Snakeyes (who everyone thought could save the movie) ... lame. Snakeye's stupid-ass molded mask ... lame. Snakeyes vs. Stormshadow in what should have been some awesome fight scenes ... lame. Little kid Snakeyes vs. little kid Stormshadow ... lame. And cliche. And maybe stereotypically racist? Snakeyes and his "vow of silence" ... lame. The Baroness with no accent ... lame. The Baroness' transition glasses ... lame. The Baroness as Duke's girlfriend ... lame. Zartan ... lame. And underused. Zartan being in the movie for all of three minutes while being one of its most critical plot points ... lame. Accelerator suits ... lame. Nanomites ... lame (though not completely un-GI Joe like). Destro without his metal face ... lame. Destro WITH his metal face ... lame. "The Doctor" aka Cobra Commander ... surprisingly not lame. They got the voice down, though I don't know why they needed to deviate from the classic shiny silver face mask. Or the cowl. "The Doctor" and Duke being besties from way back ... lame. Marlon Waylons ... surprisingly not lame. Brendan Fraser's cameo ... lame. I won't even get into the whole "international force" deal, because it wouldn't have bothered me if the rest of the movie wasn't so ... lame. Now, putting aside the hundred-some comics and closet full of toys, here's a more impartial review: GI Joe wasn't unwatchable, in the way "Spiderman 3" or "Spawn" or "Street Fighter" (with Jean Claude) were unwatchable. It was generic, sure. And it wasn't the GI Joe movie I would make (or want to see made), but for those without years of emotional attachment to the characters, it's a run-of-the-mill action movie that totally connects with little boys. Yes, it was full of over-loaded action scenes that make it impossible to really tell what's happening. And yes, instead of coming away awed, you leave a little overwhelmed. But that's what's popular these days. No, there wasn't any real character development, and what was seemed trite and silly. But it's GI Joe, not Shakespeare. Think like a 8-year-old boy and you'll be fine.
it is so cool evry person got to see it
Not the best Action movie of the year,but it does bring good Action Material and Special Effects..
so gay its scarey if you plan on watching this take something that lights on fire so you can burn your eyes after and never have to watch anything like this again.
Hell, it's based on a toy! Why would we expect it to be "Full Metal Jacket"? Or "Apocalypse Now"? Well, I got more than I was expecting. Serious flashbacks with a nod to real world war zones, full-on Sommers action scenes and a script that was neither laboured nor cynical. All adds up to a fun movie that surprised me and engaged me a lot more than the Transformers sequel. It reminded me of an old Bond movie crossed with Thunderbirds. A lot of fun and I would recommend it. Ignore plonker revues from the likes of Empire and the N.Y. Times, this burger has more meat in it than a big mac!
Certainly better than "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." How so? Admittedly, it doesn't have as much cleavage. But the high-tech hardware is more fun to look at than the transforming robots, the plot is as preposterous, and although the noise is just as loud, it's more the deep bass rumbles of explosions than the ear-piercing bang of steel robots pounding on each other.
Bond without the style and Team America without the bellylaughs. The moronic script and nonsensical plot are good for a snicker, though.
After nearly two hours of nonstop mayhem, the film ends on a surprisingly muted note, though pains have been taken to make sure that the hoped-for sequel has been carefully set up.
The action is mostly brisk and bracing and the battleground, particularly Cobra's headquarters -- a vast network of tunnels under the polar ice cap -- are wonderfully imagined, as are the futuristic machines at the Joes' disposal. Basically, the Joes are not bad, it's just that they could have been much better with a little less conversation, a little more action.
This pricey, juiceless pulp could never have been killed by critics, simply because it was already dead.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 6th Aug 2009.
Release date: August 6th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
