G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is what I consider the last action film of the 2009 summer season(that I will be able to see anyway.) I didn't go into this movie with high expectations like I did with X-Men or Harry Potter earlier this year but I was looking forward to crazy action and visual effects...my expectations were met. G.I. Joe is a wild ride of action sequences that join together to make a great popcorn flick. However, when you're done raving about the action, there are some other things to consider that weren't as swell.
The film is titled, The Rise of Cobra, and when the credits roll that's exactly what the viewers have just seen. The story tells of how the secret organization of Cobra gets started and the evolution of two members into Cobra Commander and Destro. In the beginning we see James McCullen, head of the weapons company M.A.R.S., who has just developed nanotechnology-based weapons which can destroy anything including entire cities. Four of these nano-warheads are then needed to be delivered by the U.S. Army. In the group are Duke(Channing Tatum) and Wallace Weems/Ripcord(Marlon Wayans) who try to keep the weapons in good hands only to get attacked by Cobra and The Baroness(Sienna Miller.) After the two men are saved by a secret organization named G.I. Joe, they are recruited by General Hawk(Dennis Quaid) to help bring down Cobra.
Director Stephen Sommers seemed to be the perfect director for a fast-paced action film when we look at his past works which include the first two Mummy films and Van Helsing. Interestingly enough, there were four actors in G.I. Joe that had previously acted in the Mummy franchise including Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo. Sommers did what he does best in G.I. Joe because the action was jaw-dropping. The action ranged from gun shooting, to chase scenes, to two Ninjas(one of them played by Ray Parks) going at it with fists and swords. If nothing else, you have to love the action because it is the film's greatest factor. Meaning that if it wasn't there, my enjoyment of the movie would have been diminished.
On action's cake, there can be no other icing than visual effects and oh my that icing is SWEET. Just like the cartoon, there are underwater bases, futuristic weapons, and nanites being injected into people and eating them alive(wait...that wasn't into the cartoon.) Many people probably remember that in the trailer there is a scene where the Eiffel Tower collapses and in the film, it is truly amazing how real that scene looks. One thing that others including my father struggled to push aside is that parts of G.I Joe are just over the top. The reason I didn't have a problem with that is because, as I said before, it's based on a cartoon so of course it's over the top at times. The cartoon was that way so why shouldn't the film adaptation be that way?
Action is the element that dominates the film and it almost doesn't stop which from a critic's perspective can actually be a bad thing. Other things like dialogue and character development are pushed away to make way for the fights. The dialogue at times is cheesy and made me cringe on the inside at times. It wasn't to the point were I was laughing but...it could have been better. As far as character development goes, there are only three of the many characters that we get to really know due to the flashbacks that are provided about Duke and the two ninjas, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. As for the rest of the characters...you find out there name's and go straight to the action.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a great flick for those who want to see top-notch action. However, if you are looking for a movie with great dialogue and an equal amount of other important elements like drama or character development then this isn't the one for you. I went in wanting action and that's what I got. Stephen Sommers has added a great addition to his works and I have high hopes for the sequels. 3 stars out of 5.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra has a running time of 118 minutes. The film is rated PG-13 for strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.
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