I got to see The Rock’s new movie, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and I have got to say it was pretty decent. Now, if you grew up screaming “Yo Joe,” then you will have your likes and dislikes about the film.
We pick up where the 2009 movie left off as the Joes, under the command of Duke, are ambushed and all but wiped out by order of the Zartan under the guise of the President of the United States. Roadblock, Lady Jaye, and Flint are the only survivors, and they put a plan in action to stop Cobra’s sinister plot as the fate of mankind hangs in the balance.
The movie was scheduled to be released in June of 2012, but the studio held off to convert the film to 3-D. It was also reported that the film tested poorly and that the main source of criticism stemmed from the fact that Duke, played by Channing Tatum, being killed off so quickly. The majority of the original cast was not brought back for this film, which was designed to give the franchise a fresh coat of paint instead of going into reboot mode. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
There were several subplots embedded throughout the film. Some work, but some don’t and border on being poorly executed. That is time that could have been spent a little more on character development.
Adrianne Palicki was sensational as Lady Jaye, D.J. Controna was useless as Flint, and Ray Stevenson was picture perfect as Firefly, Cobra’s deadly saboteur. Enough about these jabronies. What you really want to know is, did the WWE Champion bring it? The answer is absolutely yes. In fact, Rock and Palicki were the only ones who felt comfortable and natural in their roles as Joes.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a good movie that sometimes gets in its own way. While it is better than its silver screen predecessor, it still lacks the gravitas that made the cartoon so great. However, don’t go into the movie expecting a carefully crafted story. It’s an action flick that just so happens to have the name G.I Joe plastered on it. Expecting absolute greatness out of any film will never live up to such an elevated expectation. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the explosive ride.
Ringside Logic 