Readers of my column in NakedCity know that I was not looking forward to this film in the traditional sense. I had lambasted it with comments based on the trailer and assumptions, going as far as to make it an example of how to save money by honing one’s “trailer-sense”. But, I did clearly state that I would reserve final word for my review.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a concept that preys on nostalgia. We have been down this road before. A toy company made a hot brand for itself in the ‘80s, and now that we have CGI, it’s time to cash in at the box office. Hire someone used to the summer-fun genre, director Stephen Sommers (most people would have skin cancer from working as much during the sunny season), and get ready for an influx of bigenerational cash. Somehow, by following the formula, Sommers is able to bring a film together that was more than a mere cash-in.
G.I. Joe is a top-secret multi-national coalition of supermodels, er… I mean talented soldiers. Only the absolute best are asked to join. They have a hideout known as The Pit, which is located under the pyramids of Giza (and this hideout is somehow trumped in cool-factor by a rival syndicate). When an unscrupulous arms dealer threaten the world with rogue nanotechnology, the “Joes” are the last line of defense.
It’s unfortunate that the effects aren’t stronger. They aren’t direct-to-video, not even close, but they don’t play in the same league as Star Trek. Since CGI is so important to this film’s narrative, it would have been wiser to give it a few more looks over before releasing it. There just isn’t a practical way to convey all the vehicular carnage without it. I guess the budget could only handle quantity or quality.
Oddly enough, for having so many characters, with so few lines or real traits, the screenplay is very friendly to newcomers. It’s easy to identify Scarlet, she has redhair. I know it’s not the most ingenious idea, but when you’re thrown into a movie loaded with characters, it’s nice to know at a glance who is who. This is also a tribute to the action staging, which might be the easiest to follow of the summer. Even at the end, when a Return of the Jedi style multi-front battle ensues, it’s easy to draw a line between the sequences. So in that regard, the costumes do serve their function. They don’t serve function within the narrative quite as well since no real person would purposely wear some of the things presented; an array of thick masks, unprotected craniums, and other exposed regions. Then we have some thick foreshadowing. Can you guess what happens when a girl asks one of our heroes to take care of her kid brother just before he begins his tour of duty? Despite spoonfeeding near the beginning, the end really gets twisted. So much so that I came to the conclusion that early plotholes, which appeared gaping, were somehow covered. Could have done without some of the inopportune flashbacks, especially during the first encounter of Snake-Eyes vs. Storm Shadow. Maybe my biggest complaint is the excessive use of deus ex machina to give our heroes guidance. Can’t find anyone to question? Don’t worry, we have a device that turns thoughts into YouTube videos.
Some of the things G.I. Joe gets right are remarkably simple. It sets the stage for what could be a grand sequel, whereas 2007’s Transformers really put the writers in a bind. It also has what appears to be a genuinely twisted villain in the makes. I say this because there is a reveal at the end of the film (one of many unexpected twists) that builds up our villain to be a dynamic character. Maybe not staunchly entrenched in the emotions needed for anything other than simple revenge, but a better than expected attempt at an origin. I know I’m going back to this, but it’s getting harder for Hollywood to really lay an egg. There is so much more money being spent on these big movies, that everything is so safely managed. Sure that can cut down on welcome surprises but it can also levy some bad dialogue, plot holes, and unneeded comic relief. More often than not, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra hits the right mix, and is a serviceable film in the proper context. **½
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