There is something particular about this fairly routine summer blockbuster that makes it more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been. More aptly put it is a lack of something and that is frenetic cutting. This is highlighted during an outrageously destructive chase scene through the streets of Paris when a volley of missiles flies down a street and two of our heroes jump up, flip, and dodge them in an epic camera move that then reveals about ten parked cars behind them that get sent sky high. That one shot is a mixture of many of the things that make action movies great - motion and grace couple with destruction. Realistically speaking that's utterly preposterous, but this movie never tries to be realistic; it's an adaptation of a preposterous cartoon for kids and it is just like that source material. It's a boys' (and also girls') army game rendered in the latest cutting edge of special effects of Hollywood. Brought to the screen by one Stephen Sommers who has made a career out of such things, and while he has yet to give his movies some brains, he is spot on in giving his audiences epic spectacle.
There are changes from the cartoon; the heroes aren't just Americans, but rather the best of the best of the best selected from armed forces from all over the World, which is a nice touch. Also, Hollywood's love of acronyms has made "G.I. Joe" into "G.I.J.O.E." What's it mean? I don't remember, but I think somewhere between a military convoy getting attacked and an underwater military base exploding, by way of the Eiffel Tower falling down and several capital cities being saved from ballistic missile annihilation, they explain it. It doesn't really matter anyway.
What does matter is that this adaptation may be a bit too little of an adaptation than some where thinking, it is more of a re-vamping and the bringing into a new age of the cartoon. The many owners of many of the action figures and vehicles from the massive line of toys back in the day will undoubtedly notice that only a few of those things made it into the movie and those that did were seriously redressed. It would have been perfectly acceptable if they at least homaged the classic things... seriously there is mention of the GI Joe Battle Wagon! Or of the GI Joe General. However, seeing that this is merely "the rise" of Cobra and not "the battle against" Cobra, those things might very well be in line for a sequel, and if they aren't, they should be. --- 7/10
BsCDb Classification: 13+ --- violence
There are changes from the cartoon; the heroes aren't just Americans, but rather the best of the best of the best selected from armed forces from all over the World, which is a nice touch. Also, Hollywood's love of acronyms has made "G.I. Joe" into "G.I.J.O.E." What's it mean? I don't remember, but I think somewhere between a military convoy getting attacked and an underwater military base exploding, by way of the Eiffel Tower falling down and several capital cities being saved from ballistic missile annihilation, they explain it. It doesn't really matter anyway.
What does matter is that this adaptation may be a bit too little of an adaptation than some where thinking, it is more of a re-vamping and the bringing into a new age of the cartoon. The many owners of many of the action figures and vehicles from the massive line of toys back in the day will undoubtedly notice that only a few of those things made it into the movie and those that did were seriously redressed. It would have been perfectly acceptable if they at least homaged the classic things... seriously there is mention of the GI Joe Battle Wagon! Or of the GI Joe General. However, seeing that this is merely "the rise" of Cobra and not "the battle against" Cobra, those things might very well be in line for a sequel, and if they aren't, they should be. --- 7/10
BsCDb Classification: 13+ --- violence