Movie Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation | Unimaginative, But Fun!

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
[highlight]Overall Rating: 3/5[/highlight][divider]

Are you bored of watching bollywood stereotypes and yearning for some raw & real action that can keep you at the edge of the seat for atleast a fleeting moment? Well, this movie can do that and more.

gi joe retaliation review

With a Batman movie, I would look for a slick Bat mobile, a crazy and full on nut-bag villain, all the gadgets money can buy. With a Bond movie, I look for women taunting me in their accent and their skimpy bikinis. G.I. Joe is that segment that would bring me my childhood action figures alive. I would sit around playing with my Snake Eye action figure on his bad-ass Ninja motorcycle all day long. When I found out that you get interchangeable weapons for you figures, I cried! You have to be really lanky, wearing glasses and picked on a lot at school to be able to appreciate the muscles and the weapons that the G.I. Joes had at their disposal.

The movie is a really good rendition of the dream that is G.I. Joe. The scene when Flint goes missing and the Squad spots the G.I. Joe flag fluttering atop the enemy base mast was a real ‘WHOOT’ moment. Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, Road Block, all his names seem to be metaphors for the man he is – a full on mass of muscle and veins. Probably one of the best cast selections, him and that Lady Jaye. Personification for what the Squad stands for – muscle, brutal force and unnatural access to weaponry.

The action sequence follows a strong story line and thankfully is not the unconnected blasts of action culminating in confusion and mayhem. The plot is pretty naive and unimaginative. A friend is murdered along with a lot of other colleagues as part of a set-up. They are survived by three who teem with thirst for vengeance. The Cobra command plots to take over the world by eliminating the world’s stock of nuclear weapons and in turn develops. The team of Roadblock, Jaye and Flint is joined by Snake-Eyes and Jinx (cousin to Storm Shadow). For heroes to survive there must be villains. For G.I. Joes, there must be Bad Ass villains. This battalion is formed by Cobra Commander in the lead with Firefly, Storm Shadow and Zartan. Each has his own unique power.

‘Everybody wants to be the president, because everybody wants to rule the world’ – the US president is abducted and Zartan disguises himself to impersonate him. The act put up by the cast is commendable as is the special effects. The bombing of London scene is exquisite. Firefly’s rescue of the Cobra Commander with his gadget rigged bike is just as pretty a sight. When all is predictable, in comes our General Joe played by our own Bruce Willis. Another spark to the already ignited fire, but it sure does get the flames alive.

All-in-all for a 110 minute action movie, I won’t want you leaving your seat from the visuals that give you your money’s worth. If you find logic leaving the room as often as a pregnant lady going to the loo, never you mind as this movie is not about logic. It’s about G.I. Joes. And that’s what matters.

Section-wise rating below:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *