REELGUY'S DVD REVIEW:
"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" flashy but cartoonish
Maine Connection: The G.I. Joe members from the state of Maine are Avalanche from Madawaska and Sneek Peak from Bangor. Neither character from the toy line are in the movie but there is always the eventual sequel to consider.
Is G.I. Joe still a "real American hero," in this live-action movie version of the military action figures? The action scenes are certainly slick, fast-paced, and enamoring enough to keep a child's or action fan's attention. Director Stephen Sommers tries to inject some personality and back story into the main heroes and villains, creating personal vendettas between characters. These personal issues play out against the backdrop of the international military squad's fight to bring terrorists to justice. The Joes are no longer solely American but instead a cross-section of nationalities. With all the flash and pizzazz in the movie, there is little substance or true emotion in the ambitious combat sequences. The man-on-man action scenes feel dispassionate while the military combat scenes look staged and watered-down. While this movie is safe viewing for families with children, it doesn't have the compelling, human tones that the original "Transformers" managed to explore.
Duke (Channing Tatum; "Stop-Loss") and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans; "Little Man") are Army soldiers assigned to protect a special military technology. Their convoy is attacked by a well-armed black-ops group with advance technology. The attackers quickly decimate the regular military forces. A highly classified military group called--shhhh--"G.I.Joe" comes to the rescue, eventually recruiting these two boisterous young men into their ranks. Duke and Ripcord soon learn that the theft of technology is the least of their worries. A conglomeration of shady corporations, mad scientists, and masked, fascist-like soldiers are converging to form a world-spanning terrorist group with an agenda. What that agenda is, the movie does not make particularly clear.
"G.I. Joe" is beyond the most outrageous James Bond films in its use of sci-fi, futuristic technologies. The accelerator suits which played prominently in early trailers make for exciting chase scenes despite their cartoonish nature. I enjoyed the flashbacks in the picture more than the modern day story, since these background stories felt more reality-hinged. Director Sommers throws the audience into the midst of the action in the present day, without clearly defining exactly what the Joes stand for or their formative history. Cobra is a bit better developed since the plot focuses on its creation and commanders. The Cobra villains are also better performed. Sienna Miller, Christopher Eccleston, and Arnold Vosloo as Baroness, Destro, and Zartan, respectively, are more interesting to watch than the bland good guys. The cast of younger actors play their roles gamely but not much is expected of them. The past relationship between Baroness and Duke is an unusual angle to explore in an otherwise standard action movie, making it at least interesting on the surface.
The film is grandiose with its elaborate military battles--including an underwater submarine battle--and globe-spanning investigations. The problem is that the story feels light despite the fact the Joes are trying to prevent global domination by a terrorist group. Perhaps this film would have worked better pre-9/11 but since that demarcation point, more seriousness should be given in dealing with terrorists in the movies. If Sommers had delved a little deeper into creating a reality-based story with some legitimate drama, the product would have been better served. Instead, "The Rise of Cobra" is filling in an empty calorie sort of way. Perhaps Sommers had too many masters to satisfy and chose to make a "safe" film which satisfies everyone but impresses no one. "G.I. Joe" just could not shake the look and feel of a big budget toy commercial. Bring on Christmas.
Rated PG-13 for strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.
Jeremiah 'The Reel Guy' Rancourt
E-mail: jandlrancourt@yahoo.com