Definitely way better than the first one. This one was fun and catchy with a good and functioning amount of action. The toys in this movie were more products for the movie and were realistic in terms of military capabilities whereas the first one was way too outlandish and I liked it, but it was unrealistic and didn’t fit with the movie. This one was more about the G.I. Joe versus the selling of toys (which ironically would sell toys).
This movie takes place a few years after G. I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. The G. I. Joe’s are a functioning team that take orders from Duke (Channing Tatum) who has become their leader since the last movie. There are given a task by Zartan, who is still impersonating as the President with the help of nanotechnology from the previous movie, which turns out to be a trick that involves setting up the G. I. Joes and annihilating them, save for a few setting the three survivors, Roadblock, Lady Jaye and Flint on a mission to expose what really happened, save the world and stop Cobra Commander from taking over the world.
A simple enough plot to grab the attention of all viewers with some well-developed characters who have a little more depth than in the previous one. Now while other critics say “…G.I. Joe: Retaliation is overwhelmed by its nonstop action and too nonsensical and vapid to leave a lasting impression,” I disagree. The non-stop action was the best part of the movie! It functioned well and moved the pace of the movie along. The escape scene with Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun) was smooth, effortless, and him being shirtless didn’t hurt much either to improve the scene.
That’s what was so good about this movie, the fact that the action scenes were effortless and choreographed immensely well. All the transitions were smooth and the movie focused more on the plot than just the selling of toys which was obvious to all of the viewers. Zartan for the record, had the best lines in the movie. Cobra Commanders change and how they were able to maneuver and function without Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s was smooth and more aligned with the original creation of Cobra Commander from G. I. Joe cartoons. His outfit and the air about him filled the room. He was The Cobra Commander, congrats to Luke Bracey who was the actor and Robert Baker who did the incredible voice over.
One of the things that felt wrong in this movie was RZA. He was just out of nowhere and he and his character felt out of place and didn’t fit well with the movie. Watching that was painful. I know a lot of people will hate me for saying that, and I’m sorry, but I just do not think he needed to be in the movie, I don’t think he’s a good actor and should maybe just stick to behind the scenes, mainly in the music business because after this movie and Man with the Iron Fists, which was a complete let down, he has not proven himself as a good screenwriter or actor.
Other than those few scenes with him, nothing else in the movie was awkward or felt wrong. Not the greatest movie by far, but definitely a step in the right direction for redemption from the first movie…and I love the first movie. 2/4 ★’s & a “C”.
G. I. Joe: Retaliation was directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Lee Byung-hun, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson and Channing Tatum.