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G.I. Joe:
The Rise of Cobra
In an age when film
studios are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for inspiration,
turning to blogs, theme park rides and songs in search of subject
matter, it was only a matter of time before the venerable G.I. Joe got
his own live-action blockbuster.
Rather than a single
clean-cut soldier a la the toys which bear his name, G.I. Joe is
here the name of an elite strike force of the not-too-distant future, a
crew which features some of the world’s best undercover operatives
fighting on the side of right. When Duke (Channing Tatum) and his buddy
Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) stumble across the Joes, they decide they want
in.
The pair have been
entrusted with delivering a top secret weapon to NATO forces. Along the
way they are accosted by naughty vixen The Baroness (Sienna Miller) and
her team of Cobra mercenaries, who are desperate to acquire the weapon
at all costs. As it has the power to destroy entire cities, the G.I.
Joe squad are understandably reluctant to let this happen, and five
minutes into the action the viewer knows this is one struggle that’s
going to involve a heck of a lot of gunfire, martial arts and
explosions.
It may not win any
awards for originality, but this is big, bombastic entertainment at its
finest. Tatum pulls off the square-jawed, wholesome All-American bit
with aplomb, and Sienna Miller is excellent as the vampish Baroness. No
expense has been spared on the special effects, and while aspects of the
feature certainly aren’t without their faults, director Stephen Sommers
(The Mummy, Van Helsing) certainly gives it his all on
this fun, high-octane adventure. There are enough plot convolutions to
keep you interested, and numerous critics such as Roger Ebert confessed
they found the film more entertaining than the recent Transformers
sequel.
Though it received far
from unanimous praise the film was nonetheless a financial success,
taking in over $300 million at the worldwide box office and selling
millions of copies in its week of DVD release alone. A sequel is also
in the pipeline, and will see all the principle cast members reprising
their roles. It seems this is yet another children’s toy that, having
been brought to life on the big screen, intends on sticking around for a
while.
Special Features
Audio Commentary by the
Director
Making-of Featurette
Next-Gen Action: The
Amazing Visual Effects and Design of G.I. Joe |
