Still looking for that all-star movie to fulfill your action packed, superhero desires this spring? Well, the latest installment of the G.I. Joe franchise probably won’t fit the bill. ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ is non-stop action — but not necessarily in a good way.
Every scene seems to be filled with extreme stunts, larger-than-life explosions and heinous combat sequences. The new Joe has sadly fallen prey to the trap of many large production studios in Hollywood. It is simply too much to handle. All the effects are over-the-top, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when combined with vapid dialogue and a forgettable plot, this film becomes much too muddled.
In the latest installment, the Joes find themselves still fighting their nemesis Cobra, while they also have to battle with forces from within their very own government. The lack of originality in this plot as well as the dearth of decent acting left this sequel standing in the very small shadow of its predecessor, ‘GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ (2009).
That first film stuck to an understandable plot and acceptably believable graphics, all while appealing to both action movie lovers and people who wanted a different twist on the age-old story of good guys vs. world-domination-bent villains.
‘GI Joe: Retaliation,’ however, has not been nearly as well received — at least by critics and anyone with a marginally critical eye. Despite the many undesirable ratings and worthless plot, this G.I. Joe sequel has already raked in $232 million worldwide. After already earning almost double the movie’s budget, it seems more than likely that the Paramount and MGM teams are already brewing up a G.I. Joe 3. But these otherwise decent sales figures are just a mirage — high 3-D ticket sales have made this movie yet another box office success and critical failure.
There were too few returning characters and way too many new Joes added to the team who didn’t seem to contribute much at all. Dwayne Johnson makes the film a typical “The Rock Movie; Bruce Willis is annoying and unnecessary; and there’s so little of Channing Tatum that I question the film’s morals. The new team put together for this movie doesn’t cut it.
But I somehow doubt that’s stopping the producers from looking for some more insanely popular Hollywood actors to add to their star-studded cast for the next installment. We can only hope that the next Joe will be a better movie than its predecessor — but don’t count on it.
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