Review of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) by Esther L — 28 Nov 2013

Despite the harsh critic, I actually liked it. And the mix-and-match cast for the Joes turned out surprisingly good. Upon rewatching the film, I decided that Channing Tatum fit the role and the requirements of Duke and performed better than my initial impression of him. The rest of the cast performed surprisingly well, although I would have preferred Snake Eyes to have a better looking mask.

The backdrops were amazing although some of the CGI effects could have been more realistic looking.

Before watching this movie, I have to say that knowing is half the battle. Thank goodness I watched G.I. Joe: Renegades before this, so recognising some familiar Joes was a welcome relief. I'd advise you to read up on the characters before the movie and the rest will be a breeze, because the action will come hard and fast, with no time to catch a break.

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn of some past relationships between characters that have impacted events leading up to the present (but I won't spoil that for you). Even the flashbacks were rapid, so some of the emotions that should have been drawn out were lost, which is a pity.

My favourite characters? 1. Snake Eyes. He would make sushi out of Ninja Warrior. 2. Scarlett. Witty and tough.

Other than that, buckle up and prepare for the rapidfire action scenes, which can get rather confusing. Overall, a decent but mish-mash adaptation of a complex franchise that is the G.I. Joes. Two thumbs up.