GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller in Best Action Movie of the Summer

Aug 12, 2009 Vasu Chetty

GI Joe: the Rise of the Cobra is a surprising breath of fresh air in a summer filled with lackluster action films, with the right amount of action and a clever plot.

The GI Joe franchise has long been associated with the patriotism and a somewhat egotistical side of the US Army. But the new film, GI Joe: the Rise of the Cobra dispenses quickly with the stereotype and focuses on the Joes being an elite group of fighters and analysts from around the world.

Action in GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

GI Joe is somewhat reminiscent of the first Transformers film in terms of action: it is well-paced with plenty of explosions and enough fighting to satiate any action movie-goers thirst for on screen carnage. With brilliant ninja duels, underwater battles and high in the sky chases, the film has plenty to offer in terms of action.

Plot of GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Surprisingly, the plot of GI Joe was fairly well conceived. While it isn’t as evocative as Batman: the Dark Knight, it is simple and coherent, unlike Transformers 2, with a few interesting twists. One of the interesting features was the back stories of Snake Eyes, played by Ray Park, and Duke, played by Channing Tatum, weaving its way through the film, which added to the film’s action and story without ever getting distracting.

There were some cheesy moments, but that’s to be expected from anything GI Joe related, it adds to the charm of the film. The acting wasn’t terribly great; there were some fairly weak moments, but overall the cast worked well together and built believable relationships, much like in the first X-men. The writers were smart in focusing on a few main characters, while still delivering a host of interesting supporting characters

Romance in GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

The romance in GI Joe was better portrayed than most action films; at times it felt very generic, especially between Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) and Shana(Rachel Nichols), but still somewhat enchanting. Duke and Ana (Sienna Miller) seemed like they had a stronger bond, perhaps because of the dark and riveting history that they shared. While not up to the caliber of a romantic film, at the least the writers put some effort into making it believable and charming.

Humor in GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Ripcord was definitely in it for the action and the girl, but that didn’t stop him from causing a few laughs. Sometimes he’s slapstick, at other times he’s ridiculous and fun; essentially he was there to lighten the mood and provide some comic relief. The humor works well since it doesn’t detract from the action and it does remind viewers that action is supposed to be fun and not serious.

Conclusion

GI Joe: the Rise of the Cobra receives a 9/10 for being a well rounded film. While some may argue that this is too high, GI Joe delivers what movies like Transformers 2 and Terminator: Salvation only promised, but never delivered: a great action film with a coherent plot. The ending of the film clearly indicates an upcoming sequel, which will hopefully be just as fun and clever without ever taking itself too seriously.

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