Review: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum
Director: Jon M. Chu

In a few words...: Bruce Willis leads the outlawed G.I. Joe's in a quest to overthrow the evil Cobra Commander and free the President of the United States.
 
Rating: 7/10

Beware: SPOILERS AHEAD

This movie has been a long time coming. We heard that it's release date had initially been pushed back in order to make Channing Tatum the real focus of a new promotional campaign, thanks to his rising star power. Then it was all about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson being the main man for an even newer promotional campaign.

Finally, a handful of years after it was first intended, the sequel to GI Joe - Rise of Cobra has hit screens, and, if you want a big, loud, visually exciting film, this is it. I'm not a giant fan of the 3D format, but there were some good effects in that extra dimension and the conversion didn't seem forced, proving that there's a market for 3D movies; maybe it's the big budget comic book-style adventure.

After Cobra infiltrates the White House and takes over the Oval Office, with Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) impersonating POTUS (Jonathan Pruce), the Joe's are sent on a mission designed to be a trap, and in a spectacular abmbush scene in the desert, most of their number are killed. Surprisingly, Channing Tatum's Duke Hauser bites the dust - literally and figuratively here - leaving only Roadblock (Johnson), Flint (D.J Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) as survivors.

At the same time, Cobra Commander is rescued from prison, and once more put to at the pointy end of the organisation. Storm Shadow, injured during the operation, is tracked to a mountain retreat by Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Jinx (Elodie Yung), who are involved in an epic cliff-side sequence, fighting off large numbers of bad guys, all whilst protecting their parcel, Storm Shadow. The action scenes are jaw-dropping right throughout the movie, but this one might've been the very best. You can't help but be impressed.

Then Bruce Willis is introduced, and he's at his best as a the wise-cracking template for the G.I. Joe's, Joseph Colton, and with his help, the surviving Joes launch an audacious plan to free the President and interfere with Cobra's plans for total word domination, which are taking place at a supposed peace summit at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour, South Carolina. In a show of force, Zartan (in his guise as the President of the United States) shows off his orbital bombardment weapons after tricking the rest of the world's leaders into disabling their nuclear devices by destroying London.

It's very loud and it's very exciting, with the action switching back between the main attack at Fort Sumter and the operation led by Colton (Willis) to rescue the President from the bunker where he is being held, but Cobra Commander escapes - setting up the premise for a third film, no doubt - whilst Roadblock manages to thwart Cobra's plans for detonating the orbital weapon. 

At a White House ceremony, hosted by the rescued president, honouring the G.I. Joe's for their service, Colton gives Roadblock a Colt .45 pistol that he has been carrying, and asks Roadblock to use it to kill Cobra Commander. Presumably, Colton will get his wish if the rumoured third film becomes the final piece in the G.I.I Joe trilogy.