August 7, 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
Studio: Paramount Pictures Rating: PG-13 for strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.
Maybe I'm a little jaded, but anytime I'm watching a movie based on a cartoon which was based on a line of toys, my expectations are a little low.
I'm happy to say that "G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra," is a better film than I thought it would be.
Set in the near future, an evil arms dealer is determined to take over the world and its up to a specially trained multi-national force to stop him.
The "Joes" are a diverse group, each with a specialty they take into battle.
Their foes are cobra-venom created super-soldiers with advanced technology and bad intentions.
I don't need to get into the plot too deeply because really, are you going to see this movie for the storyline? What I found important, and somewhat surprising, was how entertaining it all is.
Director Stephen Sommers is no stranger to big-budget action movies. He had a smash hit with "The Mummy" series and here he displays the same touch for staging some pretty incredible sequences.
I don't think I'm spilling the beans when I say none of the actors is going to seriously challenge for Oscar consideration. However, Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans manage to avoid outright goofiness as two special forces soldiers who join the "Joes."
Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rachel Nichols are also all pretty gung ho in their respective roles as heroes and villains.
This isn't very deep, but it doesn't pretend to be. It's fast-paced, exciting, maybe a bit more violent than I expected and it looks good. I liked it.
On my rating scale, "G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra" earns a TRIPLE.
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August 7, 2009
