I grew up watching the G.I. Joe cartoon, playing with the toys, and sometimes even reading the comics. The Joe’s were tied with my Star Wars toys as my favorite toys, sometimes having some crossover play in the sandbox. When I heard they were finally making a live action movie a few years ago I was excited! I did not have any delusions of grandeur for “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”. This was a movie based on a toy line, a step, a small step, above movies based on video games. But I went in expecting a fun popcorn movie. Dear god! Was I disappointed. Very few movies do I despise more… well, maybe the remake of “The Day The Earth Stood Still”. The first G.I. Joe movie was HORRIBLE! It was not G.I. Joe. Too many relationship plots, everyone knew each other on both the Joe and Cobra side. Too much reliance on CGI and cool tech toys… those accelerator suits were a joke. They weren’t even “Real American Heroes” any more… G.I. Joe became something like “Global Initiative: Joint Operations… um… Excrement” or something. And I wont even go into the casting of a Wayans in it or the scientifically impossibility of sinking ice!! The people behind “The Rise of Cobra” had no love or respect for the source material and it showed.

So… Word comes down a year or so later that there is a sequel in the works, “G.I. Joe Retaliation”! **Cringe!** And not only that, it gets delayed for a year for 3D conversion… or reshoots since Channing Tatum is now a big star and he needs more screen time and to change his characters story. BUT! Not only did they Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock they have Bruce Willis as General Joe Colton, the inspiration for the Joe’s. Ok, I will give this film a chance.

I am so glad I did! The Joe’s are back to being “Real American Heroes”! The opening of this movie glances over the events of the last movie and what could have been it’s sequel deciding instead to gloss over that story and establish a new and much better plot. I don’t want to go into spoilers here so don’t worry. Basic premise, the Joe’s are framed, attacked, many killed and now the surviving Joe’s have to set things right. A lot of gun fights, some cool vehicle battles, and enough cool future tech and weapons with the right mount of CGI make this a fun movie to watch. This is not Shakespeare or “Apocalypse Now”. It is what it is, a movie based on an 80’s cartoon and toy line. What this one has going for it is people that enjoy, respect, and embrace the source material. This is my G.I. Joe movie

Only 4 actors return from the last movie, Channing Tatum as Duke, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Arnold Vosloo as Zartan, and Byung-Hun Lee as Storm Shadow. We did lose Joseph Gorden-Levitt as Cobra Commander but Luke Bracey did a fantastic job stepping into Cobra Commanders shiny helmet, it was like he stepped right from the cartoon onto the live screen. I was surprised at the chemistry Johnson and Tatum had as Roadblock and Duke and they set up their friendship nicely for an emotional punch later. Even Adrianne Palicki (from the failed Wonder Woman pilot) did a good job as Lady Jaye. I did feel sorry for Vosloo as Zartan. Since Zartan was disguised as someone else in the entire movie you could have blinked and missed his two on screen appearances. Bruce Willis was Bruce Willis and that ain’t a bad thing. He was pretty much the old school Joe, the toyline my dad may have played with.

A couple stand out performances are Ray Stevenson as Firefly and Walton Goggins as Warden Nigel James. Yes, the warden was a surprisingly entertaining and smart character for a small role. Normally this kind of character is pretty much a throw away but Goggins plays him as fun and charasmatic. Not only that, but he actually gave Storm Shadow a run for his money, twice! And Firefly, which was one of my favorite figures growing up, was a nice addition and played well by Stevenson (The Punisher/Punisher War Journal and Volstagg/Thor).

The subplot involving Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Storm Shadow could have been it’s own movie. The mountain ninja fight was amazing. It was almost a tribut to the classic silent issue of the comic book by Marvel. And I liked the little touch in making the flashbacks look like something from a 1970’s kung-fu movie. As I said, it could be it’s own movie and it feels like something was cut out of this storyline to make it fit into the rest of the movie. I wonder what will end up in a directors cut or deleted scenes when this is released for home theater.

Couple of downsides? D.J. Cotrona as Flint was a little flat. He could have been any soldier, nothing made him stand out as Flint. And no Destro! Well, he was said to be in part of the movie but doe snot contribute to this film. But to be honest, there was no place to have him fit naturally without feeling they were shoehorning in characters.

In the end, this is a fun action movie that respectfully brings the G.I. Joe’s from our youth to the big screen. See this film, but pass on the 3D, there is no need for it. As for me, I will be purchasing this movie for my personal library when it comes out for home theater.