Good Friday is a solemn day for many; what better way to spend it than to watch a shoot-em-up based on a Saturday morning cartoon of my youth? Truthfully, the place was packed – what with most useful things being closed, thankfully, movie theatres were wide open (are they the only non-essential institution now open year-round, no exceptions?). So, we bought our tickets for G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Before the movie started, I shared with Jadek that we should have perhaps rewatched the original. Good thing I didn’t: after reading my thoughts on the first one, it may have tainted my enjoyment of the second one. And enjoy it, I did. The one thing this franchise seems to have going for it a nice blend realism and cartoonery. I mean, yes, everyone in this movie is impossibly beautiful (Adrianne Palicki’s Lady Jaye is bang-on and I can’t think of anyone better to play Roadblock than Dwayne Johnson and the action scenes are over-the-top, but somehow they stay on this side of fantasy.
Speaking of action – hoo-wee! That scene on the side of the mountain – and seriously, the price of admission is worth this one scene alone – is intense. It’s the only action scene I can recall at this moment that don’t need to hide the wires attached to the stunt crew. In fact, the wires are essential. It was stellar. Right up there with Nolan’s rotating hallway and the Wachowski’s bullet time.
So, if you like cartoons or action movies, you’ll enjoy this. 3 out of 5 stars.
PS: spoiler!
No Baroness? And she’s still alive somewhere? Good thing I thought they had killed her off in the last one (which, in my heart, they did), or I would have been bitterly disappointed.
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