REVIEW: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

About a year ago I was invited to a test screening of ‘Retaliation’ in a big, fancy cinema close to Anaheim, California.
It was one of those events where you were sworn to secrecy about what you saw and I actually ended up sitting one seat down from director Jon M. Chu who clearly looked happy with what was on screen despite some scenes missing crucial CGI effects.

A couple of months after the screening, news filtered through that the release of ‘Retaliation’ was being put back 8 months in order to incorporate 3D effects. Most people believed the delay was forced upon Paramount after test audiences had all said the same thing – ‘Retaliation’ needed more Channing Tatum – and after a stellar 2012 for Tatum, that made sense. But was the delay worth it? The 3D pops but honestly, not really…

The star of the first ‘G.I. Joe’, Tatum’s character Duke gets maybe a couple more scenes at the start of the movie that attempt to solidify the friendship between him and Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) yet the extra screen time given to him is in detriment to the film. The scenes feel ham fisted and forced and ultimately, Duke and a handful of other Joes still meet their demise at the hands of an air attack ordered by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), who has taken the identity of the US President (Jonathan Pryce).

The remaining Joes (Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Jinx & Snake Eyes) are presumed dead and have to go rogue in order to fight back against not only their Government’s threat against the world but also their true enemy, the Cobra Commander, who has been broken out of a high security facility somewhere in Germany. The only man they can still trust is the original Joe played by Bruce Willis who sarcastically quips and shoots his way through most of his time on screen. It’s a standard dry, sardonic performance by Willis that we’re getting more and more used to seeing with each action role he takes on. It would have been nice to see a bit more camaraderie between him and the other Joes.
In fact, none of the characters are really fleshed out which is what lets the film down most. Roadblock grunts and brawls his way through the whole thing with a distinct lack of flair or subtlety and the floundering romance between Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) is as hot as a Winters day in Lapland. Palicki smoulders in a bright red dress in a brief moment of sensuality that will gain her a few more male admirers.
It says a lot when the most layered (and best) character is one that doesn’t talk or show his face. Ray Park’s Snake Eyes says all he needs to with two pistols and a sword.
As for the villains, Ray Stevenson hams it up with a woeful American accent as Firefly but he brings more of a sustained threat compared to the Cobra Commander who is strangely underused and subdued considering he is still the Joe’s main enemy.

As you’d expect, plot and character development are most definitely secondary to the special effects and stunts, most of which are quite breathtaking and a lot of fun. The scene in the mountains of Japan where Jinx and Snake Eyes take on a bunch of acrobatic ninjas not only defies gravity (think ‘Inception’ meets ‘Cliffhanger’) but stands out in my mind as being one of the best action sequences in recent memory.
Another scene where London gets completely obliterated by a missile launched from space is as destructive as anything you’ll find this year and includes a sly dig at North Korea which should do a lot for inter-country relations.
With razor sharp editing and only brief respites between all the action, it sometimes feels like ‘Retaliation’ is a glorified video game with the meandering script acting as cut scene filler until the next explosive set piece.

‘Retaliation’ is a marked improvement on the first G.I. Joe (whether that’s a recommendation is a question of your personal taste) and a serviceable action blockbuster that will hit all the right spots if you’re looking for some mindless fun and explosions. It’s not perfect by any means but I get the feeling it will do well enough for the franchise to gain a part three. Hopefully by then there will be a better script for these characters to play with.

7/10

REVIEW: A Good Day To Die Hard

When the original Die Hard was released, it changed the face of action films.  John McClane was a regular guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, pitted against arguably one of the best movie villains of all time in Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber.  Each subsequent sequel has seen the original’s visceral violence toned down in favour of expansive stunts, explosions and high speed thrills, none more so than in previous instalment ‘Live Free Or Die Hard’ where McClane managed to level most of the American East Coast.  I thought ‘Live Free…’ was over the top and brilliant for it but became slightly concerned after initial reactions to this fifth movie had rendered it not up to par with the rest of the franchise.

‘A Good Day…’ takes Bruce Willis and John McClane out of their comfort zone as he travels to Russia to help his estranged son Jack, a CIA agent working in Moscow to foil a nuclear weapons heist.  Yes, McClane has a son now too after we were introduced to his daughter in Die Hard 4.0.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead returns only briefly here as Lucy while John’s ex-wife Molly is not even mentioned once.

It doesn’t take long for the McClane’s to cross paths as a bid to kidnap political prisoner Komarov (Sebastian Koch) from the court house leaves a pile of rubble and promptly starts the movie’s first big action sequence, a stunning car chase that leaves decimated vehicles strewn across the city.  Father and son team up to protect Komarov from Alik (Radivoje Bukvic), another member of the Russian underworld looking for a secret file that contains incriminating evidence on his boss.

The strangest and inevitably most bothering thing about ‘A Good Day…’ is that despite shifting McClane to new, unfamiliar surroundings, the whole thing comes across as scaled down (even down to the 95 minute running time) and at times just downright lazy.  Sure, there are still a lot of big stunts that will have you shaking your head in glorious disbelief but the script by Skip Woods is weak and this John McClane is pretty joyless and even more cynical than normal to the point where, at times, you’re wondering if you’re still watching the same character who endeared himself to you 25 years ago.  He isn’t helped by having to repeat the same joke (“I’m on vacation!”) a number of times with the McClane trademark humour seemingly low on the priority list.  The relationship with son Jack is palatable but ultimately serves as a distraction for the two to team up and shoot as many scumbags as possible.  Some of the violence has been cut for the UK version (it holds a 12A certificate here) but bullets still fly at an alarming rate.

The films saving grace is the non-stop action which culminates in a fantastic final set piece shootout in Chernobyl.

Despite the negativity, there is still a lot to enjoy with ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ but only if you clear your mind of the four movies that have come before it.  It’s the weakest addition to the franchise by far with no distinguishable villain and a sour foreign flavour that doesn’t add anything special to the mix.   Saying that, it’s still a lot better than most modern action films and after going in with low expectations, I didn’t come away disappointed.  There will have to be a big improvement for the already confirmed Die Hard 6 where Willis is expected to bow out in a blaze of glory.

6.5/10

REVIEW: Lay The Favourite

If you’ve ever wanted to spend a movie staring at an attractive woman’s legs or just generally be confused about the more finer details of gambling, “Lay The Favourite” would be your best ‘bet’
See what I did there?

The movie is based on the memoirs of ditzy private dancer turned Vegas bookie Beth Raymer, played wonderfully by Brit Rebecca Hall. You wouldn’t know she was British though, her bronzed body and playful American accent aren’t too bad at all.
While in Vegas she begins working for Dink, (Bruce Willis) the owner of a private gambling company who have found a way to work the Vegas sports book system to their advantage. Beth proves she has a knack with numbers and becomes very trust worthy with large sums of money but not as trust worthy when it comes to Dink’s affections. His wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones) takes an instant dislike to her thanks to their very close professional relationship that constantly threatens to overstep the boundaries. This leads to Dink firing Beth but eventually having to re-hire her after a heart to heart with Tulip and a downtown in his fortunes.
In the meantime, Beth has hooked up with New York journalist Jeremy (Joshua Jackson) but leaves him to travel back to the Big Apple on his own after being re-hired by Dink.
Things turn even more sour on Beth’s return to the company as Dink faces bankruptcy. He fires Beth for a second time and she takes solace in New York with Jeremy. It’s there she meets one of Dink’s fiercest competitors, the eccentric Rosie (Vince Vaughn) who runs his business illegally while Beth courts clients from her local gym to place bets with him. The frantic Vaughn gets all the best lines as the foot loose and fancy free Rosie who sees gambling as an even bigger game than the events he places money on. Eventually, Beth and Jeremy finds themselves in a whole heap of trouble. Will Dink step in to save the day?

“Lay The Favourite” is one of those confusing films that can’t really be classified as anything. There’s humour but it’s not a comedy and the more dramatic parts of the movie are so amiable, it’s hard to believe that the characters are ever in any peril. And talking of confusing, if you’re not familiar with how sports books or gambling works, a lot of the technical jargon in the film will go over your head and out the top floor window of the Stratosphere Tower.
Despite that, if you’re looking for a light hearted, breezy movie with a talented cast then “Lay The Favourite” will be perfect. The cast is a great mix and they play off each other well. Willis proves he’s not just all guns and ammo with a restrained performance and a penchant for wearing hawaiian shirts with long socks. Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn’t figure as much but is still good as Dink’s long suffering wife. Rebecca Hall steals the film though and after a string of more serious roles, it’s nice to see her let her hair down and show a different side of her repertoire.

With a bit more gumption, “Lay The Favourite” could have been truly excellent.  Instead it’s just a enjoyable look at the underbelly of the Vegas gambling business that never really has a point to make but it suckers you in with some good acting and Rebecca Hall’s denim hot pants.

6.5/10

Official Trailer: 

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