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
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