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G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Movie Review)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is the successor to the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and is based on the line of action figures by toy makers Hasbro. The 2013 film stars Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, DJ Cotrana and Adrianne Palicki with Channing Tatum and Byung-Hun Lee reprising their roles of Duke and Storm Shadows respectively. The new film packs a lot of additional surprises over the original release, and of course, there is more than enough action to satisfy even the most difficult to please fans of the series. G.I. Joe: Retaliation surpasses its predecessor in nearly every way including offering plenty of great new characters for fans to invest their time in and a storyline that has far more substance than the original film as well.


G.I. Joe: Retaliation begins with the team doing what the Joes do best. After easily breaking into a compound and extracting a high priority target with minimal effort, it's time for a little rest and relaxation before the next mission. The film quickly builds up the friendship between Duke and Roadblock, as played by Dwayne Johnson, despite the new film marking the first times fans have had a chance to see the new character in film. It's not long before the G.I. Joes get a new mission, and though the mission goes perfectly according to plan, it turns out to be a set up and betrayal by the remaining Cobra members that sets the stage for another hour and a half worth of back and forth combat between the two units.

Dwayne Johnson delivers an excellent performance as Roadblock in the new film with DJ Cotrona as the character Flint and Bruce Willis as General Joseph Colton delivering greatly enjoyable characters for viewers to root for during the film as well. Other noteworthy performances for the film include Jonathan Pryce, who gets double duty playing both the President of the United States and an impostor for much of film. There are some easily forgettable characters in the film to be sure, but as with any other action film, it's the stars that inevitably make or break the film, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation just happens to have some of the most interesting characters in the genre to work with.

All isn't perfect with G.I. Joe: Retaliation though. The action in the film is great, but there are several instances throughout the film where humor is tried to force into the storyline, and many of the jokes miss the mark. One example is early on in the film, viewers learn Duke may be the leader of the G.I. Joes and an excellent soldier on the battlefield, but he can't play Call of Duty to save his life. There are other stereotypes thrown in for good mix, but for the most part, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is still a very entertaining experience that is well worth renting or purchasing for fans of the series and line of toys.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Video on Demand. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is rated PG-13 by the MPAA. For more information on the film, check out the official G.I. Joe: Retaliation website.

Movie Features:
Release Date: March 28, 2013 (DVD & Blu-ray: July 30, 2013)
Director: Jon M. Chu
Running Time: 110 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Previous Release: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
Cast: Channing Tatum, Dwanye Johnson, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, DJ Cotrana & Byung-Hun Lee

Score: 8 out of 10

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