Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

CGI Effects Help Actors Sienna Miller & Channing Tatum Deliver

Aug 18, 2009

Super villains played by Christopher Eccleston, Byung-Hun Lee, Arnold Vosloo & Joseph Gordon-Levitt make evil more appealing than somewhat bland G.I. Joes.

Opening at US$56.2 million on the first weekend at the box office, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra may have suffered from critic reviews and word of mouth, but it is certainly an adrenaline-pumping ride, well-worth seeing for its grandiose cinematic effects. Despite the onslaught of criticisms on the film, this movie’s US$175 million budget delivers in its effects, plot, casting and even glamour.

A big budget film with all effects and no human emotion would be less exciting. Thankfully, G.I. Joe succeeds in casting some of the best villains on this planet. The movie starts Lord of the Rings style, with tenacious David Murray as Klan McCullen defending his right to sell arms. Later his descendant, the slimy James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston), and scarred genius The Doctor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) reveal themselves as evil enough to drown Darth Vader's ambitions.

Also, in come Storm Shadow (Byung Hun Lee) and the Baroness (Sienna Miller) to top the glamour factor. On the villains’ side there is angst and depth, with a sort of sick love triangle forming between James McCullen, the Baroness and Storm Shadow, even before Duke (Channing Tatum) enters the picture. Korean actor Byung Hun Lee makes a strong Hollywood debut, adding interest with his ambiguous relationship with the Baroness. Lee sends up some cool action whilst speaking English surprisingly well. Another actor to look out for is Arnold Vosloo - his Zartan smiles, but is very deadly.

Sienna Miller & Channing Tatum Form a Bland Combo

The biggest letdown in this film would be the heroic pair Duke and Baroness, played by Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller. They look the part but lack the X factor that engages viewers, drawing them into their story. Sienna Miller plays blond-haired love interest Ana beautifully, but her Baroness is neither maddeningly evil nor excitingly good. Perhaps Miller would be better doing romantic comedies, a la Jennifer Aniston? Her vacant looks and flighty behavior are happily explained by the ending, but for the most part of the film these lose the audience’s interest.

The Baroness turns out to be more like a schoolgirl (especially with the dark-rimmed glasses) than to-be-reckoned-with femme fatale. Channing Tatum has received the most criticism, as his bland expressions register the least with audiences. Flashbacks aside, Tatum seems to have no emotional life bubbling within. As the audience follows the plot onscreen, the actor’s inner life does much to direct the audience’s emotions. But in this case Tatum’s blankness gives the audience no direction whatsoever.

Fortunately, Channing Tatum’s bland G.I. Joe is supported by a likeable cast of G.I. Joes, led by Dennis Quaid. Duke’s sidekick Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) warms things up nicely with much needed comedy. His love interest redhead Shana (Rachel Nichols) leaps out from the screen and is more interesting than Tatum. Other good supporting acts include the brooding Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, last seen in Lost and Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

Nanotechnology and the burning Eiffel Tower give this movie a breathtakingly modern feel. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is like a racehorse that does not pause for breath. The viewer, dazzled by electro-spectacles of underwater battles, may not stop long enough to see through the thin plot, its over reliance on flashbacks and the missing emotional journey. But therein lies its triumph. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra delivers exactly what it says it does – it is an entertaining, spectacular movie based on Hasbro’s action figures, no more.

Source:

‘GI Joe’ Opens as No. 1 Weekend Film on Sales of $56.2 Million. Bloomberg.com, Laura Myers & Dan Hart, August 10, 2009.

The copyright of the article Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by Lynette S.K. Webster. Permission to republish Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.