‘G.I. JOE: RETALIATION’ (2013)

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Some movies are better off being only one. This franchise is one of those. ‘Rise of the Cobra’ is a good time and honorable to patriotism (in surprising, poignant moments). Its sequel suffers and asks too much of its avid fans.

G.I Joe: Retaliation (2013) Film Review

Since exposing Cobra’s evil plans, the G.I. Joes flourish under the leadership of Duke Hauser (Channing Tatum). Aided by his second-in-command, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Duke and Roadblock are about to lead the Joes in a new mission to recover nuclear weapons. Under the rule of a man who is masquerading as the President (Jonathan Pryce), what they don’t know is that this mission is suicide. The imposter has an order to destroy them all. The few that survive the strike soon realize that their commander-in-chief is not who he seems.

With the assistance of Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Roadblock recruits the services of the original Joe, General Colton (Bruce Willis) and Jinx (Elodie Yung). All to make sure that America is safe for another day, and they plan it all with retaliation on their mind.  

Dudes who fight valiantly and win at the end of the day is one thing I’m a sucker for in movies. In fact, it doesn’t set well with me when there’s a threat by credits end. It’s no surprise then that with the cast of movie on, it would become one of my favorite summertime flicks. News of this sequel gives me a similar reaction yet sadly, I don’t think it has the same “it” factor of its predecessor. Amid a new set of players, there is some terrific easy-going banter which helps lighten some of the darker doom although unlike Rachel Nicholas’ Scarlett, I think Adrianne’s Jaye is ill-used. She’s more of a pretty face than contributor (although she can handle herself).

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Making up for this error is the familiarity Johnson has in this role; he’s epically good yet again and seems to roll with each punch. It’s important to warn those who are fond of the chemistry and characters of from movie one to be prepared. You do have to say good-bye to them. Shifting to the production, each action sequence is good and I like that the good guys are human, not superheroes. Though the ultimate end is excellent, the script is even more far-reaching than it needs to be.

If righteous self-judgment happening after a threat passes bothers you, then you may also want to steer clear of this movie. There are arguments to be made for each side, however in movies, I prefer seeing the villains go down and stay down. It grows tiresome to watch the same people engage in a fierce battle.

Despite its mediocre story and new team, ‘Retaliation’ does get a passing grade from this movie-watcher. It has some cool music, quality where it really counts and its heroes have mettle. That alone is worth applause.


Content: multiple explosions rock various battles. An entire troop is wiped out by an air strike, bodies are seen being shot down [non-graphic] and soldiers run for their lives in the firefight. Characters commonly use machine guns and other weapons. Tanks blow up, Cobra guards get shot down; and there is a battle on the side of a mountain where several people fall to their deaths. A satellite weapon blows a country to smithereens. There’s a near miss use of “mother f –” and other minor language [sh*t, da*n]. A man sees a woman undress in a reflection [we see her from the back in her underwear] along with a minor sexual remark or two; there’s some immodest clothing. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is PG13.

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

6 comments

  1. I just got to watch this a week or two ago and I definitely don't think it lived up to the first movie. Which we own :P Having Johnson as Roadblock was a nice a plus and there were some fun fighting scenes (especially those with ninjas) but overall the plot really felt off to me. And they killed Duke :((( It kinda felt like after the attack on the Joes the story went kinda slowly then at the final battle boom! Almost everything explodes and then it's done :/ I was definitely hoping for something a bit better.

    1. Oh, me, too, Sierra! Really wanted this one to be as good as the first despite my skepticism (I was sure I *knew* what happened in regards to all the "old" characters SPOILER: and yes, it was sad to see who was killed off – it even warranted a mention while I was writing this review. END). Like you, I enjoyed the addition of Dwayne Johnson's character, but everything else was kind of… flat.

      I own both movies though suspect that the first will enjoy more rewatches than its sequel. :)

    1. Glad you enjoyed 'Retaliation,' Layla. Since I've seen the first, inevitably I did compare the movies. Hope you enjoy the prequel if/when you ever see it – both are fun action flicks. :)

      Thanks for reading – sure appreciate it. :)

  2. I got so excited when I heard they were making a sequel… and then I watched the trailer. *sigh* I don't think I'm going to bother with this one, not after I enjoyed Rise of the Cobra so much. Great review, Rissi!

    1. …I know the feeling, Rosie. Don't regret watching this one though I must say, 'Corba' is WAY better in my humble opinion. :)

      Thanks for reading, Rosie.

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