by Autobot032 » Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:58 am
- Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Having just seen the film a second time, early this morning, I still have it quite fresh in my mind, so...
I loved it. I'm not even a G.I. Joe fan, but I LOVED this movie. I'm even enticed to go out and buy a few figures when I have the dough.
Pros:
-Sommers proved you could have a great film with a lot of explosions and fun, without taking you into the "I need an intermission so I can take a thumper dumper" time frame. (Though a few extra minutes to flesh out the other characters, plus a bit more story/plot overall, would've helped.)
-Covergirl, Scarlet, and the Baroness were just incredible. That kind of beauty shouldn't be in one movie, because it's an overload to a man's senses. (Side effects include, but are not limited to: Impure thoughts, tongue wagging, excessive drooling, a persecution complex (because you know you'll NEVER get a woman like that. lol), and a S.O. who wants to beat the crap out of you.)
-The Pit. No, seriously, that entire set was just incredibly cool and I hope the playset has even a fraction of that awesome.
-Sgt. Stone. Brendan Fraser cameo FTW! (I wouldn't be surprised if we see other Mummy alums make appearances throughout the sequels. And I think we'd welcome it too, a nice nod for the fans of both movie series.)
-Zartan. Arnold Vosloo was a terrific choice to play Zartan, and it wasn't silly or over the top. He was slimy, he was evil, and he lived up to the master of disguise moniker.
-Ripcord. Say what you will, but I haven't seen the source material much, and know absolutely nothing of Ripcord's origin, but I thought Marlon Wayans was terrific. (No seriously, I'm being honest here.) He was funny, he had a certain charm about him, and he was a more than capable actor in the role.
-Cobra Commander. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was definitely a surprising choice for CC, but dammit, he pulled it off. I thought he was really great, and the voice? Dang. The mask, however, fail. I'd like to see him look more like the original CC at some point. It doesn't have to be a total 1:1 design either, but something that melds the two designs.
Cons:
-Pacing. Moved WAAAY too fast. Never really slowed down long enough to let the story through in some spots.
-Anna & Duke's history. Great, glad to see some actual story behind the characters in the film. (I'll admit, TF movies have dropped the ball here, immensely.) However, they just went on and on with it for far too long. We get it, they were starcrossed lovers, he pussed out because he got her brother killed, her brother turned her into a villain, Duke will save her, blah, blah, blah. We got it. They should've taken a cue from the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow history. It was just enough to show how they became who/what they are, but not excessive and drawn out.
-The creation of Destro. I'm not sure how it went in the source material, but having his face become the mask...eh... It looked cool, but seriously, it was beyond ridiculous. (And yes, I realize the entire film was full of ridiculous moments.) Though the toy looks badass. Had he looked like that in the film, I'd have been sold, because I could've over looked it.
-The excessive violence. I just wasn't expecting it to be quite so intense. I realize it's G.I. Joe, so it's going to be violent considering they're a military task force, etc. Problem is, this film was also marketed to kids as well as TF/ROTF, and while both were violent (especially Prime when he went all hack choppy on Grindor and the like...) ROTF's violence was primarily giant robots (which do not exist, and kids know this) beating the living crap out of one another. Joe's violence was...bloody, intense, and realistic. Realistic is fine for us, but not so much for kids. Now granted, the same audiences attending ROTF will go see this movie, especially if they have kids. I just want parents to be well informed before taking their children to see it. I watched two families leave during the most violent parts of the movie, one of them being the final battle between SE and SS. I was totally unprepared for Covergirl's death. One second she's talking to Hawk, the next this blade comes bursting through her chest and pokes out of the screen on the tablet PC in front of her. Made me jump, both times, and my jaw hit the floor, both times.
-CGI. Awful, awful, awful. A very inconsistent and embarrassing display. The Accelerator Suits were top notch, the rest of the CGI surrounding them? Not so much. The Eiffel Tower made me want to go find a Nanomite and use it to eat the projector. That..."effect" is just AWFUL.
All in all, I thought it was a terrific film, an enjoyable experience, and the cast, while imperfect, performed with skill and tongue planted firmly in cheek, and I'm so thankful for that. If had been a totally serious film, it would've killed some of the charm of it for me. This is a cartoon, comic book, and toyline come to life. I expect silliness, over the top visuals, and humor from something like this, and they delivered. If they had gone the Resolute way, I'd have been a bored and sad panda. Resolute worked great as a 70 minute animated flick, just not on the big screen.
I find it to be no better than ROTF, nor is it lesser than. They are neck and neck in my book, and fighting for the top spot. I'm giving them a tie at #1 in my favorites list for the time being, because it's well deserved.
Good job Hasbro, that's TWO movies, in a single season, that you've pulled off and given us something to truly enjoy and be thrilled by.
Go see this film, folks. It's well worth the price of admission, and you'll come out with a smile on your face. Maybe because you realize it's a guilty pleasure, maybe because it knocked your socks off, either way...a smile will be had in the end.
Friggin' awesome, I say.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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