By my estimation about 70% of this film is made up of special effects. For the most part it looked completely fake and totally distracted from any semblance of a story line. However, it doesn't really matter, it was still fun to watch. There are so many awesome vehicles and suits with accessories that I felt like I was back in my living room playing with my action figures. The characters defy gravity like they did when they were jumping off your bed escaping imagined explosions. After seeing this film I totally want to go out and buy some of the toys. I am sure Hasbro made a killing from this movie last summer. The live-action realization of the characters was really well done. I thought they were pretty awesome.
A lot of my enjoyment of this film is due to the very low expectations I had for it. I imagined it as another Transformers II. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The plot wasn't groundbreaking or profound, but it was easy to follow and made sense for the most part. The pacing of the action was good. It never let itself get bogged down with too much exposition or conversation. The attempts at comedy didn't work for me, but it wasn't too distracting. Overall G.I. Joe turned out to be a decent action flick that I enjoyed sitting back, turning my mind off and just watching.
I would recommend G.I. Joe for a rental. Don't go in expecting your world to be rocked, but I think most guys will like it. I don't think there is too much in here for the ladies.
Filed Under: Action, Adventure