GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA

US, 2009, 116 minutes, Colour.
Adewali Akinnuoye- Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon- Levitt, Byung- Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Jonathan Price, Dennis Quaid, Saeed Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Marlon Wayans.
Directed by Stephen Sommers.

A bit embarrassing – even though it is one of those mindless violence matinee holiday movies, I found myself quite enjoying it. And that, despite, the deafening soundtrack and booming musical score, not very startling performances and some basic and functional dialogue.

It comes from the Hasbro toys from past decades, especially the statue/toy of GI Joe (the name of the average Joe, the GI of World War II). Hasbro is also responsible for The Transformers (which was also deafening and pounding but much more difficult to follow, even the folding and unfolding machines and whose side they were on).

This one is better. After a rather frightening opening with a Scots arms dealer becoming a man in a fiery iron mask as punishment in the times of Louis XIII, we move to the 'not so distant' future where the billionaire Scots descendent (Christopher Eccleston in a kind of Blofeld megalomaniac interested in world power and domination) explains the warheads he has developed. They contain nanomites which can instantly chew any metal into nothingness (and we see some examples in demonstrations – and later a certain Parisian icon as well as some of the characters showing how effective the nanomites can be).

When the warheads are stolen in a fierce battle encounter, enter the special force the GIs, under the command of Denis Quaid. The GI Joes have lots of ultramodern and futuristic weaponry as do the enemy, so there is lots of warfare. The new GIS are Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans who have to confront an enemy known to them, Ana (Sienna Miller) whose brother, Rex (Joseph Gordon Leavitt) is a mad scientist who can manipulate minds and wills with cobra venom. Jonathan Pryce is the US president.

Actually, a good cast, excellent sets, special effects and stunts that are particularly well done make it an adrenalin pumper while it is there. Then, with its gung-ho attitudes, probably better forgotten.

1.The popularity of the toy since the 1960s? The individual? The team? The comics, television series, film?

2.The audience, boys, military game enthusiasts, war fans, the heroism and action?

3.The adaptation for a feature film: plot, characters, interactions, the contemporary aspects, futuristic? Technology, the battle for domination and power?

4.The film as a comic book illustration of the battle between and evil?

5.The title, the group of Joes, Cobra? The good and the bad? Soldiering, training?

6.The sound engineering, the musical score, the booming tone of the film?

7.The settings: 1641 France, Washington DC, contemporary Paris? Real? The sets for the GI Joe Centre, for the Cobra Centre? Elaborate, size and detail, equipment, capacity, machinery? The technology of weapons and destruction? The Nanomites, the Eiffel Tower? The costumes, modern, armour, uniforms, speed suits? The stunts, the rockets, the firing, the helicopters, the chases? The musical score?

8.The prologue in 1641, the Scotsman, the French, selling arms, money? The iron mask and its fire? The world of Louis XIII?

9.The modern Mc Cullen? The arms dealer, his company, Mars? Money, his speech, the images, for American defence and aggression? The theory of the Nanomites? Their destruction, the NATO funding, the illustrations of their destructive power? His headquarters? The warheads? The plans, giving them to America, organising the stealing of them? The henchmen? The doctor, Cobra and the use of Cobras, making people robotic? Ana and her place in the plan? The attack on the Eiffel Tower? The warheads going to Moscow, to Washington? Mc Cullen and his decisions? The role of Zartan, impersonating the American president, turning on Mc Cullen? The role of Rex?

10.The appearance by hologram? By Mc Cullen? By the GI Joes, by General Hawk? His staff? Headquarters? His assistant? The mission, contact, the command? The stealing of the warheads? The recriminations? The way of recruiting to the Joes? Duke and Ripcord and their willingness? The attack, victory?

11.The flashbacks, the relationship between Ana and Duke, Rex and his going to war, his death? Ripcord as the friend? The proposal, the ring? The scenes of battle, Rex and the explosion? His funeral? Duke on the bike, unwilling to face Ana? The consequences?

12.The flashbacks for Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes? As boys, Storm Shadow and his selfishness, Snake Eyes and his needs, the Master welcoming him? The training, the fighting? Snake Eyes’ victory? Storm Shadow killing the Master? Wanting control?

13.The transfer of the warheads, the attack, the role of Ana, martial arts? Mc Cullen stealing his own weapons? The reasons? The attack, the pursuit, the intervention of the GI Joes?

14.Ripcord and Duke, as friends, talking about flying? The army? The defeat, going into training? Ripcord and the attraction to Scarlet? Her tough responses? Ripcord and his Marlon Wayans humour? Ready for the mission?

15.Issues of time, Paris as the target? Ana and her husband, his laboratory? The arrival of the team, taking over the laboratory, the death of Ana’s husband? The setting off of the warhead? The Joes in the car, pursuit, the streets? The attack on the Eiffel Tower, the special effects for its destruction? The Cobra escapes, the planes?

16.Ana, her background, blonde, love for Duke, wanting Rex to live, the funeral? Her turning against him? The brainwashing? Rex’s control? With Storm Shadow, as part of the team?

17.The Joes team, Scarlet, the training, Ripcord and his flirting? Breaker and his skill with the codes? In the vehicle in Paris? Snake Eyes and his martial arts, his silence? Heavy Duty and his role in the team?

18.Their tracking of the Cobra, finding them under the polar ice cap? Rex as the mad doctor, the demonstration of the Cobras, the injection, his robotic soldiers? The revelation about Rex, his explanations, the flashback, his story? Motivation? Ana and her being under his power? Rex and his alliance with Zartan?

19.The president of the US, the crisis? The substituting of Zartan and the process by which his face was transformed to that of the president?

20.Ripcord, flying, pursuing the warheads, difficulties, success?

21.Duke, his daring, confronting Mc Cullen, being taken, tortured? Confronting Rex? Confronting Ana? Ana and the traces of memories? The needles threatening Duke, the rescue?

22.The submarine war under the polar ice cap?

23.Rex and turning on Mc Cullen, the mask for Mc Cullen? Zartan – and his whistling For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow – in the Oval Office?

24.The restoration of order in the world?

25.Popular ingredients, military, pace, action?