The Score Magazine | Reel Life Heroes
Rise of the H. E. R. O.
So almost every superhero series has had its share of screen time; from the comics into animated series on television and a few million figurines later, Hollywood comes calling. One series waited close to three decades to make that transition. Confused? I wager that the phrase“ Real American Hero” will make an impact! That’ s right,‘ G. I Joe is there’. With the large screen adaptation of the G. I. Joe – Cobra conflict, the makers have had a tough time packaging characters and underlying sub-plots while sticking to a reasonably coherent story-line; in other words not too realistic to be possible while still not too far-fetched to be fairy-tale like. The movie not only unites the most popular lineup of G. I. Joe characters from Duke and Ripcord to Scarlett and Snake Eyes but also sheds light on the reason for the Cobra Commanders face being scarred, his vengeance against the Joes’ and also his‘ world domination’ focus stemming from an ancestral urge toward Weapons of Mass Destruction. Following on the successful production of the Transformers franchise, Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment and the original trademark holders of the action toy, Hasbro are jointly producing this new age action thriller. The old-school principles of good vs. evil with the latter invariably taking a fall are in place much like the‘ muchadored’ American soldier stereotype portrayed by Duke and his gung-ho superior Gen. Hawk. Rest assured, though the original plot lines and series clichés remain firmly in place, this is far from one of those children’ s movies with parental guidance tags. Plenty of action, slick stylish technology and death defying stunts packaged with a hint of patriotism and‘ good always triumphs’ will make for a good watch. The title though running with a tag of‘ G. I. Joe – The Rise Of Cobra’ is a bit of a dampener because every kid who ever bought a Striker Jet, a Battle Tank or a host of four-inch toys and spoke to them, wouldn’ t quite like the idea of Cobra Rising in anything. Time to get out those old action figures, perhaps?
www. highonscore. com | 36