The biggest disappointment about G.I. Joe: Resolute is the fact that it is only 58 minutes long. If you are already a fan of the classic G.I. Joe cartoons or the franchise, this is a film you simply don’t want to end.
Written by Warren Ellis and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Resolute grounds the Joes/Cobra story in reality (or as close to it as the franchise has ever come), and delivers a story that is aimed at the adult fan (there is quite a bit of blood spilling and killing for this to be considered a kids’ film).
For the story, Ellis takes all of the classic G. I. Joe elements (Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow feud; Cobra Commanders ranting; and the Joes facing a global threat) and cranks them up for a fast paced story that actually is better than the Joes got for their live-action big screen debut this summer.
The film kicks off with Scarlett (looking better than ever) examining the dead body of Cobra villain Major Blood – who is found with a Cobra dagger sticking out of his chest. From there, Cobra Commander announces his return and his new plot to take over the world by using some high-tech gadget that only the Joes can shut down.
Cobra presses their advantage by attempting to take out the Joes headquarters (killing a Joe in the process), and Snakes Eyes discovers an invitation from Storm Shadow to solve their differences once and for all.
From there the movie splits into separate stories with Duke and Scarlett heading out to stop one half of the Cobra threat, Snake Eyes confronting Storm Shadow, and the other Joes heading out to stop other aspects of Cobra’s plan.
The movie fills the story with a ton of characters from the franchise, but some seem to just be there to stand around and look good holding a massive weapon. The big screen outing did a good job keeping the cast small with a promise of more characters to come. This film seems to have a bit too many cast members and becomes a bit of “spot the Joe” in certain scenes.
There are also a few scenes that seem inserted in the film for no reason (such as a close-up of a Joe holding a weapon even though the character has nothing to do with the story). This could be due to the fact the film grew out of the 11-episode web series that eventually made its way to television through Adult Swim.
Even with some faults, G.I. Joe fans are going to love this movie. It is worth the price for the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow showdown (even if that story is starting to feel a little cliché and dated following the amount of time given to it in G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra), and the other massive battle sequences – such as Destro and the Baroness showdown with Roadblock and Gung-Ho.
The DVD also comes with some decent special features for the Joe fan – including a Now you know promo; interviews with the people behind the film; a look at the storyboards; and Joe files.
If you grew up watching the G.I. Joe cartoons, reading the comics, or playing with the toys, G.I. Joe: Resolute will remind you why you loved the franchise. It is an excellent start to bringing the Joes back the right way (there have been a few other attempts at returning the Joes to the animated format), and left me hoping there would be more releases to come.
G.I. Joe: Resolute is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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