Movie Review: Snake Eyes
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
Although the argument could be made that such a thing as a “G.I. Joe Cinematic Universe” has no need to exist, the endeavor to create one could have resulted in something far worse than the martial arts laden Snake Eyes. Instead, the latest “G.I. Joe Origins” film, plays like an early-seventies James Bond knock-off that desperately wants to be something more tangible and important than it ultimately is.
When, as a child, he bears witness to the murder of his father, Snake Eyes (Henry Golding) swears vengeance on the man responsible, Yakuza arms dealer Kenta (Takehiro Hira). To do so, Snake aligns himself with Tommy (Andrew Koji) and his clan—the Arashikage—to be trained in the ways of the ninja. However, when the secrets of his past are discovered and his plans are revealed, Snake Eyes must prove his allegiance and assert his honor to retain the trust of those closest to him.
For the most past, director Robert Schwentke’s origin tale proves to be a successful enough action film. But, once the story veers from its martial arts roots and screenwriters Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse shoehorn the optics of the G.I. Joe universe into the story, everything becomes a bit too convoluted and, well, silly to be taken any more seriously than it ultimately deserves to be.
As Snake Eyes, Golding does as fine a job as can be expected portraying the titular hero and makes one wish the film had stayed the course as a more martial arts heavy film than slipping into G.I. Joe mode in the third act for the chance to see exactly how he would have handled the role in that regard.
Overall, Snake Eyes does a decent job of dealing with characters first and action second to account for a passably entertaining action film. But a running time of over two hours, does little to justify the need for any further entries to the “G.I. Joe Origins” franchise beyond this one.
Mike Tyrkus
Latest posts by Mike Tyrkus (see all)
- Box-Office Weekend: Venom Takes Over - October 27, 2024
- Box-Office Weekend: Smile, You’re in First - October 21, 2024
- Podcast Ep. 95: “Piece By Piece” - October 14, 2024