Movie Review: Snake Eyes

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.

Henry Golding in “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.” Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and Skydance.

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.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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