G.I. Joe: Retaliation Review

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Release Date: 28th March 2013 - Australia

Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (presents)
Skydance Media (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Saints LA
Spyglass Entertainment

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes

                112 minutes

                (extended)

Budget: $93,600,000

Box Office Gross: $375,740,705 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

The G.I. Joe team is branded as traitors by their nemesis, Cobra, as they have successfully infiltrated the government. With Zartan masquerading as the president and the Cobra Commander having all the world leaders under his control, they plan to launch advanced nuclear warheads upon innocent countries as part

of their evil scheme. After

escaping a deadly attack, the

remaining Joes have no

recourse but to turn to their

original leader, General

Cotton, to help them uncover

Cobra's plot and save the

world from destruction.

Cast

Dwayne Johnson - Roadblock

Bruce Willis - Gen. Joe Cotton

Ray Park - Snake Eyes
Channing Tatum - Duke
Jonathan Pryce - President
Luke Bracey - Cobra Commander
Elodie Yung - Jinx
Ray Stevenson - Firefly
D.J. Cotrona - Flint
Adrianne Palicki - Jane
Walton Goggins - Warden Nigel James
Arnold Vosloo - Zartan
Joseph Mazzello - Mouse
Byung-hun Lee - Storm Shadow
RZA - Blind Master

Joe Chrest - Chief of Staff

Nathan Takashige - Young Storm Shadow

Jim Palmer - Clutch

Nick Erickson - President Picture Double

Crew
Director - Jon M. Chu
Writers - Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Executive Producers - Gary Barber,

Roger Birnbaum, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg,

Erik Howsam, Paul Schwake and

Stephen Sommers

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Herbert W. Gains

Producers - Lorenzo di Bonaventura
and Brian Goldner

Casting Director - Ronna Kress

Military Technical Advisor - Harry Humphries
Production Designer - Andrew Menzies

Supervising Art Director - Tom Reta

Art Directors - Luke Freeborn,
Alan Hook, Scott Plauche and
Sebastian Schroeder

Set Decorator - Cynthia La Jeunesse

Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach

Special Makeup Effects Artists - Martin Astles,

Bart J. Mixon and Lauren Thomas
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Aerial Director of Photography: British

Columbia Unit - David B. Nowell

Production Supervisors - Sara Flamm

and Daren Hicks

First Assistant Director - Philip A. Patterson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - David Sardi

Second Unit Director - George Marshall Ruge

Helicopter Pilots - Frédéric North

and Cliff Fleming
Stunt Coordinator - Steven Ritzi

Fight Coordinator - Thomas DuPont
Special Effects Coordinator - Michael Meinardus

Visual Effects Supervisors - James Madigan

and Gregory L. McMurry

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Bill George

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Thad Beier

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Producer - Paul V. Molles

On-Set Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Jeff Olson

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM -

Janet Lewin

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital Domain -

Daniel Brimer

Visual Effects Art Director: Digital Domain -

Claas Henke

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Lou Pecora

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Paul Kavanagh

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

CG Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

CG Supervisor: ILM Singapore - Patric Roos

CG Supervisors: Digital Domain - Erik Gamache

and Paul George Paloo

Additional Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Simon Carr, Tushar Kewlani, Mark Michaels,

David Mucci and Abhinav Sah

Concept Artist: ILM - John Bell
Editors - Roger Barton and Jim May

Additional Editor - Calvin Wimmer

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Ethan Van Der Ryan, John Marquis and

Erik Aadahl

Re-Recording Mixers - Scott Millan

and Greg P. Russell
Music - Henry Jackman

Additional Music - Dominic Lewis,

Matthew Margeson and Junkie XL

Additional Music Arrangements - Stephen Hilton

and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

After The Rise of Cobra got good earnings at the box office despite the first G.I. Joe film being a lacklustre feature. Director Stephen Sommers leaves the helm because of his rocky start with Cobra. However, the duties got handed to Jon M. Chu, best known for directing pop sensation Justin Bieber in his concert feature, Never Say Never. I'm satisfied that RETALIATION is a mild improvement over its predecessor with its heavy action, incredible visuals and a few known actors like Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.

The most striking aspect about RETALIATION is that it's supposed to be true to the G.I. Joe mythology, which, fortunately, succeeds only mildly. We finally see Cobra Commander in his full costume, no longer a mere shadow of his former self. I'm disappointed how Channing Tatum's character got killed off at the start. He didn't get to stay alive or develop in the sequel. I'm so surprised that Johnson and Willis consistently gave solid performances to what is almost a lacklustre film.

RETALIATION could have put the series on ice had it not been as successful. However, this sequel came off as flawed, but I enjoyed it more than Cobra.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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