Formula: (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra * X-Men Origins: Wolverine) / X-Men
I get it. Hasbro came out with a Transformers movie in 2007 that made tons of money and launched a franchise that raked in billions more at the box office. I assume the renewed interest in the toys because of the movies earned them just as much if not more in sales. And, when it comes to name recognition, it doesn’t get much bigger than G.I. Joe in the U.S. It’s synonymous with a certain kind of boy’s toys that has historically sold great. If I'm working for Hasbro, I too would be convinced that G.I. Joe is a property with potential to be a cash cow. They've had a hard time cracking the code though. G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, failed to match its budget or make stars of anyone (We forget that some of the success of Transformers was the announcement of Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox as box office draws). Channing Tatum hadn't broken out yet and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was unrecognizable. G.I. Joe isn't that global of a brand either, which explains the 50/50 split between domestic and worldwide box office receipts for it*. G.I. Joe: Retaliation didn't fare any better despite bringing in the Rock and Bruce Willis. It did have a more traditional domestic to international box office split though. They put the franchise on ice for the better part of a decade and are attempting it again now with Snake Eyes.
*For context, a standard hit in the modern era makes 30-35% of its box office domestically and 65-70% internationally.
I think Snake Eyes is a smart attempt at a reboot. It's an origin story, so there's not as much need to be studied in the mytholo-Joe. They slashed the budget to well under $100 million to lower expectations. Henry Golding is a rising star. His surrounding cast has decent international appeal which probably helped keep the budget down too.
The movie is about the origin of the character Snake Eyes. I don't know much about G.I. Joe. The product went dormant right as I was getting into action figures. I just know Snake Eyes is the cool ninja guy. In this, Snake Eyes (Golding) sees his father killed as a child. He grows up to be a skilled fighter and drifter. When a crime boss, Kenta (Takehiro Hira) offers to find the man who killed his father, he agrees to infiltrate a mystical ninja family by befriending the heir, Tommy (Andrew Koji). He's supposed to steal a precious powerful stone that the family protects and must pass several tests to prove himself as one of them, even though the head of security (Haruka Abe) doesn't trust him. There's really no way to describe the story in a way that doesn't sound a little silly. I don't know how closely it sticks to actual Joe mythology, but it's a lot to take in. Luckily, all the beats are similar to dozens of moves I've seen before, so it's virtually impossible to not follow what's going on. The movie isn't subtle about its hopes to use this as a launching point for sequels and a larger cinematic universe. Samara Weaving and Ursula Corbero both show up as Scarlett and Baroness respectively, who I assume are well known characters in the G.I. Joe lore. They don't really fit in this, which is otherwise a straight-forward martial arts action movie, but they are fun enough that I'd like to see more. Weaving fits the Black Widow mold nicely.
The action is overall well done. They cast a lot of people around Golding who look like they know what they are doing. I was especially pleased to see Iko Uwais show up as one of his teachers. There's a nice variety of sword fights and chases. I didn't leave this movie with a large investment in what happens next, but I'd happily watch more like it. Sort of a PG-13 Mortal Kombat.
In general, I've been a fan of Henry Golding. He's well-used as a "trophy husband" in Crazy Rich Asians and A Simple Favor. He's a nice romantic lead in Last Christmas. He even fits as a kingpin-type in The Gentlemen. What I can't buy him as is skuzzy or limber. He's a pretty, chiseled man. It's hard to find a way to put him on screen and make me think "he's lived a hard life". It's similar to how I had trouble with Angelina Jolie as a rural firefighter in Those Who Wish Me Dead. Henry Golding never looks like he's skipped a bath. I could see it once he gets a few more lines on his face. He could have a great third act in Liam Nesson roles. Not yet though. He also doesn't carry himself like a ninja. I don't feel like he has a black belt in anything or has studied fight choreography for years. I could see him as one of the more soldier-y characters like Flint or Roadblock perhaps. He's a sturdy man with broad soldiers. He doesn't look light on his feet and doesn't look natural in these fight scenes. Like, his helmet somehow looks like is slenderer than his head. I'm not against Henry Golding getting some starry action movie roles. I think he can build more of a movie-star persona in time. He just felt really wrong for this. And, let me remind you, this is not coming from someone with a preconceived notion of who Snake Eyes is historically. This is entirely an assessment from the movie itself.
While I wouldn't mind more movies in this current attempt at a cinematic universe, I'm convinced at this point that G.I. Joe is too niche to ever be the next Transformers at the box office. It's hard for robots that turn into things to ever feel dated, however colorful American soldiers doesn't have as much appeal now. There are only so many ways to preset G.I. Joe, which is why there hasn't been a huge toy line for them since the 80s heyday. Snake Eyes does the best it can to make people care, but I think it's proof that the interest is limited and the premise of the universe can't expand out very far.
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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