G.I. Joe Retaliation review

G.I. JOE RETALIATION: 
AN ACTION-PACKED IMPROVEMENT OVER ITS PREDECESSOR, THOUGH FLAWED!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES, MGM, AND HASBRO    

Ray Park kicking ass as Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe Retaliation

Remember the 2009 Stephen Sommers action movie, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Remember how loud and thinly written the movie was? Well, you won’t have to worry about bland characters or thin storytelling in the sequel, G.I. Joe Retaliation, after all when Rise of Cobra fails, Retaliation doesn't. 

Directed by John M. Chu (Step Up), produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Red), and by executive producer Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) is more superior than its predecessor, and a little more entertaining too. Retaliation also has a new cast led by Dwayne Johnson (Snitch, The Mummy Returns, The Fast & the Furious) and Bruce Willis (Looper, Red, The Expendables 2), pretty much the only returning cast members from the first film are Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, 21 Jump Street, Side Effects), Byung-hun Lee, Jonathan Pryce, and Ray Park (Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra).

Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) has escaped from prison and plots to take over the world with a new device that can destroy all the planet’s countries at the push of a button with his partner in crime, Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) who now has the power to transform his appearance and took the body of the president (Jonathan Pryce). Meanwhile The G.I. Joes are wiped out due to a surprise attack on them, except for Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Snake Eyes (Ray Park), Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) who vow to avenge the fallen Joes and defeat Cobra, with a little help from Snake Eyes’ rival brother, Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and a retired member of the team, Joe (Bruce Willis).

I enjoyed G.I. Joe Retaliation as a whole, though the film does have a few flaws in the story, like the fact most of the characters from the first film never appeared nor were they ever mentioned, plus the removal of Dennis Quaid as General Hawk, but that’s just nitpicking. Bottom line, it’s an entertaining and goofy adventure based on the Hasbro G.I. Joe toy line that will most likely satisfy long time fans of the action figures and people who either liked or didn’t like Rise of Cobra, you just might enjoy the sequel, lots of explosions but plenty of story to go with it.

It’s not a great movie, but it isn’t terrible either, it can get a little silly at times but it’s all part of the fun. It should satisfy moviegoers, at least until big blockbusters like Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness come out later on this year. 

Oz: The Great and Powerful review

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL: 
THOUGH IT LACKS SOME OF THE CHARM OF THE ORIGINAL 1939 WIZARD OF OZ FILM, OZ IS AN EXCITING AND ENTERTAINING TRIP DOWN THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

(From left to right) Mila Kunis, James Franco, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz in Oz: The Great and Powerful

We all remember the 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz. It was a technological masterpiece with its beautiful set design, colorful cast of characters, and the first movie of many people. Many years later, Disney finally released their own take on Oz in the trippy and action packed, Oz: The Great and Powerful, from director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy) and the producer of Alice in Wonderland and Snow White and the Huntsman.

            James Franco (Spider-Man trilogy, 127 Hours, Milk) plays a magician in Kansas who comes in contact with a powerful tornado and ends up in the colorful world of Oz. There he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis-Family Guy, Ted, Black Swan), Evanora (Rachel Weisz-The Lovely Bones, The Deep Blue Sea, The Bourne Legacy), and Glinda (Michelle Williams-Blue Valentine, Shutter Island, Brokeback Mountain), a china girl (voiced by Joey King), and a talking winged monkey named Finley (voiced by Zach Braff-Scrubs). Everyone in Oz thinks he’s the wizard they’ve been waiting for to fall from the heavens to defeat the Wicked Witch (NO SPOILERS!). He sets off on a journey with the china girl and the monkey to defeat the Wicked Witch, with a few surprises along the way.

Oz: The Great and Powerful was very entertaining, plenty of impressive special effects and 3D, a darker tone that I thought was very unique, colorful set design, and very likable characters. Though the film may not be quite as charming and memorable than the original Wizard of Oz, it more than makes up for it with boosting some thrilling action sequences, comedy, and even some drama. 
I wouldn’t say it was better than films like The Avengers, Life of Pi, or The Dark Knight Rises but the movie is still very enjoyable and should entertain adults just as much as kids. It’s a perfect film to take your older kids to see, though it may be frightening for younger children. 
It was actually a little better than The Hobbit, I know I can’t take that back but I’m sticking to my words, it was actually better than The Hobbit! Enjoy this wonderful trip to Oz because you’ll most likely want to visit it again.