23 Jul Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Review

dir. Robert Schwentke, starring Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Iko Uwais, Samara Weaving

Snake Eyes, the latest attempt at a refresh of the G.I. Joe film franchise, stars Henry Dry Eye Golding as a fighter with a mysterious past. After seeing his father killed by an assassin, the unnamed kid vows to seek out this assassin and exact revenge. That vengeance lands him at the doorstep of Tommy Arashikage, a member and the heir of Clan Arashikage. Snake Eyes is welcomed into the clan by Arashikage, but not all are trusting of him. As Snake Eyes proves himself to the clan, he continues to plot his revenge. His actions bring ruin upon the clan, and he must decide how far will he let this thirst for violent closure lead him.

As an action film, Snake Eyes is decent enough to pass muster. All the elements are present: a mysterious, nameless protagonist, a romantic B plot, a McGuffin, dynamic action scenes, femme fatales, double crosses, and more. Still, even with the tried and true components that make for a great action flick, Snake Eyes does little to rise above the average or make itself distinct in any way. As an adaptation of G.I. Joe property, it’s far better than the previous two films (2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation) but still fails to live up to the decades of solid source material told throughout the comics and cartoons. Characters like Baroness and Scarlett are thrown in haphazardly, almost as an afterthought, to give viewers that shot of dopamine at recognizing their childhood favorites on screen. While I’m sure Snake Eyes will be enough of a box office draw to continue either making more Snake Eyes films or expanding the Government Issued Universe, there’s plenty of room for improvement and respect for the characters.

Lead by Henry Golding, Snake Eyes can’t be faulted for its acting. Each cast member is trying their hardest with what they’re given. Golding manages to keep command of the screen as a roguish, at times charming ruffian who’s lost his way in the world being consumed by vengeance. While Golding still needs to tune up his Everywhere American accent (his native Surrey, England accent blasts through at times), the actor still makes for good leading man material. Of the pair, I was more impressed with Andrew Koji as Tommy Arashikage, the man who will eventually become Storm Shadow. He brought a focused intensity to the role, and when he was allowed to let it out, he exploded on the screen. The chemistry between Golding and Koji is solid and believable as well; the pair work well together on screen. Haruka Abe and Iko Uwais also play their roles, though with only one (maybe one and a half) actions scenes in the film, Uwais is severely underutilized. Samara Weaving and Ursula Corbero as Scarlett and The Baroness are in the film for a limited amount of time, are completely unnecessary, and are about an obvious plant to setting up a universe as Hawkeye was in Thor (what was a dude with a bow and arrow going to do against a guy who leveled dudes with guns, hmmm?). As such, while Corbero was passable in her role, Weaving was the weakest cast member, seeming almost unenthused to be on the set. Her lazy, carefree line delivery is a clear sore thumb as compared to the other actors in the scene. Beauty may only be skin deep, but Weaving’s performance bored to the bone.

Snake Eyes was directed by Robert Schwentke, who’s no stranger to action. Having previously directed Red (underrated) and a couple of the Divergent films, Schwentke brings his eye for action to the G.I. Joe franchise. Without a doubt, the action scenes are up to par as the set pieces are explosive and eye popping, featuring incredible stunt work and fight choreography. At 121 minutes, the film could’ve used a bit more judicious editing to keep the pacing tighter. Bojan Bazelli’s cinematography is well done, keeping the action in clear focus and easy to follow, with the exception of the first set piece which is meant to confuse and disorient.

Overall, if you’re looking for an action movie to check out, you could worse than Snake Eyes. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a big budget blockbuster in IMAX with a mostly Asian cast, which is a rarity. The action scenes and the acting are decent, even if the story is somewhat formulaic. Henry Golding is a passable leading man who’s shown a number of times that he’s worthy of headlining a franchise. Schwentke’s direction is competent and the movie moves at a decent pace, even if it is about 15 minutes too long. It’s a great option if you’ve exhausted all your theater possibilities or if you’re scrolling through the channels on a Saturday afternoon. Snake Eyes is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel