A fun 'G.I. Joe'

I'm glad I watched both "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen" in the last few weeks. Both films were big summer blockbusters, and similar in some ways. But 'G.I Joe,' which I had written off before I'd even seen it, was executed much better, and overall, a really enjoyable, fun film.

The story begins with a presentation by an arms dealer,James McMullen, on his newest weapon, a warhead filled with nanomites that destroy metal and other objects in a matter of seconds. He sells four of the devices to NATO, and they are set to be delivered by the US Army. As the convoy transports the warheads by Hummer (uh oh), they are ambushed. The Army is backed up by the Joes, and elite group that swoops in to save them and the warheads. The only Army survivors are Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayons). They and the warheads are taken to the Joes base, where the two Army soldiers prove themselves and become Joes themselves, hoping to stop McMullen, who was behind the ambush.

The best scene is in Paris, which is where the Joes go to take down McMullen's team after they get a hold of the warheads. A great chase scene and cool equipment highlight the Paris scene, and in my mind makes the movie. The ending did leave a little to be desired (a polar ice cap scene reminiscent of "Watchmen") but doesn't kill the film. And the ending does leave the opening for a sequel or three, which all blockbusters seem to do now a days.

I can't help but compare "Joes" to "Transformers", and Joes is much better. The plot, the action and even the cheesy dialogue trumps the "Transformers" sequel. Yes, "Joes" is full of cliches and bad dialogue, but it's simple plot and excellent action sequences make it the much better movie. Plus, the CGI is better because it is not a group of machines fighting another group of machines. The cast is pretty solid as well: Dennis Quaid, Rachel Nichols, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayons, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and others do the best they can with a subpar script. But that's not why you watch this movie. You watch it for great action and a simple, easy to follow plot. These things make the movie extremely enjoyable, not Oscar-worthy acting. I recommend for a fun watch.

7 out of 10 stars.