The Movie
Yes, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is another movie based upon Hasbro toys, and so many of the costumes, weapons and vehicles on display seem like a bunch of overgrown plastic merchandise. Much of the acting is downright awful, there is a lot of wisecracking but not one decent joke, and I felt as though the profanity was excessive for a movie clearly aimed at a younger audience. And yet, under the command of director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing), G.I. Joe is eye-poppingly big, heart-racingly fast-paced and fist-clenchingly action-packed.
When NATO's newest super-weapon is stolen by Cobra, an organization of über-terrorists, a top-secret team of elite soldiers--code-named "G.I. Joe"--is tasked with retrieving it and takin' 'em down hard. A breakneck series of fights, chases and explosions ensues. G.I. Joe actually boasts some cool moments, but it's ultimately about as plausible as a Saturday morning cartoon.
The Picture
The 2.4:1 image tenders a seamless fusion of live-action and state-of-the-art digital effects, necessary to create the illusion of the good guys' elaborate desert HQ and the bad guys' arctic lair, and all their trappings. Detail is always exceptional, strong even in darker scenes, with no distracting compression and minimal visible artifacts. Colors are rich and precise without being extreme.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound is pleasingly full, usually quite powerful and beautifully nuanced. There is a wild directionality within the mix, owing to the busy nature of the action, with exceptionally active surrounds and ample if not lethal bass. Quieter elements such as rain reproduce realistically in the multiple channels, adding an extra dimension.
The Extras
Disc One takes it relatively easy, serving up only a commentary with Sommers and his frequent partner in crime, producer/editor Bob Ducsay. Disc Two is a DVD containing a Digital Copy of the movie for either iTunes or Windows Media. In addition, two substantive featurettes can be found here: "The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. Joe" (30 minutes) and "Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. Joe" (21 minutes), exploring the pre-visualization and the necessary layers in the many convincingly enhanced shots. Both are in SD, of course. There's some overlap between the two, but taken together they provide an interesting chronicle of the production.
Final Thoughts
I was expecting no more from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra than unbridled audio mayhem and rock-solid digital video, and that's exactly what this Blu-ray delivers. The story, meanwhile, ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but don't be surprised if we've now witnessed Joe's first and last big-screen live-action mission.
Product Details
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