The time has come for Paramount and Hasbro to try and relaunch the G.I. Joe franchise on the big screen. While G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation both did decent box office numbers, neither was significant a hit enough to launch a full-fledged franchise. Instead of going bigger, the studio is downscaling a little by making a prequel pic examining the origins of fan-favorite Snake Eyes.
Now, it can’t be denied that for hardcore G.I. Joe fans, this has been a controversial film since day one. Many haven’t felt the casting of Henry Golding was faithful to the character’s origins, nor are they happy about the fact that Snake Eyes, who always covers his face and never talks, is now a slick, good-looking action hero. Early reviews have been mixed to negative, with a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, while our critic, Jimmy O, didn’t like it one bit. On the other side, our guy Gaius Boiling did the junket and thoroughly enjoyed the film, including Henry Golding’s performance, a sentiment that seems to be echoed in many reviews. Many people seem to like the cast, including Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow and (especially) Samara Weaving as Scarlett.
The common consensus seems to be that the cast and cinematography are good, but the editing and action scenes leave a lot to be desired. At any rate, now it's time for YOU, the fans, to weigh in. Is Snake Eyes a good way forward for the franchise, or does it fall flat? Talkback below and check out some of our interviews for the film!