G.I. Joe: Retaliation - oh Flint!

 

the Plot:



Duke (Channing Tatum) becomes the leader of the G.I. Joe unit, which is framed for stealing nuclear warheads from Pakistan by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), who is impersonating the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce).
 

The majority of the unit is subsequently eliminated in a military air strike with Duke among the casualties.

love the visor, Girl!

The only survivors are Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki).

fearsome much?

Meanwhile, Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and ex-Joe Firefly (Ray Stevenson) rescue Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) from an underground maximum-security prison in Germany, who in turn abandons Destro.

 

Storm Shadow is injured during the escape and retreats to a temple in the Himalayas to recover. Upon learning that he is alive, the Blind Master (RZA), leader of the Arashikage Clan, sends Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and his apprentice Jinx (Elodie Yung), Storm Shadow's cousin, to capture Storm Shadow so he can answer for the murder of his uncle the Hard Master, and help unravel the Cobras' plans.



Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye return to the United States where they set up a base of operations in a rundown gym.

 
After Zartan announces that Cobra will replace the Joes as America's main protective unit, Lady Jaye deduces that someone is impersonating the President, and Roadblock leads them to General Joseph Colton (Bruce Willis), who provides them with weapons and rallies the old Joes to help the mission.


 


The 3 Joes later infiltrate a fundraising event that the President will be attending. Lady Jaye steals a sample of the President's DNA and confirms that he is Zartan. They escape after a brief confrontation with Firefly and Zandar (Matt Gerald), the head of the Presidential Detail and a member of Cobra.



Snake Eyes and Jinx locate and capture Storm Shadow after a battle with ninjas and take him back to Japan, where during questioning by the Blind Master, it is revealed that Storm Shadow was innocent of killing the Hard Master and in fact it was Zartan who murdered him and gained most as Storm Shadow joined Cobra to avenge those he thought believed him guilty. Storm Shadow then accompanies Snake Eyes and Jinx as they join the Joes' efforts to stop Cobra.



Zartan invites the world leaders to a summit, where he blackmails them into disabling their nuclear arsenals, and reveals that he has created Project Zeus: seven orbital kinetic bombardment weapons of mass destruction at his command. He destroys central London to prove his superiority, and threatens to destroy other capitals if the countries don't submit to Cobra. Storm Shadow betrays Cobra Commander and kills Zartan, revealing Cobra's deception to the world leaders. While Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Flint fight Cobra's soldiers, Cobra Commander activates the remaining six weapons and instructs Firefly to protect the launch device. Firefly is killed in combat by Roadblock, who deactivates and destroys the orbital weapons. Meanwhile, Colton and Lady Jaye rescue the President.



Cobra Commander escapes during the battle and Storm Shadow disappears after killing Zartan.

The real President addresses the nation at a ceremony where Roadblock, Lady Jaye, Flint, Jinx, and Snake Eyes are commemorated as heroes. Colton salutes each of them, and presents Roadblock with an M1911 pistol that belonged to General George S. Patton, to use when he finally finds Cobra Commander and to avenge Duke. Roadblock proudly raises the weapon and lets out a single shot in honor of his fallen comrades.

the Review:
i downloaded this movie long ago and didn't give it much thought until last weekend. and i fell in love with Flint. he was understated, like a boy in need of a lady ruffling his hair somewhat. i read the back story on him and i guess no wonder there was that awkwardness between him and Lady Jaye. i mean, he was respectful but being a guy, oh well, can't resist a peek. i mean, that undie is INDEED something :grins:



Duke is dead. does that make Joes worth watching? i mean, left with only 4 Joes (not including recently added Jinx and former Joes though), perhaps in the upcoming sequel, we'll get to see them regroup. Ripcord, Scarlett and General Hawk, to name a few is conspicuously missing. not that i'm saying Roadblock, Flint and Lady Jaye are not entertaining, it's just that it gets lonely, that GI Joes enthusiasts shall be feeling something's missing.

i guess that what's made critics panning this movie down. but it has performed well in the box office.

in a way, i guess the plot in this movie is too simplistic. a bit toned down as compared to the first movie, full of action and all that. though i do appreciate more scenes given to storm Shadow. BHL is superb!

being a nitpick auntie, i wonder why didn't Cobras put the remaining Joes on surveillance? i mean, those 3 are literally everywhere. now that POTUS declared them criminals, perpetrator of war and all that, why didn't they got pick up? it's not they are wearing disguises or anything. i mean, Roadblock would be hard enough to be missed, right?

this hulk of a person wouldn't be hard to spot. really.

plus, the security detail at the summit is laughable. it made the lives of the world leaders so cheap, don't you think? this is a Nuclear Summit kot. plus, it seems a lot easier to jack off one's nuclear missiles and a mere button to cancel it out. for real? man, we should be afraid, real afraid. and the evacuation details of dem world leaders are so laughable as much as there are non-existent. no Pakistani, North Korean leaders would ever agree into coming on the US soil given this rather shoddy security detail, i tell you. not in million years.

i was also wondering why on earth they spent that much money, space, technology and effort into keeping Commander Cobra, Destro and the criminals alive? why not just give them a bullet and let the world be much safer? why drill into the earth and make them suffer just by looking at a pair of swords? stupid! waste of people's money, this.

anyway, Lady Jaye serves well as the only gal on the team. with a RIDONKULOUS body, i think she must be fearsome enough to escape unruly attention. plus, there is that Patton's chauvinistic treatment of her. melampau sih.

me = ENVY

oh well, i love this movie for Flint. DJC may not acted in many films or tv shows  but as Flint, he scores.

yummeyh from the very beginning :)

can't wait for the next movie. :doublegrins:

10 Years: a story that warms the heart...

... of those who look back at their memory of past...

the Trailer:



the Plot:
Jake (Channing Tatum) along with his girlfriend Jess (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) arrives at his high school friend's house owned by married couple, Cully (Chris Pratt) and Sam (Ari Graynor).






There, some of Jake's friends start to arrive including: best buddies Marty (Justin Long) and AJ (Max Minghella), musician Reeves (Oscar Isaac) and Scott (Scott Porter) together with his Japanese wife, Suki (Eiko Nijo).

The boyfriends then start driving to their high school reunion venue. Other friends from their high school arrive including: Garrity (Brian Geraghty) along with his wife Olivia (Aubrey Plaza) and Garrity's best friend Andre (Anthony Mackie).

Meanwhile, a reclusive woman Elise (Kate Mara) arrives at the reunion alone. She tries to greet the party planner, Julie (Kelly Noonan) but is cut off when Anna (Lynn Collins) arrives to the delight of the others.

Though, the now highly successful rock star Reeves notices her and appears to be the only person who remembers every detail of Elise during high school amongst the clique. it seems all night that amidst other people's clamoring for pictures with him, Reeves tries to get Elise into a conversation.



long before, Elise used to have a boyfriend who moved to Austin. and because of that Reeves never gets the chance to date her. and meeting again, this time she has a boyfriend in Chicago.

All night, Cully, the former school bully is trying to make amends with all his victims, to no avail as he, after excessive alcoholic binge, reverts to his old self, much to the consternation of his long suffering wife.

luckily Jess is a sport who keeps her company in her own misery of watching Jake unfolds when Mary (Rosario Dawson), his high school sweetheart arrives with her husband, Paul (Ron Livingston).



Marty just breezes in from New York City, but his Wall Street lifestyle may not be all that he claims. AJ reprises his not-so-friendly competition with Marty for the attention of Anna. They fawn over her and looking at the old pictures, AJ even commends that Anna always has the glow about her.

As the night goes on, the gang proceeds to Pretzels for some karaoke and more booze. Anna declines though, much to the disappointment of AJ and Marty as Anna is always known to be the party girl. She graciously exits and the two best friends decide to follow her home and do some toilet-paper-bombing just for the fun of it.



Anna freaks out as she catches the two in action. to their surprise, Anna is actually a single mom with 2 kids.



her vivacious appearance at the reunion is her dismal attempt at reliving the glow and now that the guys find out how screw-up she is, the facade is ruined. in aghast, Marty confesses that his life in NY is not that dandy either. and AJ confides that his doctor wife is leaving him. they settled down for a late night supper with Anna's kids. looking at her dealing with her kids, Marty whispers to the teary Anna that she looks more glowing than ever.


And Garrity (Brian Geraghty) has changed in a manner that surprises his best friend, Andre who thought that he has lost his nigga attitude and married a white woman for real. Olivia is stumped likewise to realise that Garrity has a different persona growing up and that perhaps she doesn't know him much at all.



Jess notices the tactful way Jake is reacting around Mary and decides that she'd rather go back to the motel to give Jake the space he obviously needs to settle the matter with Mary. Jake offers to go back with her but Jess insists that he stay.

it is later revealed that because of Mary's father being hospitalised on Prom Night, both Prom King and Prom Queen were not in attendance to receive their dues. and as the others left for college, Jake has tried to stay and keep Mary company during her father's illness but later he just got to leave for college and be a man.

Paul is upset when he finds out about how close Jake was once to Mary and she confesses that thinking of Jake always reminds her of her deceased father. and she is not comfortable about mentioning Jake because of that. Paul then leaves for home and Mary is left alone.

during a karaoke session, Cully made a fool out of himself. and then he invites Reeves to sing his hit: "Never Had". Elise who never hears it before is stumped to know that the song is of her. and feeling much out of depth, she feels that she has to go, only that Reeves manages to coax her to be with him now. at the parking lot 10 years ago, Elise had left him alone. and this time, Reeves finally fulfills his desire of being with Elise, at the car park, steaming the windows together.

as the night went on and the last couple is leaving, Jake and Mary resolves what was left unsaid before. and Jake is relieved to find out that Mary is happy with Paul, and she's expecting. knowing Jake, Mary softly encourages him to propose to Jess, something that Jake has postponed to do for the last 8 months.



back at the motel, Jess is actually waiting up for Jake to come back. and much to Jake's profound happiness, that the woman he's marrying really understands that he just got to see Mary settled down happy before he can continue with his life. they then leave for some breakfast at the nearby cafe. luckily Scott, Suki, Julie and other friends are there too. looking at Jess, Jake wills his courage and gathers the ring he kept in the car, finally deciding to propose.


the Review:

there are a lot of familiar faces in this movie. chemistry is there and i love the laidback way the story unfolds. it was quite hard to follow their conversation word to word because i have not the subtitle. nonetheless i manage to enjoy the story. it is bittersweet, touching the inner chord of us lamenting our past.



it touches me so when CT looks to his wife. JD was more adept at concealing her true feelings that the chemistry they had seems lukewarm or so. but i like her attitude. she's not like other jealousy gf so insecure of the guy she loves.


the bittersweet attachment between Mary and Jake is also apparent. seems that first love really last long, especially if the guy was decent enough a fellow.



i really like Scott's character. he's cool and charming. and when he confides about staying in Japan for good, it was real nice. his reasoning is really fine and reflects his mature sense of self.

as for Anna, it is a pity that she stumbled in life. but it took real heart and guts to show up vivaciously confident. i for one would not have that in me. last 2 days in fact, i showed up in an event that some old friends showed up too and i stayed for measly 10 mins before bailing out.

Cully is really a douche. and Sam is really a patient wife though she does cracked up at the end. the slight she received from Peter as she tried to apologise on behalf of her husband is more than she deserves for finding something nice and sweet about Cully. if left to me, i would dump his ass quicker than he can dunk the tequila shot himself.




some reviewers say the story of Reeves-Elise deserves more than window-steaming ending. but to me, it is a start. and it is sweet that someone remembers you so fondly after all the years and makes a song about you that ends up a big hit that launches his career. aww.. so shweeetttt! enjoy the soundtrack. i kept hitting replay everytime it ends :)

the Soundtrack:


PS:
i'm sorry i reneged on my promise for Safe Haven and the Bourne Legacy. i'll try soon, ok.

Just Notes # 7 : we are 11,111 !

wah.. very nice number owh!

by the way, i tried watching  21 Jump Street the movie but somehow got bored before we even got to half of the movie. so you just got to wait for a while lah. it's Ramadhan after all :)