A filmmaker can make a good movie out of anything. Comic books, regular books, songs, paintings, true stories, other films, and so many more inspirations have made it to the screen in excellent form. Movies based on toys have rarely been good. Hasbro has been the biggest offender, with their disastrousTransformersandG.I. Joefranchises. They’ve recently tried to reboot both with some success.
TheTransformersmovies are widely despised, but their distinct vision leaves an impression. If nothing else, Michael Bay has a specific cinematic language that sticks with the audience. TheG.I. Joefilms don’t have the same virtue. They come across like movies made by nobody for nobody. At leastSnake Eyeshas a vision.
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What isSnake Eyesabout?
A young man named Snake Eyes sets out to find his father’s killer. His record in an underground fighting tournament draws the attention of KentaTakamura, a Yakuza boss. Snake Eyes joins the gang, but when Kenta asks him to execute an accused spy, he refuses to take a life. Instead, Snake Eyes escapes with his would-be target, Kenta’s cousin Tommy. Tommy explains that he and Kenta were both in line to be the next leader of an ancient ninja clan called the Arashikage. Since Snake Eyes saved Tommy’s life, he takes his new friend to the Arashikage Clan’s home to initiate him as a ninja. The clan owes Snake Eyes a debt of gratitude, so they let him take on the three trials. It’s a challenging process. Snake Eyes must learn strength, skill, humility, and more to earn the skills he’ll need to avenge his father’s death. It’s a classic martial arts film with some added organized crime elements and a bit of superhero style.
WasSnake Eyesa reboot?
WhenSnake Eyeswas announced, the minuscule fanbase noticed that the title character was not portrayed by the actor who had taken the role in the previous twoG.I. Joefilms. Ray Park, otherwise best known for portraying Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menace, was the man behind the mask in the first two entries.Henry Golding, who generallyfavors comedic and dramatic roles, steps into the action role. This Snake Eyes breaks the central rules of his character by frequently appearing without his mask and talking regularly. The character doesn’t develop into Ray Park’s original iteration. He’s a newSnake Eyes for a newG.I. Joefranchise.
The first twoG.I. Joefilms were box-office smash hits but received withering critique from critics and audiences.Snake Eyesdropped eight years after the release of the second entry.G.I. Joe: Retaliationfeatured big names like Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Channing Tatum. Discussion around a third entry in the franchise swiftly became incomprehensible. Director John M. Chu was thought to be returning. Several dead characters were teased to come back. Dwayne Johnson announced his desire to stick with the series. By 2018, producers were promisingG.I. Joe: Ever Vigilantwhile suggesting acrossover with theTransformersfranchise. All of those ideas disappeared in favor ofSnake Eyes.
Snake Eyeswas a box-office disaster. It lost Paramount almost $90 million. Its poor performance was broadly unexpected, despite the disastrous critical reception of its predecessors. The idea of a crossover film is still entirely possible.Transformers: Rise of the Beastsends with a shocking cliffhanger. Anthony Ramos' character Noah Diaz survives the action by donning the remnants of an Autobot and fighting giant robots. He receives an offer to join the G.I. Joes. The organization Noah joins is likely to be that ofSnake Eyesrather than that of Channing Tatum.
How didSnake Eyesend?
Snake Eyes joined the Arashikage Clan with Tommy’s blessing, but the entire enterprise was a trick by Kenta, who needed Snake Eyes to infiltrate the organization. Kenta isin league with Cobraand wants Snake Eyes to steal his family’s powerful jewel. Snake Eyes tricks the Arashikage and delivers the gem. Snake Eyes regrets his decision after he meets his father’s killer. He spares the murderer’s life and returns to the dojo to save Tommy from Cobra. Snake Eyes helps, but Tommy is forced to use the gem’s power to defeat Kenta’s men. Snake Eyes kills Kenta. Tommy is stripped of his birthright for using the jewel. Tommy vows revenge against Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes earns his iconic black armor. An agent named Scarlett informs him that his dad served as amember of G.I. Joeand offers him a position on the team. Tommy gets the same offer from Cobra and takes the name Storm Shadow.
Snake Eyesdoesn’t hold a candle to most superhero films, ninja films, or modern blockbusters. It’s a step beneath most other franchises,but forG.I. Joe, it’s a massive leap forward.Snake Eyesfeatures some solid martial artists in a few fun action set pieces, and that’s all it ever needed to be.
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