G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Stars: Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Park, Bruce Willis
The special effects are stunning. The explosions are, well, more explosive. And the action is nonstop. G.I. Joe: Retaliation might need a subtitle: Yes, ladies and gentleman, we are the official blockbuster film of the summer. It certainly has all the requisite hallmarks for box-office success: tatted up beefcake in the form of Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis; a nefarious archenemy (Cobra) who refuses to be vanquished; and the aforementioned phantasmagoric imagery. Add a double-crosser and a kicking soundtrack, and you have a movie you not only want to watch, you want to get in on the action. Who needs a cogent storyline? An adrenalin rush is much more appealing, even vicariously. –p.d. lee
