The Book, The Film, The T-Shirt
  • Home
  • News
  • Features
  • Movies
  • Books
  • TV
  • Gaming
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
Movies 0

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Review

By Dave Griffiths @goodbaduglyshow · On August 4, 2021

The Gist

Tells the origins story of Snake Eyes, the G.I. Joe ninja.

The Review

Any cinema goer could be forgiven for going into a G.I. Joe prequel and not expecting much. The bar for this franchise has not been set very high. 2009’s G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra was pretty bad and 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation was only marginally better, so to not expect much from Snake Eyes: G.I Origins is only natural. The pleasant surprise is that Snake Eyes is not only the best of the G.I. Joe family to date – it is one of the best action films that we have had released in awhile. To be honest Snake Eyes is the film that Mortal Kombat should have been.

Plot-wise Snake Eyes goes right back to the beginning for one of the franchises most interesting characters. The film shows Snake Eyes’ (Henry Golding – The Gentlemen) journey from a young boy who witnessed his father’s death through to an illegal cage fighter who is determined to one day kill his father’s murderer.

From there he is recruited by Kenta (Takehiro Hira – Lost Girls And Love Hotels), a Yakuza boss who promises Snake Eyes the head of his father’s murderer in exchange for services. But after protecting a colleague named Tommy (Andrew Koji – Fast & Furious 6) he is taken to Tommy’s clan in Japan where Tommy plans for him to train as a warrior under the watchful eyes of Sen (Eri Ishida – Distant Thunder), Hard Master (Iko Uwais – The Raid) and Blind Master (Peter Mensah – Avatar).

While Snake Eyes is convinced that he can pass the three trials that will see him become a warrior he finds resistance from the Clan’s Security Chief, Akiko (Haruka Abe – Cruella), who doesn’t trust him and is burdened with a dark secret.

From director Robert Schwentke (Red) Snake Eyes feels like the kind of film that most people expected Mortal Kombat to be – a Western action film that very much pays tribute to its Eastern roots. The fight sequences in Snake Eyes are brilliant, to the point that some of the early scenes feel as good as anything we have seen in films like The Raid over the years.

To the film’s credit it is also taken to a whole new level by a screenplay that gives characterisation to all of its characters, including those with smaller parts like Baroness (Ursula Corbero – The Tree Of Blood) and Scarlett (Samara Weaving – Guns Akimbo). That quickly allows the audience to warm to characters like Tommy and Snake Eyes while Snake Eyes’ arrival at the Clan feels like Harry Potter’s arrival at Hogwarts. You can feel that this is a journey that is about to change a character’s life forever without the film itself over-playing it.

That screenplay also comes to the fore when the a major twist is revealed. For once in modern day city the screenplay never gives any indication to what is about to happen and at the same time it is done in such a way that the audience won’t feel like they have been ripped off with a cheap blindsight. Also making this film a must see are the performances of the lead actors. Henry Golding is sensational as Snake Eyes, he has the right mix of action star and dramatic actor to pull off brilliantly whatever is thrown at him in this film. His scenes with both Andrew Koji and Haruka Abe are often suspenseful but also have heart to them, while Golding himself depicts a torn character in a way that we are normally used to only seeing in dramatic films and not action films.

The Verdict

It may come as a complete surprise to most film lovers but Robert Schwentke really has created an amazing action film in the form of Snake Eyes. From great action sequences through to characters that the audience will quickly warm to and a well-thought plot that provides enough twists and turns to wow the audience Snake Eyes is a must see for fans of great action films.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Related

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Review
Dave Griffiths
August 4, 2021
4.5/10
4.5 Overall Score

Eri IshidaHaruka AbeHenry GoldingIko UwaisPeter MensahRobert SchwentkeSnake Eyes: G.I. Joe OriginsTakehiro Hira
Share Tweet

Dave Griffiths

Dave Griffiths has worked as a journalist for over twenty years now -covering topics including film, television, music, travel and sport (with a main focus on AFL Football). That time has seen him host the popular X-Wired television program for seven seasons as well as write for various magazines such as Buzz Magazine, Heavy Mag, Stage Whispers, The Banner and Eternity.. He has even branched out into writing online for Subculture Entertainment, Media Search and The Book The Film The T-Shirt. He also worked as the online editor for Entertainment 360 for three years. Dave's radio work has seen him work on various radio stations including 3RPP, Triple R and Light FM. He is currently the resident film reviewer on Sydney's 2UE radio station and can be heard reviewing what is new at cinemas and on DVD each week on Wednesdays at 3pm with Ed Phillips. He is also the co-host of Melbourne's 94.1FM's breakfast show 'The Motley Crew' and he can sometimes be heard on J-Air's 'First On Film'. David is also the co-host of two popular podcasts - ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Film Show,' and 'The Popcorn Conspiracy' As far as Film Reviewing goes David is an elected committee member of AFCA (Australian Film Critics Association and a member of IPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)/FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique). He has also served as a jury member for a number of international film festivals and is considered an expert on cult cinema, horror movies and Australian films.

You Might Also Like

  • DVD

    FLIGHT RISK Review

  • DVD

    DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA Review

  • DVD

    DARK NUNS Review

No Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe & Follow

Follow @thebookthefilm
Follow on Instagram
  • Popular
  • Comments
  • Tags
  • The Rise of Lockdown Streaming

    May 3, 2020
  • Salvo (2014)

    September 27, 2014
  • Penny Dreadful S1 EP 3 ‘Resurrection’ & EP 4 ‘Demimonde’ Review

    June 22, 2014
  • Pet Movie

    Spoiler Alert – Top 5 Horror Movie Twists

    March 17, 2017
  • warner bros. for her dvd collection

    Christmas Gift Guide: For Her – Heart Warming DVDs

    December 14, 2016
  • Win a copy of The Apartment on Limited Edition Blu-ray Courtesy of Arrow Academy

    December 23, 2017
David Griffiths marvel Ben Affleck Kyle McGrath J.K. Simmons Amy Adams Jai Courtney Lee Griffiths Hugh Jackman Chris pratt Scarlett Johansson Jason Clarke Daniel Craig Emilia Clarke Henry Cavill keanu reeves benedict cumberbatch Sky Atlantic
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

ABOUT

Over opinionated and online. The Book, The Film, The T-Shirt was created for lovers of entertainment everywhere. We hope you enjoy it. Don't feed the writers after midnight.

Latest News

  • 3

    FLIGHT RISK Review

    June 22, 2025
  • 3.5

    DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA Review

    June 22, 2025
  • 3.5

    DARK NUNS Review

    June 21, 2025

SEARCH THE SITE

HIBS100 Index of Home and Interior Blogs
HIBS100

© 2016 Last Exit to Hollywood Media Limited. All rightsreserved. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”