‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ Breaks a Box Office Record
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra has posted the highest US domestic opening (by a non-sequel movie) for the month of August in history.
Paramount’s non-stop action flick, directed by Stephen Sommers, hauled in $22.3M on its opening day.
It is estimated the film will approach $60M by the end of its opening weekend, which should place it in the top 3 August openers of all time. The Bourne Ultimatum sits at no.1 with $69.3M and Rush Hour 2 is at no.2 with $67.4M.
Not a bad effort from a film that Paramount elected not to screen to critics prior to its release, hoping instead to gain positive word of mouth from those who really wanted to go see it or, at the very least, from those who don’t exist purely to criticize.
Having read many favorable reviews since its opening, it seems their approach might have worked.
From Cinematical:
It’s entirely possible that if I were nine or ten, the age that I first discovered the animated series, then G.I. Joe would be my favorite movie of all time. It features colorful, iconic characters, huge action scenes, and a plot that I’d feel smart for having figured out. As an adult, however, its shortcomings are obvious: thin, one-dimensional characters, death and destruction on an irresponsibly epic scale, and a nonsensical plot that I’d be depressed to have to try and “figure out.” But G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was made for my nine-year-old self, and the nine-year-old in all of our selves; and while it certainly doesn’t hold up to the scrutiny of a more mature or sophisticated perspective, it’s a surprisingly fun time at the movies that reminds us we needn’t be children in order to enjoy something the same way as when we were.
From Film School Rejects:
In the end, G.I. Joe is simple spectacle. A movie that, while silly and in many ways over-the-top, can deliver an experience that is deliriously fun. And it is fun. Quick. Exciting. And fun. It sets you in a world that is cartoony and larger then life, propels you through one big chase and ultimately delivers the goods and the explosions. It is this kind of efficient, fun-natured storytelling that could make G.I. Joe one of the best action movies of the summer. That is, if you can look past all of that bad buzz and actually give it a chance.
From Movies Online:
For those who are confused by which summer movie based on a toy this movie is, this is the slightly less insulting one that’s actually, when all is said and done, kinda fun. Who would have thought that Transformers 2 would only be the SECOND best movie based on a toy to be released this summer? GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a stupid movie. It’s not quite smart enough to be aware of how stupid it is, but it’s wise enough to move along at a brisk pace and keep things simple and mildly exciting. Hell, it’s pretty entertaining even. It’s really not bad at all. Stupid, but not insulting, and the grin never left my face from the beginning to end.
From io9:
Even though the film had handfuls of flaws, I left the theater fist punching the air, swooning over my new found attraction to shirtless Byung-hun Lee, and with a smile. It took me a minute to remember a lot of the details, because this isn’t the type of movie you keep with you forever, but it is the classic summer fare that rescues sticky pedestrians on a hot day with explosions and movie theater air conditioning. G.I. Joe is silly, but it’s worth seeing because… it’s fun. Remember fun? Fun was what you were looking for when you shelled out $10 to see Transformers 2 and left with a headache.
I did read a few reviews that didn’t share the “fun” consensus, but I’m happy to leave quotes from those reviews out in favor of letting our 9 year old selves enjoy the moment.
