By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
What saves
“Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” from being just another middling, martial arts actioner, is its charismatic lead star
Henry Golding who plays the mysterious, heroic fighter/commando and agent of the G.I. Joe organization.
It’s a nice departure for Golding who starred in the romantic comedies, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Last Christmas.” He seems right at home here carrying this action-packed drama.
The movie opens with “Snake Eyes” as a young boy (Max Archibald, TV’s “The 100”) who witnesses his father murdered. The savage killing has haunted him over the years. Now grown, “Snake Eyes” has become an angry, man full of revenge and set on finding his dad’s killer.
A Yakuza arms dealer named Kenta (an exceptionally good Takehiro Hira, TV’s “Yasuke”) assures “Snake Eyes” he can find his father’s killer, but he must first agree to work for him.
Reluctantly “Snake Eyes” agrees to be part of Kenta’s crew, but not for long because Snake Eyes winds up saving the life of a co-worker named Tommy (Andrew Koji, TV’s “Warrior”) who posed as an undercover operative to take down Kenta’s organization.
Now, Tommy wants to thank Snake Eyes by making him part of his esteemed ninja fraternity, the Arashikage. But not everyone in the family is eager to welcome “Snake Eyes” with open arms. Plus, he must pass three tests to prove his mental and physical strength.
You can roll the dice, but the smart money is always on Snake Eyes. He’s a quick learner.
“Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” is a stylish and exciting mashup of well-staged sword-fighting and martial arts. Not only will “G.I. Joe” aficionados enjoy this lean and mean origin story, but it’s also likely that even those unfamiliar with the elite warrior will too.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
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"SNAKE EYES: G.I.JOE ORIGINS "
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
