Story
The US President (Jonathan Pryce) sends the G.I. Joe team on a stealth mission to get back some nuclear warheads from politically unstable Pakistan. Duke (Channing Tatum) leads the team. But the real president is replaced by the evil Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), a member of the sinister Cobra Organisation. Disguised as the President, Zartan orders the destruction of the entire G.I. Joe team after they finish their mission. Only three team members survive the devastating attack – Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Flint (D.J. Cotrona). They set out to avenge the death of their colleagues.
After making their way home, Roadblock, Jaye and Flint discover that the President isn’t who he appears to be, and that their old enemies – Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey), Zartan and Storm Shadow (Byung-Hum Lee) – are the real masterminds behind the death of their brothers. The Joes also learn that Cobra Commander wants to gain control of the world and has a sinister plan that involves orbiting satellite weapons of mass destruction.
Enlisting the aid of retired General Joe Coltan (Bruce Willis) and some old friends, Roadblock and his small band of G.I. Joes mount an attack to stop Cobra Commander and save the world.
Themes
Criminal organisations; revenge; weapons of mass destruction; nuclear war
Violence
This movie has intense sequences of action violence. Although the depiction of blood and gore is kept to a minimum, many people get killed. One scene shows nuclear-like devastation and destruction of a major city. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has occasional low-level sexual references. For example:
- A man is playing with two young girls, who run screaming from the room. A second man, the father of the two young girls, says, ‘That’s not the first time you’ve sent a girl running from the room screaming’. The first man replies, ‘That not the first time I’ve sent two girls running from the room screaming’.
- One man says to another, ‘That’s on the rise, like your panties’. The other man says, ‘You love my panties’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some use of substances. For example:
- A man has a gas mask forced on his face to make him unconscious.
- A man is injected in the leg with a drug. He’s told the drug will make him unconscious and that he won’t remember anything when he wakes up.
- Three men imprisoned in water-filled glass tube are deliberately given a drug that keeps them asleep.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some partial nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Women wear low-cut and revealing clothing, sometimes deliberately to attract men. For example, a woman dressed in shorts bends over in front of a man. He stares at her bottom.
- In one scene a man unzips a woman’s dress. There is a back view of her bare back and the top of her bottom, her bra and pants. The man looks at her reflection in a TV screen.
Product placement
This movie is based on G.I. Joe comics, action figures and other products, which are marketed to children.
Coarse language
This movie has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is an action adventure targeting teenage boys and fans of the comic series. It’s a sequel to the first G.I. Joe movie, Rise of the Cobra, picking up where that movie ends.
Younger boys might want to see the movie because G.I. Joe comics, action figures and associated merchandise are marketed to children, but the movie isn’t suitable for them. It features constant violence and disturbing characters and scenes, which are likely to scare children under 13 years and many younger teenagers.
These are the main messages from this movie:
- People who work together as a team can overcome any obstacles.
- There are no winners in nuclear war – everybody loses.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, bravery, self-sacrifice, friendship and respect.
You could also talk about the mixed messages in this movie. Although Jaye presents herself as equal to men and goes out of her way to prove it, she also uses her sexuality to seduce a man into giving her information.