Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

Okay, let it be known from the very start, I am not now, nor have I ever been happy with the redirection and retelling of the G.I. Joe story and characters as presented in recent movies. I am old enough that I grew up with the original G.I. Joe and appreciated the origins of the characters being American Soldiers who fought for good. Unfortunately, it seems as if that is just not possible anymore to present in any positive light the American Soldier and I believe that could be one reason so many look down on the soldier, and many first responders including policemen. Now that said, let me move on since I’ve gotten that major pet peeve out of my system,

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, is just that, an origins story of the G.I, Joe character Snake Eyes played by Henry Golding. He is a martial arts artist who saw his father killed when he was a child. As he becomes an adult, he is obsessed with finding his fathers killer and exacting revenge. He is driven by anger and hate. It is as he is working undercover for a government agency that he decides to defend Tommy/Storm Shadow a Japanese man of wealth and power to prevent him from being killed. Snake Eye gets into Tommy’s family and goes through a difficult initiation process to become a part of the family, while at the same time, working for a group attempting to take the family out. In his efforts to get in with the family Snake Eyes discovers that they are more loyal and ethical than those he is working for. What transpires is a martial arts action film complete with car chases and all the things that make some people happy in a movie.

I’ll admit, I on occasion like a good action movie that delivers, and while Snake Eyes clearly delivers on that front, it lacks in other areas that are also important to me, say, like plot and story. Unfortunately, it doesn’t just fall short in that area, it falls way short. I think a lot of it has to do with the formula some of these types of movies have taken on. It seems as if the primary driving force is the action, often enhanced by CGI and part action, part fantasy. In that regard Snake Eyes follows the formula to a t.  Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a boring film, there are even some good attributes to think about, but while it’s certainly watchable, it’s just a tad better than average, some may say, a tad below.

 

The one thing about the story I liked is the redemptive journey of the character Snake Eyes. We not only see this to some extent with his character, but we also see him move from a character of vengeance to a character that can display mercy. In part we see his character change because his character learns to see people for who they are and in that he also sees their value. Of course, there are those who would present themselves as friends who deceive him, but thankfully for the sake of some story that is presented in a positive way, he ultimately recognizes who the good guys are as well as the bad guys.

 

Unfortunately, in life we are all faced with aspects of deceit. The Bible tells us that the Devil is the author of confusion or deceit if you will, but we need to also remember that the Devil also tried to deceive Jesus and, in the process, used scripture to do so. Saying good things, using good holy books and things of the sort do not guarantee one of truth. Sometimes though we seek the feel-good approach and attempts of those who would deceive us to the point that we don’t ultimately search for truth in the things they say or the causes they promote.  Snake Eyes in this movie goes through some tough times and there are consequences to those around him due to his actions, but he has time, a script written around him to help him succeed, but those of us in real life don’t always have that written for us on a movie screen because we live in a real-life world. In that case, we can use movies like this to cause us to contemplate on things like; Are there areas I’ve fallen short? Do I check out my surroundings and those around me or do make quick decisions to feel accepted?  Am I willing to change once I recognize my mistakes? What ways are there in my life where I’ve made mistakes to correct those mistakes? How do my actions impact others around me? 

 

Snake Eyes ultimately must come to the realization that there is a power that is beyond the powers we should possess, and those powers can be used for good and evil. Just as in real life, yes, even in Christianity, there are those who would use it for their own purpose and do harm to others as opposed to representing a faith that was founded on the principles and concepts of love.  A love that when sacrificially given can make a difference not only in our lives, but the lives of others.

 

At least the movie Snake Eyes touches on many of the above concepts which is why I will give it a slightly above average score. It’s okay, not great, not boring but not exactly memorable either. It is for that reason, on a scale of 1 – 10 I give Snake Eyes, an okay 6.

To see the trailer for the movie, click on the following link:

Snake Eyes | Final Trailer (2021 Movie) | Henry Golding, G.I. Joe - YouTube

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