‘Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins’ Review: Right Actors, Wrong Director in Latest Attempt to Rejuvenate GI Joe

The performances in Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins overcomes a so-so script and some truly awful shooting of action scenes to warrant a sequel.

Henry Golding and Andrew Koji are the reasons to go see Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins. These should be star-making performances for both actors. Koji – no stranger to action scenes as the lead of Cinemax and now HBO’s Warrior – is outstanding as Tommy aka Storm Shadow. Koji does such a great job of showing the internal conflict that goes from simmer to full boil. Golding also succeeds at nailing this morally gray interpretation of Snake Eyes.

Haruka Abe is also good as Akiko, the head of security for Arashikage Clan. Akiko comes around on Snake Eyes a little too quick in the film, but Abe’s performance makes the switch believable enough. Takehiro Hira as Kenta is the right villain for the film.

Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Úrsula Corberó as Baroness and Iko Uwais as Hard Master are wasted in this film. You could have easily alluded to the Joe’s and Cobra without having them in the film. Their impact would have been better served as post-credit scenes. The focus of the story should have remained on Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes and Kenta as leader of the Yakuza with Cobra backing the Yakuza.

Despite the martial arts experience of Koji, Uwais and even Golding, the action in Snake Eyes is the weakest part of the film. Not all of the action scenes are bad. Some of the early scenes are fine. I especially like the few bits of stealth action. Director Robert Schwentke (RIPD) uses a lot of shaky cam and quick cutting in the fight scenes. The 3rd act is pretty incomprehensible. Snake Eyes is outfitted in all black at night, which makes it difficult to see who is doing what in some action scenes.

The addition of a Macguffin was disappointing. Snake Eyes training, the friendship between Tommy and Snake Eyes as well as the battle between the Arashikage Clan and the Yakuza are more than enough balls to juggle.

Despite some missteps, I think there are enough good things about Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins to rejuvenate GI Joe. With the performances here, that should be automatic, not hypothetical.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into GI Joe, Cobra and the Arashikage Clan. Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins is currently in theaters nationwide.

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Snake Eyes is More Than Meets the Eye

Golding nails the tightrope Snake Eyes has to walk in this film. His quest for vengeance after the death of his father is his priority. When Kenta offers Snake Eyes an opportunity to find the answers he’s looking for, he accepts. Snake Eyes saves Tommy aka Storm Shadow. In exchange, for saving his life, Tommy offers Snake Eyes a chance of building a new life. He saw honor in Snake Eyes … well eyes.

In order to be accepted as a member of the Arashikage Clan, Snake Eyes much pass three challenges. All of these challenges have as much to do with honor and humility as they do with physical skill. While trying to fain honor, Snake Eyes is able to charm the clan. Snake Eyes tries to renege on the arrangement on a few occasions, but can not let go of his quest for vengeance.

Golding has such a charming presence. Even knowing his duplicitous intent, you want to trust he’s going to change and not walk down this path.

I like the morally gray interpretation of the character. I also had no trouble buying Tommy trusting Snake Eyes based on the chemistry between Koji and Golding. However, there are some things that don’t work. Snake Eyes adapts to using a sword really fast. Snake Eyes holds his own with Tommy and Akiko in spite of his utter lack of experience.

The Arashikage Clan

Tommy is even more of a protagonist than Snake Eyes for most of the film. He simply wants to do the right thing for his clan and Japan. Snake Eyes does a solid job of showing Tommy’s regret for simply banishing Kenta from the clan. His decision allowed a man to have free reign over Japan and the rest of the world.

As the heir apparent to the throne, Tommy doesn’t just see honor in Snake Eyes. He also sees an opportunity for the Arashikage Clan to adapt to the modern world. By combining the Arashikage’s commitment to honor and tradition with someone from the modern world, the Arashikage can do a better job protecting Japan.

Other leaders of the clan aren’t as convinced by the newcomer. Akiko is suspicious of Snake Eyes at the beginning but warms up to him fast. Her suspicions should be confirmed by how often Snake Eyes evades her. However, she still believes in him for some reason we don’t see. The Arashikage matriarch Sen played by Eri Ishida, doesn’t trust him either. However, since Snake Eyes saved her grandson, she’s willing to give the newcomer a chance.

The film could have used Uwais as Hard Master and Peter Mensah as Blind Master better. Both actors have their moments but are underutilized in the film. I didn’t like how they resolved Tommy’s story arc at the end of the film.

GI Joe Origins is the Weakest Element of Snake Eyes

The way the film weaves in the Joes and Cobra isn’t great. Scarlett does very little in the film. With Baroness, at least she’s tied into the Yakuza and Snake Eyes’ quest for vengeance. Unfortunately, her desire to obtain the MacGuffin for Cobra represents an element this film didn’t need.

Baroness and Scarlett would have more of an impact if they showed up as a post-credit scene. The MacGuffin serves as a reason for Cobra to get involved. Removing the MacGuffin and Cobra would have allowed the film to focus on Snake Eyes dilemma as well as the conflict between Kenta and Tommy for control of the Arashikage.

There’s even a weird team-up scene for Baroness and Scarlett in the film. We have no connection to these characters, so it just doesn’t work. Add in the wonky action scenes in the final stretch and you have a film that goes off with a whimper.

Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins Final Thoughts

The actions scenes and some unearned character development hold back Snake Eyes from reaching its potential on its own merit. However, the layered performances by Koji and Golding are enough to make me interested in seeing these characters again with a different director at the helm.

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