G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Directed by Jon M. Chu, this latest noisy, fight-filled action-adventure entry in the movie franchise based on the Hasbro toy soldier line finds super-commando survivors Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Jinx (Elodie Yung), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona), operating under the command of General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis). New villains include Ray Stevenson as Firefly, Luke Bracey as the silver-masked Cobra Commander, and a pair of feuding ninjas: silent Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and white-clad Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun), who is working both sides. The fast-paced plot begins in North Korea but then proceeds to Islamabad after the assassination of Pakistan's head of state. The mission is to secure Pakistan's nuclear weapons for the U.S. president (Jonathan Pryce), who is actually the nefarious, evil Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) in disguise (the impostor is keeping the real president alive in an underground bunker while the elite fighting force battles the terrorists). Thanks to the PG-13 rating, the graphic bloodshed is largely absent; unfortunately, so is any sense of creative storytelling. Optional. [Note: Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Jon M. Chu and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, a “Declassified” behind-the-scenes documentary (73 min.), deleted scenes (4 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a formulaic franchise entry.] (S. Granger)