G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

Movie Summary:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a military science fiction action film that serves as an origin story for the elite international anti-terrorist task force known as G.I. Joe. It follows U.S. Army soldiers Duke and Ripcord after they are ambushed while transporting four experimental nanotech-powered warheads developed by the powerful weapons manufacturer James McCullen (Destro). The ambush is led by Duke's estranged fiancée, Baroness, and the soldiers are subsequently recruited into the high-tech G.I. Joe unit, led by General Hawk. The Joes race across the globe, from the Egyptian desert to Paris, to stop McCullen and the emerging terrorist organization Cobra, which plans to use the nanobot warheads to unleash world chaos and dominate the planet.

Detailed Plot (Movie Story):

The film begins in 1641, revealing the origin of James McCullen's (Destro) family curse: a French ancestor was forced to wear a humiliating iron mask for selling weapons to the enemy, an artifact passed down through the generations.

In the "near future," U.S. Army soldiers Conrad "Duke" Hauser (Channing Tatum) and Wallace "Ripcord" Weems (Marlon Wayans) are tasked with escorting four nanite-powered warheads—miniature warheads that can eat through metal and warheads—developed by the arms manufacturing corporation M.A.R.S., run by the modern-day McCullen (Christopher Eccleston).

The convoy is ambushed by a terrorist group led by Anastasia "Ana" DeCobray, a mysterious masked woman known as the Baroness (Sienna Miller), who is actually Duke's estranged fiancée. Duke and Ripcord are rescued by an elite, high-tech counter-terrorist unit, the G.I. Joe Team, led by General Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy (Dennis Quaid), who transports them to "The Pit," the Joes' headquarters beneath the Egyptian desert.

Duke and Ripcord join the G.I. Joe team, which includes intelligence officer Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), communications expert Breaker (Saïd Taghmaoui), and ordnance expert Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Duke reveals that the Baroness is his ex-fiancée, a revelation Hawk reluctantly allows him to stay on the team.

The film reveals the complicated backstory of the primary villains: the Baroness and the ninja Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun) are working for McCullen. Storm Shadow has a personal history with the Joes' mysterious silent ninja, Snake Eyes (Ray Park), having grown up with him in the Arashikage clan and being his rival. We also meet The Doctor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), McCullen's secretive scientist who is manipulating both McCullen and the Baroness.

McCullen's plan is to use the nanobots to launch attacks that destabilize the world, allowing his organization, which he names Cobra, to take control. The first target is Paris, where the Baroness, Storm Shadow, and McCullen's troops detonate the first warhead, which quickly devours the Eiffel Tower, turning it into useless dust. The G.I. Joe team, using accelerated armor suits, engages them in a spectacular chase through the streets of Paris, managing to neutralize the warhead before it causes mass destruction.

The Joes track the villains to a secret Arctic base, where they confront them. During the confrontation, the Doctor reveals himself to be Rex Lewis, Duke's best friend from the Army who was presumed dead. Rex masterminded the entire operation, including manipulating McCullen and the Baroness using specialized mind-control nanobots. Rex forces the iron mask onto McCullen's face, transforming him into the metal-faced Destro. Rex then adopts the codename Cobra Commander.

Cobra Commander's plan is to launch the remaining three nanite warheads at Washington D.C., Moscow, and Beijing. A massive final battle ensues. Duke, Ripcord, and the Joes pursue the warheads, successfully intercepting them, while Snake Eyes battles and defeats his rival Storm Shadow.

In the climax, Duke confronts Cobra Commander and Destro. Duke manages to destroy the remaining nanite warheads, but in the process, the Baroness is freed from the mind-control nanites when Duke intentionally wounds her, breaking Rex's control.

The film ends with Cobra Commander and Destro being captured and placed in a high-security prison. The final scene shows the Baroness, now back to her old self, in the Joes' medical bay. Meanwhile, an imposter of the U.S. President is revealed to have been working for Cobra, signaling that the threat is far from over.

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Release Date:

August 7, 2009 (United States)