G.I. Joe: Retaliation

The film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, picks up shortly after the events of its predecessor, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. With the world seemingly at peace, the President (Jonathan Pryce) has lost faith in the G.I. Joe team, a special forces unit led by the legendary Duke (Channing Tatum). This loss of faith stems from a series of high-profile mishaps and crimes committed by the Joes, which has led the President to believe they are a liability to the country. As a result, the President orders a Presidential Commission of Enquiry, citing the Joes' alleged transgressions. This commission, led by Marshal TC Memorial (Ray Stevenson), a career military officer, reviews the Joes' every move. With the lives of the Joes hanging in the balance, they are betrayed by one of their own – Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), who has infiltrated the G.I. Joe team with a doppelganger clone of the President. This doppelganger clone presents the President false evidence, showing the Joes committing a crime against the innocent. Consequently, the President feels compelled to take drastic action, announcing to the nation that the G.I. Joe team has been disbanded. Those Joes who have been with the organization the longest, Jinx (Elodie Yung) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), were the first to be eliminated. Meanwhile, Duke and the other Joes, Snake Eyes (Ray Park), Snow Job (Chad Ripley), Stalker (MMA fighter Robert Baker), Jinx's ally Heavy Duty (MMA fighter Dania Ramírez's opponent ( the fight only a brief cameo scene but featured. ) and Duke, are assumed dead after a covert operation goes awry. However, it later becomes clear that the Zartan-controlled President wants to carry out a horrific plan to enable COBRA, an underground terrorist organization founded by the resourceful and ruthless Cobra Commander (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), to access the most advanced military technology in the world. Cobra hopes to wreak havoc and control on America under a new tyrannical order ordered by Snake Eyes and Duke who secretly manage to escape the mission-gone-wrong that supposedly killed Jinx, Heavy-Duty, Gung-Ho, and Roadblock. On their journey to reach the President and uncover the truth of their alleged disbandment, the remaining Joes land on a trek of self-discovery and disillusionment. They find it difficult to trust anyone, as it is unlikely they will find support or assistance anywhere, especially given that many high-rank officials are, in secret, fully supportive of Cobra's insidious plans. Meanwhile, Snake Eyes was sent by Duke on a separate mission, apparently getting caught and executed via missile. Hence begins a lengthy undercover rescue mission from Snake Eyes, all that would bring him the closest to redemption as he seeks retribution. With his skilled warrior-honour for revenge as all the Joe forces which have been completely wiped out seek chance and hope, the two take any means necessary to push down the COBRA soldiers. Reaching the secret COBRA hangar, the Joes find that it's the main COBRA command center. As they infiltrate, they join forces with Flint Locke (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), a former military general who holds much disdain for COBRA, with a fierce loyalty and determination to dismantle the operation. Having survived the intense fights, alongside Flint Locke, Duke and Snake Eyes devise a complex mission plan, working closely with other surviving members such as, Heavy Duty, Channing Tatum's Duke, and also Snake Eyes, to raid the memorial service of their fellow JOE soldiers, a deceitful plan devised to avenge their fallen comrades, infiltrate the COBRA hangar and sabotage further plans to destabilize the US government by COBRA. Throughout the storyline, the fate of Duke hangs precariously as action leads him down a treacherous road filled with lies and deception. He must confront both personal demons, such as the perceived death of his brother, the sacrifices he made while saving his country, and how a painful past had driven him into the jungle. With various intricate schemes in an attempt to clear the COBRA web and their respective COBRA allegiance the duo's (Rocks supporting GUNG-HO, Duke's BLOOD RELATION - as the movie explores their bond), team up, and devise intelligent strategies, in many elaborate undercover missions they spearhead a direct revolt as Joes plot battles to topple COBRA power and resurrect America; leading COBRA Commander very close to getting discovered beneath his insidious disguise and dangled death sentence. All efforts by main protagonist Snake Eyes, working tirelessly take the final stand in all climactic showdowns attempting not only personal success but toppling COBRA's covert network culminating in that iconic memorial ritual. COBRA would have triumphed if not for the return of top Joes like the long awaited saving and later vengeful actions Snake’s actions, including in the US memorial eulogy.