G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

The critic finds the sequel enjoyable and a meaningful improvement over its predecessor, though not a masterpiece. He especially praises Jon M. Chu’s inventive, exciting action choreography and the film’s affectionate use of the franchise’s mythology.

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The available text does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. It singles out Bruce Willis for providing comic relief in the hi-tech shoot-em-up.

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Tobias pans the film as a soulless, overstuffed sequel that takes itself too seriously. He praises Chu’s action choreography and especially the Himalayan monastery sequence, but says they cannot redeem the film’s militaristic excesses.

The review finds the film weighed down by narrative and mostly flavorless action, despite flashes of directorial promise. It singles out the snowy mountain ninja battle as a vivid, graceful set piece.

The critic dismisses the sequel as a lumbering, plotless adventure. He singles out its cheesy one-liners, perfunctory battles and bland martial arts as flaws.

The review is negative, suggesting the film feels as though it could have been written by a seven-year-old. Its complaint is the childish quality of the writing.

Winning gives the film a poor verdict, finding its story and dialogue weak despite its energetic action. He singles out a Himalaya fight scene as a standout, while praising Jonathan Pryce as the surprise highlight.

McCarthy finds the film a noisy, juvenile action spectacle that may satisfy its target audience but will alienate many others. He praises the visually inventive ninja cliffside sequence while criticizing the gun fetishism and ineffective 3D.

The critic finds the sequel spectacular but weakly told, with little drama. They fault its incomprehensible plotting and reliance on CGI action instead of a decent screenplay.

Chang finds the film joyless, derivative, and largely devoid of personality, despite some improvements over its predecessor. He singles out the Himalayan ninja fight for its vertiginous visual flair.

Ebiri finds the sequel disappointingly flat and less entertaining than the first film. He praises the Ninja Mountain action sequence as an electrifying highlight.

Richards finds the sequel self-serious and disappointing, lacking the simple fun its premise calls for. He particularly criticizes Chu’s lifeless direction and the action sequences, which he calls confused and flailing.

Sharkey finds the film a convoluted, overstuffed mess that its action and delayed 3-D conversion cannot rescue. She praises Jonathan Pryce as a steady source of comic relief, while noting that the humor provides only limited redemption.

The critic finds the film an entertaining, knowingly dumb action romp. The mountain-side fight stands out as its most inspired action sequence.

The headline characterizes the film as imperfect but entertaining enough to somewhat redeem the series. It singles out its popcorn entertainment value as a strength.

Reynolds finds the sequel better than its predecessor but still a soulless, messy spectacle. He singles out Dwayne Johnson’s charisma as the film’s saving grace, while criticizing the other characters as underwritten or forgettable.

The critic finds the film exhausting and shallow, with relentless action that fails to generate excitement. They single out Walton Goggins’s amusing performance as a rare bright spot.

The critic finds the sequel incoherent, poorly paced and largely joyless, a disappointing follow-up to the first film. The preposterous abseiling mountainside battle stands out as a rare entertaining set-piece.