Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 4K Ultra HD Review

THE MOVIE — 2½/5

Plot Synopsis: An ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage welcomes tenacious loner Snake Eyes (HENRY GOULDING) after he saves the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach him the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing him something he’s been longing for: a home. However, when secrets from Snake Eyes’ past are revealed, his honor and allegiance get tested — even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him.

Quick Hit Review: Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a, from what I can tell, a retcon of the background of the title character and that of Storm Shadow (if I recall, G.I. Joe: Retaliation had their rivalry beginning during childhood). But taking that aside, the film as a standalone is pretty bland and rather forgettable. I can appreciate a blockbuster film taking its time, building characters and mixing in some action. However with this one, there’s not a whole lot that stands out.

The set design is pretty basic, the few action scenes weren’t all that impressive and outside of Henry Goulding, no real stand outs in terms of the supporting cast, most notably Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, who has very little charisma and no brotherly chemistry opposite Goulding. Samara Weaving, who was great in Ready or Not, comes in for the third act but didn’t make much of an impact, though I guess she had one decent kick-ass scene.

Directed by Robert Schwentke — a name I recognize from a variety of films that includes Flightplan, RED, R.I.P.D. and two of the Divergent movies — Snake Eyes is just plainly forgettable. It’s not bad per se but at the same time, not nearly good enough that needs to be seen right away either. It’s also pretty tame in the PG-13 violence to the point not much would have to be edited to show on cable or network television.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 2½/5

This release comes with a glossy slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy.

Morning Light: A Weapon with Stories to Tell (3:11) — This is pretty much a motion comic on the sword wielded by Snake Eyes later in the film.

Deleted Scenes (2:07) — Five scenes that didn’t make the cut, likely for pacing reasons. Nothing here that advanced the story or characters.

Enter Snake Eyes (9:32) — Featurette on the title character with interviews by Henry Goulding, Andrew Koji and others. There is some behind-the-scenes footage but this is really basic stuff here, nothing of great insight into the characters or plot.

A Deadly Ensemble (6:22) looks at the variety in the cast.

Arashikage (6:59) is a featurette on the elite ninja warrior clan.

VIDEO – 4¾/5, AUDIO – 4½/5

Paramount releases Snake Eyes onto 4K Ultra HD where it’s presented with a 2160p high-definition transfer. For the most part the picture here looks quite good with sharp detail especially on close-ups and some bright, vibrant colors that permeate many scenes, especially ones in Tokyo where neon lights really shine through, aided a bit by the HDR. I don’t think this is one that will wow you, well, the movie won’t either, but is still a fine transfer that is in line with most new releases.

Despite including a Dolby Atmos track, this one wasn’t all that awe-inspiring. While dialogue does come across nice and clearly throughout, and there is some modest depth for ambient noises and the score, the few action scenes were not terribly impressive. This isn’t to say these didn’t sound good or provide an extra kick from the LFE channel, I didn’t find this one all that dynamic.

OVERALL — 3/5

Overall, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins wasn’t a big disappointment since I went in with zero expectations. Although Henry Goulding was good in the lead role, he didn’t get much to work with both with the script and supporting cast. As a whole, the film was just forgettable and probably not even worth a rental.