Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

"Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" – A Stylish Reboot That Falls Short of Its Potential

Released in 2021, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a reboot of the G.I. Joe film franchise, aiming to breathe new life into the Hasbro-based universe by focusing on one of its most mysterious and popular characters—Snake Eyes. Directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Henry Golding in the title role, the film attempts to blend martial arts action with a character-driven origin story. Despite its promising concept and star power, Snake Eyes struggles to deliver a compelling narrative or consistent tone, ultimately falling short of expectations.

The film begins by introducing Snake Eyes as a drifter driven by revenge. After witnessing the murder of his father as a child, he dedicates his life to finding the killer. Years later, his search leads him to Tokyo, where he saves the life of Tommy Arashikage (Andrew Koji), heir to a powerful ninja clan. Grateful for Snake Eyes’ help, Tommy brings him into the Arashikage clan, offering him a chance to train in ancient martial arts and potentially earn a place among them. However, Snake Eyes harbors a secret—he’s working with Cobra, the infamous terrorist organization, in a bid to get information about his father’s killer.

This internal conflict—torn between loyalty to the Arashikage and his thirst for vengeance—forms the emotional core of the film. It also sets up a friendship-turned-rivalry between Snake Eyes and Tommy, who later becomes Storm Shadow, another iconic character from the G.I. Joe universe. Unfortunately, the film’s exploration of character motivations often feels underdeveloped, and key emotional moments lack the weight they should carry.

Visually, Snake Eyes is stylish and sleek. The film features elaborate set pieces, high-energy sword fights, and explosive action scenes, many of which are choreographed with a flair reminiscent of classic martial arts cinema. The vibrant cinematography and production design highlight Tokyo’s neon-lit streets, traditional dojo interiors, and mystical clan strongholds. However, the action sequences are frequently marred by shaky camerawork and quick-cut editing, making it difficult to follow the choreography—an unfortunate flaw for a film heavily reliant on hand-to-hand combat.

Henry Golding brings charisma and intensity to the role, offering a more talkative and emotionally vulnerable version of Snake Eyes compared to the silent warrior fans may know from previous films or the animated series. Andrew Koji stands out with a grounded and sincere performance as Tommy, adding complexity to a character that could have easily been reduced to a foil. Other supporting characters, including Akiko (Haruka Abe), Kenta (Takehiro Hira), and Baroness (Úrsula Corberó), add flair but are often underutilized or thinly written.

While Snake Eyes introduces interesting elements and offers a fresh take on the G.I. Joe mythos, it suffers from an uneven script, muddled pacing, and missed opportunities to dig deeper into the emotional stakes. It’s an ambitious attempt to create a grounded martial arts epic within a toy-based franchise, but the final result feels more like a stylish detour than a true reinvention.

Despite its flaws, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins remains a watchable entry with potential for future exploration—if the franchise can sharpen its focus and embrace stronger storytelling.