# I have seen the G.I. Joe: it is "Meh" \*open spoilers\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886 "2009-08-09T23:25:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/41 "2009-08-12T02:32:12Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > For perspective, what, in your opinion, are the top 10 greatest movies? Star Trek: First Contact Aliens The Wizard Of Oz Lord Of The Rings Trilogy The Incredibles Back To The Future Trilogy Iron Man Terminator 2: Judgment Day Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Forbidden Planet The Day The Earth Stood Still (Original) Yeah, it’s 12. 😉 I’m sure I can think of others, and I have movies that I hold in high esteem that others can’t stand like Mars Attacks and Judge Dredd. I’m not trying to be snarky, but so I like G.I. Joe. What’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/42 "2009-08-12T03:09:32Z")
> [@AtomicDog](#): > > Star Trek: First Contact > Aliens > The Wizard Of Oz > Lord Of The Rings Trilogy > The Incredibles > Back To The Future Trilogy > Iron Man > Terminator 2: Judgment Day > Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back > Forbidden Planet > The Day The Earth Stood Still (Original) > > Yeah, it’s 12. 😉 > > I’m sure I can think of others, and I have movies that I hold in high esteem that others can’t stand like Mars Attacks and Judge Dredd. > > I’m not trying to be snarky, but so I like G.I. Joe. What’s your point? My impression is that “G.I. Joe” is a noisy, action-packed, CGI-filled, popcorn muncher aimed at teenage boys who love seeing shit get blown up. I was amused that you considered it to be a great movie. I haven’t seen it, but I’m confidant than when great movies are listed, “G.I. Joe” won’t make many lists, so I was curious as to what you considered to be a ‘great’ movie. It is a subjective thing, yet there is some consensus among critics and audiences on what the great movies are. From your list, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (a personal favorite of mine) and “Wizard of Oz” would probably make many top 100 lists. Your list reveals a preference for science fiction. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. When I was a kid I didn’t know or care that there was anything other than sci-fi and monster movies. But if it’s truly great movies you want to see, and I don’t know that you do, you’ll want to branch out. If you do want to see some really great movies, search some ‘best movies’ lists. It may give you a better perspective on what constitutes great cinema. Or you may be bored to tears and find yourself counting the days until “G.I. Joe 2” opens. I’m not _trying_ to be snob, I’m just saying that calling something like “G.I. Joe” a great movie, makes it hard for me not to be. ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/43 "2009-08-12T03:20:15Z")
I’m the right age to have been into GIJ, but for some reason my mother had this opinion that GIJ was communication from Satan himself, so we weren’t allowed to watch it. My husband LOVES it and all other comics, etc. So when we saw the movie the other day, I fully expected that I wouldn’t get it, and he would hate it. He has yet to find very many movies (from comics or series, etc.) that he loves. It was marginally entertaining to me. Had no previous knowledge of the characters at all. Cheesy some. Some decent action. Also annoyed by the sinking ice… I was surprised, my husband actually liked it. He said it wasn’t as good as it could have been, but it wasn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/44 "2009-08-12T03:31:40Z")
To be fair, currently 48 reviews at RT are positive out of 117 collected. I like what Dan Kois of the Washington Post says, " G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is as polished and entertaining as war-mongering toy commercials get." ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/45 "2009-08-12T04:09:33Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > My impression is that “G.I. Joe” is a noisy, action-packed, CGI-filled, popcorn muncher aimed at teenage boys who love seeing shit get blown up. I was amused that you considered it to be a great movie. > > I haven’t seen it, but I’m confidant than when great movies are listed, “G.I. Joe” won’t make many lists, so I was curious as to what you considered to be a ‘great’ movie. It is a subjective thing, yet there is some consensus among critics and audiences on what the great movies are. From your list, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (a personal favorite of mine) and “Wizard of Oz” would probably make many top 100 lists. > > Your list reveals a preference for science fiction. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. When I was a kid I didn’t know or care that there was anything other than sci-fi and monster movies. But if it’s truly great movies you want to see, and I don’t know that you do, you’ll want to branch out. > > If you do want to see some really great movies, search some ‘best movies’ lists. It may give you a better perspective on what constitutes great cinema. Or you may be bored to tears and find yourself counting the days until “G.I. Joe 2” opens. > > I’m not _trying_ to be snob, I’m just saying that calling something like “G.I. Joe” a great movie, makes it hard for me not to be. I just pulled up a 100 Best movies list. [http://cinepad.com/awards/awards\_1-50.htm](http://cinepad.com/awards/awards_1-50.htm) On it, I’ve seen Annie Hall, The Godfather, West Side Story, Gone With The Wind, Bridge On The River Kwai, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp Fiction, M_A_S\*H, It’s A Wonderful Life, Chinatown, Dr. Strangelove, My Fair Lady, Tootsie, Network. (I’m excluding the Sci-fi movies on the list) I’ve also seen The Shawshank Redemption, Dances With Wolves, Mutiny On The Bounty, Platoon, Patton, Diva, The Tin Drum, Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, Das Boot, Porgy And Bess, All Quiet On The Western Front, Apocalypse Now, Carmen Jones, I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Manhattan, The Producers, The President’s Analyst. Have I dropped enough names for you yet? I’m 54 years old, Don’t presume that I have never seen or don’t like other genres. I thought, though, that we were discussing mindless popcorn flicks here, and I was judging G.I. Joe by that standard. My first, last and greatest love in entertainment is science fiction. Excuse me for letting that perception color what I consider my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/46 "2009-08-12T15:36:19Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Well, now I know - and knowing is half the battle. [Joeing is half the battle](http://www.pvponline.com/2009/08/11/joeing-is-half-the-battle/). ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/47 "2009-08-12T15:46:28Z")
I saw this somewhat reluctantly, due to a husband who grew up with GI Joe toys. I was surprisingly entertained. Yes, it’s a big dumb movie. There aren’t a lot of nuances or layers. But I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886/48 "2009-08-12T18:32:11Z")
Here’s [one take](http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2009/08/08/yo-joe/) on the blockbuster. In other news, Stephen Sommers will be directing “My Little Pony: Dark Horse Rising.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-seen-the-g-i-joe-it-is-meh-open-spoilers/505886.md?page=2)