View Full Version : Oblivion or G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Jeivar
2013-04-11, 05:09 PM
I'm planning to actually go to the theater this weekend, and my choice is between Oblivion and G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
I'm pretty tired of Tom Cruise in general but there's no denying the crazy man is a damn good actor, and good post apocalyptic sci-fi comes by quite rarely enough. On the other hand I do loves me some brainless but GOOD escapism á la The Expendables. I saw the first G.I. Joe movie while pretty damn drunk, though still sober enough to see it was **** but still kind of enjoyed it.
Suggestions? I'm leaning more and more towards simple escapism as the years go by, but if Oblivion is one of those Big Remarkable Mega movies I guess I have to go see it.
Jeivar
2013-04-13, 10:03 AM
Does no-one have an opinion of these movies?
Traab
2013-04-13, 10:09 AM
Well, I just watched a film clip of oblivion and thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Does that count as an opinion? From what I could gather in the clip, tom and some girl are flying in a very crappy looking ship, and they spot a radiation zone which he begins to avoid, only to be hit by some other flying object and get knocked right back into the radiation. Which proceeds to shut down his ship. They get smacked by something else and proceed to eject, while they are presumably still in an area so radioactive it fries flying machines.
Atreyu the Masked LLama
2013-04-13, 10:11 AM
Based on their video games I'm gonna have to go with Oblivion. Look at the G.I. Joe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dumAqWgTIbs) game and now look at Oblivion. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTt2NP6DYEU)
Honestly, I've heard the G.I.Joe movie was "Fun" and I've heard nothing about the Oblivion movie.
Gamerlord
2013-04-13, 10:20 AM
Based on their video games I'm gonna have to go with Oblivion. Look at the G.I. Joe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dumAqWgTIbs) game and now look at Oblivion. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTt2NP6DYEU)
Honestly, I've heard the G.I.Joe movie was "Fun" and I've heard nothing about the Oblivion movie.
Maybe my sarcasm detector is broken, but you know that Oblivion the game and Oblivion the movie have nothing to do with each other, right? :smallconfused:
I know two people who went to see G.I. Joe Retaliation, and their review of it was "boring".
But I don't know anyone who's seen Oblivion yet.
GI Joe Retaliation was braindead. Basically, each individual set piece is pretty good in a simple way... but the plot is so terrible, you don't have an emotional connection, no "omg what will happen next", so all the set pieces don't come together to create a greater whole.
The only part of the movie that is decent is the Act I (it's pretty easy to identify when Act I ends). This is the only time the character interaction felt remotely genuine, and the military action felt grounded and visceral (relatively speaking). After Act I, it's all a bad comic book. I actually enjoyed watching Rock (and all the other characters) during Act I, but after that he just became cardboard. It's not his fault the plot was blegh.
Atreyu the Masked LLama
2013-04-13, 11:24 AM
Maybe my sarcasm detector is broken, but you know that Oblivion the game and Oblivion the movie have nothing to do with each other, right? :smallconfused:
Sadly, yes. Believe me, I was very confused during the movie.
Hawriel
2013-04-14, 01:08 PM
While I enjoy watching rock in movies, I would have to go with Oblivion.
It has Morgan Freeman, and it has a very nice set design to it. Looks like the same guys that did Minority Report, and I Robot. It looks like a world you can step into.
The plot on the other hand looks dumb. Once again Hollywood spoiled the plot in the trailer. Even if it did not accurately portray the plot is made it look stupid.
However the G.I. Joe movie just looks stupid. The same kind of stupid that Bay's Transformer movies are stupid. Just not as bad.
GI Joe Retaliation compared to Michael Bay Transformers:
Just as stupid, except you don't feel as if the director is purposely insulting you.
Oblivion:
A friend of mine, who likes summer action movies, says this movie is much better than he thought it'd be by far. Like any of us, he had reservations about this movie because of the crazy real-life antics of the lead actor. But Tom was good in this movie, and the movie itself was good, and you shouldn't spoil yourself by learning about it before watching it. That's what he told me.
Hawriel
2013-04-15, 05:16 AM
GI Joe Retaliation compared to Michael Bay Transformers:
Just as stupid, except you don't feel as if the director is purposely insulting you.
Thanks. That is pretty much what I was trying to say. Except more succinctly and clearer.
Never did cross my mind to not see a movie because of what ever personal life drama Tom Cruise may have going on. Or what ever the tabloids say is going on. A good actor is a good actor and I watch them for that.
An actor or other type of entertainer has to really be messed up, destructive, resist, or full on ignorant in order for me to boy cot them as it were.
I usually have four reasons why I dont see a movie. Honest disinterest, it looks damn stupid, time, and money.
I'll probably go see Oblivion. As I said before I like the design aspect of the sets and props.
I saw a trailer today for After Earth with Will Smith and son. It looked stupid. Why are the animals of earth going against normal animal behavior and single-mindedly attack them, when avoiding would be their actual response?
Honestly thought it was going to be a trailer for Enders Game at first.
DigoDragon
2013-04-15, 06:31 AM
I've been interested in watching Oblivion for some time now. Never had interest for the G.I.Joe movie. Oblivion seems like it has some "conspiracy" feel to it and I'm big on watching conspiracy movies.
The new GI Joe movie was entertaining, but certainly braindead. The plot was weak and the characters attempt at some backstory was pointless. But it had some pretty damn funny lines and the action was ok too.
Oblivion looks like it could be good but from the previews I've already got a good guess at what the "twist" may be. Hopefully it'll actually be something else but the previews certainly make it look like its clearly one particular thing.
An actor or other type of entertainer has to really be messed up, destructive, resist, or full on ignorant in order for me to boycott them as it were.
Well, that's Tom Cruise dude.
Also, just like Tiger Woods fell from the throne after his scandal, I feel actors with too too much **** going on in their lives would have their performance adversely affected.
GodGoblin
2013-04-16, 10:28 AM
I saw Oblivion a little while ago and genuinely enjoyed it, well worth a watch. Yes the twist is a bit predictable but still pretty damn cool, makes sense and it all wraps up unlike a lot of films that have a twist for the sake of it.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff145/bobservo/Misc/m-night-shyamalan.jpg
To be fair havent seen GI Joe but I get the feeling Oblivion is a more well rounded, serious film, but it all depends if you prefer leaving the cinema thinking 'Hmm..' or shouting "WOOOO!!!"
Tigger
2013-04-16, 10:45 AM
I'm gonna go against the consensus and say that G.I. Joe is less terrible than Oblivion.
GI Joe is a stupid action-movie that does not pretend it's anything more than a guilty pleasure.
Oblivion is another sci-fi movie with a twist (things are not as they seem, really?) which is a template that has become stale since Matrix. Plus it has at least as many plot holes as GI Joe and none of the excuses.
Both are pretty bad (I would recommend, if you want to see an ok movie, in recent releases, The Croods) but one is not pretentious. And guess what ? It's the same that has Adrianne Palicki in ridiculous outfits.
Otherwise, waiting for IM3 seems the most sensible choice.
I'm gonna watch Oblivion and Olympus Has Fallen. The latter has my interest piqued; gonna see if it's as good as Die Hard, the Under Sieges, or Air Force One, or that one movie where Steven Seagal actually dies.
Too bad it doesn't have a black president. When I saw Morgan Freeman in the cast list I had thought "Oh cool he's playing Obama!" After 24, for some reason I want all POTUSs to be black. If it's an old white guy, I can no longer take him seriously, or empathize if he gets kidnapped and tortured (GI Joe Retaliation). Except Harrison Ford in Air Force One. That's ok.
Tiki Snakes
2013-04-16, 08:37 PM
Well, I've seen trailers for both.
I'm watching neither.
But of the two, I was most surprised by how dull Oblivion looked. GI Joe looks cheesy as hell, which doesn't seem inappropriate given the source I suppose, but Oblivion just looks so flat and empty. I mean, the characters? You have Tom Cruise as standard Tom Cruise guy, token wife/love interest and Morgan Freeman gently monologuing in an enigmatic way to the camera like standard Morgan Freeman Guy.
And that's pretty much it.
Sure, there'll be some twists, a token dramatic conflict between two of Tom's goals or something, but it was all just so uninspired seeming. At least GJ Joe (Which still looked terrible) also had a slightly smug looking Bruce Willis making deliberately terrible jokes.
But seriously, if I were interested in hitting the moving pictures around now I'd be looking for further options.
Ok, I have now seen both movies that the OP had asked about. If you're going to the cinema, and you had to choose one of the two, I'd say choose....
Olympus Has Fallen
Srsly, OHF may have its own gaping plot holes (you need plot holes in order to successfully occupy the White House, it can't be helped), but overall it's better than GI Joe (cheesy and stupid) and Oblivion (pretty, but flat and predictable). I was crying manly tears of indignation during OHF, and clenching my jaw for most of the movie.
Maybe the confluence of recent real world events helped immerse me in the story, but I'm a pretty big sucker for one-patriotic-man movies. If you love (the idea of) America, this movie will not disappoint.
Ok, I have now seen both movies that the OP had asked about. If you're going to the cinema, and you had to choose one of the two, I'd say choose....
Olympus Has Fallen
Srsly, OHF may have its own gaping plot holes (you need plot holes in order to successfully occupy the White House, it can't be helped), but overall it's better than GI Joe (cheesy and stupid) and Oblivion (pretty, but flat and predictable). I was crying manly tears of indignation during OHF, and clenching my jaw for most of the movie.
Maybe the confluence of recent real world events helped immerse me in the story, but I'm a pretty big sucker for one-patriotic-man movies. If you love (the idea of) America, this movie will not disappoint.
I gotta disagree that Olympus has Fallen was better than GI Joe. Olympus has fallen tried to be "realistic" whereas we knew GI Joe was basically fantasy in a modern setting (complete with absurd weapons, devices and plot points). Not to mention the president in that movie was a bigger idiot than the one in GI Joe
So he tells them he won't give up his code so its ok that his aids give up theirs so that they aren't tortured. Why the hell wouldn't the bad guys just torture THE AIDS to get the president to give up his code when the time came? Not to mention the president is not even CLOSE to worth all the things the US was willing to give up in that movie.
I gotta disagree that Olympus has Fallen was better than GI Joe. Olympus has fallen tried to be "realistic" whereas we knew GI Joe was basically fantasy in a modern setting (complete with absurd weapons, devices and plot points). Not to mention the president in that movie was a bigger idiot than the one in GI Joe
While I agree with your first point, and only partially agree with your second point... the movie is still only 1/5 as stupid as GI Joe. And the things you pointed out aren't even the biggest plot holes.
Caesar
2013-04-18, 01:22 PM
Oblivion was a good movie, well worth the money to see it in a theater (and the visuals are outstanding). Yes, the plot is a bit thin and all too transparent, but the twist is clever if not a big surprise and the way they work it into the overall story and conclusion is worth the salt.
It could have been a really, really great movie. Instead, it was just a pretty decent sci-fi flick that easily beats all of the hollywood garbage spewed out into this genre.
Dont watch the spoilerific trailer (the marketing executives should be fired and deported) and it will be a little bit better even.
As for GI Joe.. ugh. Wouldnt touch that movie with a ten foot pole, so umm.. no comment.
Deepbluediver
2013-04-18, 01:38 PM
I have not seen Oblivion, and what I can tell from the trailer is...absolutely nothing. I have absolutely no idea what is going on in that movie, except that Tom Cruises' character seems about as lost as I am.
However, I HAVE seen the G.I. Joe movie. And it was bad. Not terribly cringe-inducing bad, just...not fun, really. I'm not a hard person to please, I enjoy a good shoot-em-up kung-fu brawl, and if it's thin on plot then it usually won't bother me much. I liked most of the fast and furious movies.
But GIJoes plot wasn't just thin, it was childish. It was the kind of thing that a 10 year old would come up with if you asked them to write a movie script. Either can the plot and focus on the special effects, or actually pay a writer to come up with something. But apparently GI Joe was trying to have a plot that wouldn't be to mentally taxing for the "8 and under" crowd.
Everything that happens in the first movie doesn't meen didly because (spoiler warning) 90% of the characters get killed off and replaced in the first 5 minutes. The "ninja" characters spend half the movie off doing their own thing, and the main plot thread, thin as it is, ends before the climax really gets going and we shift gears entirely to something else out of nowhere.
Its like they sat down to plan out this movie, and said "Hmm, yeah, explosions...ok, Timmy-the-intern, finish this up while we go to lunch". And then Timmy rattled it off in 10 minutes because he wanted to go back to playing solitaire.
I realize that the source material for this isn't exactly Le Mis or the like, but this feels like a 90 minute toy comercial that is live-action instead of a cartoon. And if that's all I wanted, I'd go torrent the actual cartoons instead of wasting 20 bucks on a ticket.
SamBurke
2013-04-18, 01:54 PM
Go watch 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson. I sobbed man-tears of epicness, and had glorious time yelling at the villains and cheering for the heroes. I have never so wanted the main character of a movie to succeed.
Plus, Harrison Ford. His best movie in years.
Killer Angel
2013-04-18, 03:09 PM
With G.I. Joe, you know perfectly what you're going to watch.
With Oblivion, at least there's a little more uncertainty. :smalltongue:
GenericMook
2013-04-18, 07:34 PM
I watched Oblivion yesterday, and I have to say I liked it a lot more than G.I. Joe.
See, the first G.I. Joe film was way more cheesy and over the top. I walked into the second one expecting something as overblown as it. Instead of a climactic battle in an underwater fortress, we get... a fight with some tanks and ****. And the whole deal wasn't as outright silly as the first. It tried too hard to be "realistic," and comes short as being somewhere halfway between the cheesiness of the first movie and a generic action flick, which made it kinda... boring.
Oblivion was something I walked into with little expectation (because I'd seen the trailer maybe twice in the past eight weeks), and enjoyed it. Okay, the plot is pretty damn predictable, though there was one twist in the middle of the film that threw me off for a bit. The only thing that I was kinda disappointed was that
it's a goddamn AI and not actual aliens. Damnit, I wanted to see some aliens.
I did really like the subversion, though. I liked the clone twist, too.
I'd recommend Oblivion, on the grounds that the trailer really doesn't tell you all that you need to know about the movie. Plus, the setting is way nicer than anything G.I. Joe's got going.
Oblivion reminded me of too many recent films with similar plot devices. So I can't really praise it. It was a by-the-numbers uninspired sci-fi plot, no real heart either. For example, I'd say Inception has way more inspiration than Oblivion, and Avatar has way more heart.
I purposely chose Inception and Avatar as examples of inspiration and heart, respectively, because I know many ppl consider them overhyped and being actually uninspired and patronizing. And I'm saying if you're one of those ppl, then know that Oblivion is even worse.
Raimun
2013-04-22, 09:35 AM
I'm going to take the third option and go see Iron Man 3.
navar100
2013-04-22, 11:15 AM
I liked Oblivion. I was taken by surprise that it was really a drama movie as opposed to an action movie even though it did have some action scenes. The dialogue and acting kept me interested. Whatever his troubles and tribulations off screen, on camera Tom Cruise has presence.
DigoDragon
2013-04-29, 06:36 AM
I watched Oblivion over the weekend and enjoyed it. The main plot is a little predictable, but there were a number of details and side steps that I didn't guess correctly so it still managed to surprise me.
Overall not a bad movie. I'd be willing to see it again when it's out as a rental.
CarpeGuitarrem
2013-04-29, 10:35 PM
If you hold with it, Howard Tayler liked it. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/blog/oblivion-movie-review).
Tebryn
2013-04-29, 10:43 PM
GI Joe Retaliation compared to Michael Bay Transformers:
Just as stupid, except you don't feel as if the director is purposely insulting you.
Oblivion:
A friend of mine, who likes summer action movies, says this movie is much better than he thought it'd be by far. Like any of us, he had reservations about this movie because of the crazy real-life antics of the lead actor. But Tom was good in this movie, and the movie itself was good, and you shouldn't spoil yourself by learning about it before watching it. That's what he told me.
Cruise may be a total wacko but he's a fairly good actor. The movie is getting fairly good reviews so I'd suggest seeing that.
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