“You obviously missed the point entirely.” is what I'll say. “It was supposed to be ridiculous. It was a live action cartoon.” is another defence I'll most likely have to use against the argument that G.I. Joe isn't good. I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to defend my decision to give the film a recommendation (a solid recommendation, nonetheless), against its many, many detractors. What we have to understand, though, is that 'good' is a relative term – when compared alongside Oscar-worthy material such as The Hurt Locker and Up, in terms of emotional resonance, G.I. Joe obviously doesn't stack up. However, when comparisons are drawn to the other high-profile action films from the summer of 2009 (Wolverine, Terminator Salvation, and Transformers 2), I'm sorry, but in my eyes, G.I. Joe stands head and shoulders above its competition.

The reason why I hold “G.I. Joe” in a higher regard than other similar films of this summer season, is quite simple - G.I. Joe understands its source material, and manipulates it in a manner that makes it all the more entertaining. Now, I will be honest with you, as I don't want to give the impression that the movie is all roses and perfume; It's not. The dialogue is pretty consistently bad, the acting is passable but certainly nothing to write home about, and the plot is paper-thin. Unfortunately, what nearly everyone fails to realize is that none of this really matters.

First of all, G.I. Joe is an action flick, and we, as an audience, are sitting in our seats hoping to be entertained by bright lights, flashy colors, and copious amounts of over-the-top physics-defying 'holy shit' action. PG-13 action, but action just the same. Do we really want things like complex storylines and character development getting in the way of perfectly good action. Sometimes we do, sure... but other times we should be perfectly content with not having to think and just enjoy the ride... and what a ride G.I. Joe is - wall-to-wall action (I know it's a writer's cliché, but it's true) and fun as hell. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and when the time comes, at the close of 2009, for me to choose my favorite films of the year, G.I. Joe will undoubtedly make the list.

... And secondly, G.I. Joe is based on a cartoon... a 1980's cartoon. As we all know, cartoons from 'back in the day' don't generally hold up well today due to their complete and utter lack of substance, and sole purpose of existence being to sell toys to impressionable young children. Yes, those were the days... and those of us who were kids when cartoons such as 'G.I. Joe', 'Transformers', 'He-Man' and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' originally aired on television look back at this period with a great fondness for these cartoons. It was a period in our lives when the highlight of our week was getting up at 6 AM, loading up the biggest bowl we could find with our favorite cereal, and being entertained by something that required us to use as little brainpower as possible. Our lives seem so complex, and quite honestly a whole lot less fun, by comparison, and I personally look back at that time of my life with great nostalgia. Those responsible for our entertainment these days seem to think that we have to engage our brains while watching a movie, and perhaps as an audience we've come to expect it as well... But it is quite simply, not the case.

G.I. Joe stirred up those same feelings I had as a kid, when entertainment was entertainment. As children we didn't care about depth or complexity, all that mattered was that we had fun... why should things be any different now that we're 'grown up'. G.I. Joe entertains, and only entertains, for its entire run-time, and as a result I view it as an incredible success. If you can let go of your expectations as adults and just allow yourselves to be kids again, for 2 hours and 15 minutes, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

As a small aside, I'd like to point out that the biggest complaint that I hear in regards to G.I. Joe is that it's too cartoon-y... Now, I try not to swear too often in my reviews, but seriously, how fucking stupid is that...