G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Three years after the events of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the elite special operations team finds itself ambushed and nearly annihilated during a routine mission. Only three Joes survive: Roadblock, Lady Jaye, and Flint. Framed as traitors and hunted by their own government, they discover that the U.S. President has been replaced by a Cobra impostor. With the real President held captive, the surviving Joes must go underground, enlist the help of the original G.I. Joe, Joe Colton, and stop Cobra from launching a global satellite weapon that could destroy the world's major capitals.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the sequel shifts to a grittier tone than its predecessor, leaning on practical stunts and Dwayne Johnson's commanding presence. The film also features Bruce Willis in a nostalgic turn as the franchise's founding hero. With a production budget of $130 million, it earned $371.9 million worldwide, proving the brand's commercial resilience despite mixed critical reception. The mountain-side ninja battle and the film's delayed release, originally slated for summer 2012, became notable talking points in its production history.[edit]

The film opens with the G.I. Joe team, led by Duke, successfully recovering a stolen nuclear warhead from Cobra operatives in Pakistan. The mission appears straightforward, but it sets a trap. Back at base, the Joes receive orders from the President to assemble in the Middle East for a medal ceremony. They arrive in a remote desert location, only to be obliterated by a barrage of missiles fired from a nearby mountain. Duke is killed instantly, along with most of the team. Only three survive: Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye, who were delayed en route.

Realizing they have been set up, the trio goes off-grid. They soon learn that the President is not the man he claims to be. In a twist revealed to the audience, the real President has been replaced by Zartan, a master of disguise who took his place at the end of the first film. Under Zartan's control, the impostor President has been systematically dismantling the G.I. Joe program. Meanwhile, Cobra Commander, imprisoned after the first film, is freed by the ninja assassin Firefly and his army.

Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye seek out Joe Colton, the original G.I. Joe from the 1960s toy line, now living in retirement. Colton, played by Bruce Willis, agrees to help, supplying them with weapons, intelligence, and a safe house. Elsewhere, Snake Eyes and his apprentice Jinx embark on a separate mission to rescue Storm Shadow, who was captured after the first film. Storm Shadow holds crucial information about the President's impersonation, but his loyalties remain ambiguous.

Cobra's ultimate plan emerges: they intend to use the stolen nuclear warhead in conjunction with a satellite weapon system called Project Zeus to destroy every major world capital simultaneously, forcing the remaining nations to surrender. The Joes must infiltrate a mountain fortress where Zeus is being prepared for launch. Along the way, they battle Firefly's ninja forces, navigate underground tunnels, and confront the question of whom to trust, including the enigmatic Storm Shadow, who eventually chooses to side with the Joes.[edit]