G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra has built a real following in Australia on BINGE and Foxtel Now, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 4,956 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Put it on tonight on BINGE and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is worth clearing space for. What makes G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Christopher Eccleston lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It was released in 2009. The rules of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra a chance. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch for Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.