The G.I. Joe franchise is a remarkable story. Beginning as a toy line in the 1960s, it got a second lease on life with the wildly popular toy line A Real American Hero in 1982, shifting focus to military action as a colorful cast of characters battled the sinister forces of Cobra. Since that relaunch, G.I. Joe has been an institution, with decades of toys, one of the most beloved comic book runs ever released, and, of course, the legendary G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983) cartoon.
Unfortunately, efforts to branch out into films weren’t met with as much success. However, if you’re looking to catch up, look no further than our list of every G.I. Joe movie in order and where you can watch them on Tubi, Apple TV+, and more.
G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987)
G.I. Joe: The Movie was meant to be the opening salvo in a trilogy of films based on Hasbro projects, with The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and My Little Pony: The Movie (not the 2017 one) to follow. But delays meant that Transformers released first, and it was a disaster. As a result, G.I. Joe: The Movie became both a direct-to-video release and a televised miniseries.
The film notoriously changes its original plot, undoing the death of lead character Duke. This was done because Transformers suffered from backlash following the death of Optimus Prime, which was, ironically, written into Transformers because producers liked the earlier G.I. Joe script’s idea to kill Duke! Regardless, G.I. Joe: The Movie remains a fan favorite for its larger-than-average action. It’s a must-watch if you’re a fan of the original animated series or any of its decades of ensuing toy lines.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
Following the success of 2007’s Transformers, it was only a matter of time before G.I. Joe made the leap to the big screen. 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra makes a big swing at the property, bringing in Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans as Duke and Ripcord, two iconic Joe characters that join a team comprised of Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Heavy Duty, Breaker, and Hawk.
Despite a star-studded cast that includes Christopher Eccleston as Destro and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a proto-Cobra Commander, the baffling plot and cringe-inducing tongue-in-cheek nods to the cartoon made this a miserable experience for longtime G.I. Joe fans. If you’re just in the mood for the apex of mind-numbing late ‘00s action, Rise of Cobra fits the bill, but otherwise, you’re better off avoiding this one.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
It’s 2013, and you’re trying to get eyes on your sequel, so the obvious move is to include The Rock. Fresh off of Fast Five (2011) and Journey 2 (2012), Dwayne Johnson assumes the role as film lead, depicting fan-favorite Joe, Roadblock. Infamously, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was meant to be an almost total reboot, killing off the entirety of the previous film’s cast, but fan outcry led to Channing Tatum’s Duke surviving, marking the second time the character was saved by outraged fans.
Beyond that (and a returning Snake Eyes), Retaliation also brings in Bruce Willis as Joe Colton, meant to be the titular “G.I. Joe.” Still, the combined star power of Willis and The Rock wasn’t enough to win fans over. Retaliation is still undeniably an improvement on its predecessor with raucous action and more ridiculous plot, so this one may be more your speed if you want a live-action version of the cartoon.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
For its third attempt, the G.I. Joe franchise rebooted itself with Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, an origin film on the perpetually popular Snake Eyes. Original actor Ray Park doesn’t return for this film, replaced by Crazy Rich Asians (2018) star Henry Golding instead. The film follows the early days of Snake Eyes joining Clan Arashikage and sets up his rivalry with Storm Shadow, but it does so by making drastic changes to the established Snake Eyes character from the original toy line and comics.
The film was a major disappointment for fans, and one of 2021’s most infamous box office bombs. The mediocre action falls short of being an exciting movie, and the story doesn’t resemble any of the classic G.I. Joe characters or tongue-in-cheek narrative fans have come to love. The state of the G.I. Joe franchise is in limbo as of this writing, with a sequel planned but no movement having been made following Snake Eyes’ failure.
