The first trailer for Snake Eyes dropped yesterday, and it looks… surprisingly okay, actually. Admittedly, the promo runs for less than a minute and focuses almost entirely on the action, but both the visual effects and fight choreography seem solid, promising much more of a martial arts movie than the standard pyrotechnics that characterized Paramount’s previous two stabs at launching a G.I. Joe franchise.
Given the tepid critical and commercial responses generated by predecessors The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation, expectations are hardly though the roof for the spinoff, but that might actually work in the favor of Snake Eyes, even if the G.I. Joe Origins subtitle is enough to conjure unwanted memories of Hugh Jackman’s disappointing first solo outing as Wolverine over a decade ago.
Naturally, fans were quick to make their thoughts known on the footage showing star Henry Golding kicking all sorts of villainous ass, and you can check out some of the reactions below.
#SnakeEyes pic.twitter.com/x6Cq0WJz7j
— Araminta (Slight Return) δ³Σx² (@IcyJadeXOXO) May 17, 2021
Brooo I’m juiced Snake Eyes is a fuckin boss
— fRy (@RyGriffey) May 17, 2021
This Snake Eyes actually looks legit https://t.co/GY4H7onOny
— Chris🅿️y. #CPSTRONG 🍥 (@CHRISPYakaKON) May 17, 2021
So I just saw that #SnakeEyes trailer.. how long before Kevin Feige casts Henry Golding as Namor? That is the most obvious casting ever.
— Ari Fantis (@rprez2012) May 17, 2021
Well, Bumblebee was the first good Transformers movie, maybe Snake Eyes will be the first good G.I. Joe movie. https://t.co/SXi42ybL78
— Zeon but Pretty Guardian Pilled (@Lady_Zeon) May 17, 2021
This didn't feel like a trailer it's so weirdly cut but the visuals and cinematography in this looks absolutely stunning. Love me some martial arts action particularly samurai style! Can't wait! Henry Golding is killing it to be the next action star. #SnakeEyes https://t.co/rzE8HksUKs
— Elliott Bullock II (@Elliott_Bull2) May 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/TheChanceMorgan/status/1394163220227756033
I’ll definitely be getting my action movie fix filled this summer. @henrygolding looks like a badass as SnakeEyes 🥷 https://t.co/LimfWaGOxm
— Eliver Ling (@eliverling) May 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/GoldenAgeCruz/status/1394162020765765639
Like, I could give two craps about GI Joe. It missed me by about five years. But I’ll go see this because it looks cool and I’ve always thought the Snake Eyes design looked neat. #snakeeyes https://t.co/slLHg9gzD6
— Blundercleez (@Arr_James) May 17, 2021
Director Robert Schwentke’s track record isn’t great when it comes to blockbusters, after he previously helmed the first two installments in the middling Divergent series and Ryan Reynolds’ major box office bomb R.I.P.D., although Bruce Willis actioner Red delivered when it came to the set pieces, so the jury is still very much out on this one.
Paramount will be hoping that third time marks the charm for the studio’s attempt to turn G.I. Joe into a long-running and marketable property, but if Snake Eyes fails to deliver then it could be game over for the repeated attempts to relaunch the brand. However, the early signs are at least encouraging looking at how it’s shaping up so far.
