G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
After being framed and left for dead by their own government, the surviving members of the G.I. Joe team must fight back against the Cobra organization.
The story
The G.I. Joe team is sent on a mission to the Korean Demilitarized Zone and later to Pakistan to retrieve nuclear warheads. However, they are betrayed by the U.S. government, which is secretly controlled by Zartan, a villain impersonating the President. Following a devastating airstrike that leaves only a few members alive, the survivors are branded as traitors. They must operate in the shadows to uncover the truth behind the betrayal, find the real President, and stop the Cobra organization from taking control of the nation's military forces.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being betrayed by a government led by the imposter Zartan, the surviving G.I. Joes—Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye—establish a secret base to investigate the conspiracy. Meanwhile, Storm Shadow, seeking to clear his name, joins forces with Snake Eyes and Jinx. The plot culminates at a summit at Fort Sumter, where Zartan reveals his plan to launch a nuclear-free world under Cobra's rule using orbital kinetic weapons. Storm Shadow exposes Cobra's deception, while the Joes and their allies fight to stop the launch and rescue the real President. In the aftermath, the survivors are honored for their actions while preparing to hunt down the remaining Cobra leadership.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon M. Chu
- Writers
- Rhett Reese · writer; Paul Wernick · writer
- Cast and characters
- Dwayne Johnson · Marvin F. Hinton / Roadblock; Bruce Willis · General Joe Colton; D. J. Cotrona · Dashiell R. Faireborn / Flint; Channing Tatum · Conrad S. Hauser / Duke; Lee Byung-hun · Thomas Arashikage / Storm Shadow; Ray Park · Snake Eyes; Elodie Yung · Kim Arashikage / Jinx; Ray Stevenson · Firefly
- Genres
- military; science fiction
- Themes
- betrayal; conspiracy; patriotism
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; high-stakes
- Setting
- Global locations including the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Pakistan, the United States, the Himalayas, Tokyo, and Fort Sumter.
- Premise and plot tags
- military; sci-fi; action; super-soldier
- Source material / true-story basis
- Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy line
- Franchise connections
- G.I. Joe
- Reception
- The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, though it was considered an improvement over its predecessor.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 29% · scale: percentage · review count: 180; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Action · 2013 · nomination; Kids' Choice Awards · Favorite Male Buttkicker · 2014 · nomination; Golden Trailer Awards · Best Action · 2013 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally slated for release in June 2012 but was delayed to convert to 3D.; The film's production included a fatal accident where a crew member died in a New Orleans warehouse.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…