Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson’s Epic Sci-Fi Action Franchise Hits Streaming Next Month

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Published Mar 30, 2026, 7:55 AM EDT

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

For reasons unknown, he enjoys analyzing box office receipts, giant sharks, and has become known as the go-to man for all things Bosch, Mission: Impossible and Christopher Nolan in Collider's news division. Recently, he found himself yeehawing along to the Dutton saga on the Yellowstone Ranch.

He is proficient in sarcasm, wit, Photoshop and working unfeasibly long hours. Amongst his passions sit the likes of the history of the Walt Disney Company, the construction of theme parks, steam trains and binge-watching Gilmore Girls with a coffee that is just hot enough to scald him.

His obsession with the Apple TV+ series Silo is the subject of mockery within the Senior News channel, where his feelings about Taylor Sheridan's work are enough to make his fellow writers roll their eyes.

There was a stretch when Hollywood was trying to turn every toy brand, comic property, and action line into the next giant cinematic universe. Some of those bets paid off. A lot of them did not. The G.I. Joe movies landed right in the middle of that era, and while they never became the all-conquering franchise Paramount probably hoped for, they did carve out a place for themselves with audiences who liked their blockbusters loud, shiny, and a little ridiculous.

Released in 2013, Retaliation leans harder into star power and larger-scale action than its predecessor, with Dwayne Johnson stepping into a major role alongside Channing Tatum. The story follows the Joes after they are framed and nearly wiped out, forcing the survivors to regroup and hit back against Cobra’s growing influence. It is a cleaner, punchier movie than The Rise of Cobra, and one that more confidently embraces the franchise’s cartoonishly high-stakes energy.

The cast includes Johnson as Roadblock, Tatum as Duke, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Bruce Willis as Joe Colton, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow, D.J. Cotrona as Flint, Jonathan Pryce as President Zartan, and Arnold Vosloo as Zartan.

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Is 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that G.I. Joe: Retaliation isn’t interested in being smart, deep, or even especially character-driven, but it does understand the assignment. This is a movie built around giant weapons, ridiculous vehicles, ninja fights, and stuff blowing up on a massive scale, and for the most part, it delivers exactly that.

The best characters, Snake Eyes and Roadblock, are the standouts partially because they're in tune with the film's true lead: action. That's all G.I. Joe: Retaliation is meant to be. Director Jon Chu understands that's why people show up, so his task is to make sure the set pieces deliver, and for the most part he succeeds. Like all the best toy commercials, G.I. Joe: Retaliation makes you forget you're buying a piece of plastic. It lets you imagine that you're part of the action, and free to feel like a kid again—a reckless, violent, gleefully destructive kid.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation will arrive on Paramount+ on April 1.