So?

So... If you've been reading my blog with any regularty, then you've probably got some curiousity about my reception of GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Do I think it jumped the shark?

Gloriously so. And then it was stabbed repeatedly by Snake Eyes before being burned by red and blue laser beams of insanity.

Let me digress for a moment... At the Wisconsin State Fair, reportedly, they are introducing the wonderful new snack of Chocolate-covered bacon -- on a stick. Clearly, this treat is not for everyone. It is way too much of several good things: chocolate, bacon, and the convenience of a stick. Over-the-top, certainly. Some will stay away because they have the good sense to know the snack is bad for them. Others will tempt fate, taste it, and decide chocolate-covered bacon on a stick is not for them. Some will say, "I like chocolate" or "I like bacon" but decide chocolate-covered bacon is not for them. Many will enjoy the snack for what it is and then quickly move on.

Of course, you've guessed by now that the GI Joe movie is very much like chocolate-covered bacon. According to the box office numbers in already, people are tasting chocolate-covered bacon on a stick this weekend. From what I've heard, the buzz is good: people are enjoying it. There are naysayers. I'm not one of them. I know chocolate-covered bacon isn't good for me, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. And... I'm waiting for the next State Fair to have it again. Yes, I'm already mentally in-line for GI Joe: The Cobra Strikes Back!

The movie is way, way over the top. But just when you think it can't possibly be any more mock-serious, or use a cheesier line, or be more campy, they up the ante. Just when you think, "They aren't really going to go there" they do, indeed, gleefully go there. If you're 8 or 12, the lunacy can indeed be taken seriously. If you're 38 (and know the characters), you enjoy the sheer madcap fun of the craziness. I added that caveat about knowing the characters because the movie is so light and fluffy, so quickly paced through such a silly plot, that it spends no real time introducing the characters for the benefit of non-geeks in the audience. You have to be ready to buy into the Joe Universe from the moment the movie starts.

No spoilers here folks. I waited until Sunday just so I wouldn't influence any opinions. Let me know: Did you enjoy your taste of chocolate-covered bacon on a stick?