Title: Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (also known simply as Snake Eyes)
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Screenplay by: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse
Story by: Evan Spiliotopoulos
Based on: Snake Eyes by Larry Hama Hasbro
Produced by: Brian Goldner, Erik Howsam, Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Starring: Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Úrsula Corberó, Samara Weaving, Iko Uwais
Cinematography: Bojan Bazelli
Edited by: Stuart Levy
Music by: Martin Todsharow
Release date: July 23, 2021 (United States)
Running time: 121 minutes
Country: United States
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins stars Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, a tenacious loner who is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach Snake Eyes the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing something he’s been longing for: a home. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him. Based on the iconic G.I. Joe character, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins also stars Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Tahehiro Hira as Kenta and Iko Uwais as Hard Master.
* * *
[WASHINGTON STATE, 20 YEARS AGO]
I’m guessing it’s the relay or the spark plugs. I got tools back at the cabin. Shouldn’t be a big job.
Can I help?
[branches crack]
[bird wings fluttering]
Dad?
Yeah. Yeah, sure you can help.
Is there a safe? At the cabin.
Why? You got valuables you trying to hide?
[chuckles] No.
Worried I’m gonna steal your baseball cards?
No. I heard you on the phone the other night. You said you were at a safe house.
It’s just another word for cabin.
So there’s no safe?
There’s a fireplace, though. Maybe we can roast some marshmallows.
Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. We need to leave. Right now. Come on.
Dad?
[dog barking]
Dad, what’s happening?
Do not move, no matter what happens.
[panting]
[gun clicks]
You were almost hard to find. Let’s have it. […] All of it.
[objects drop]
Let’s go in.
[panting]
Here is how I make decisions. Win, you live. Lose, you die.
Now that’s too bad. Snake eyes. What can I say? House always wins.
No!
Run!
Kid’s gone.
[cocks gun]
[gunshot]
[panting]
[shouting]
[shouts]
[crowd cheering]
[grunts]
[shouting]
[both grunting]
[cheering]
[shouting]
[grunts]
[shouts]
Oh!
[growling]
[crowd cheering]
[bell clanging]
[announcer] And the winner… Snake Eyes!
[cheering continues]
They call you “Snake Eyes” and yet you always win. Of course, your technique is a bit crude, but that has its advantages. I’ve been watching you for a while now.
That ain’t creepy at all.
When you grow up on the streets, it’s them or you, right? My name is Kenta Takamura, and I could use a man like you.
Ain’t nothing personal, but I don’t work for guys like you. Or anyone, for that matter.
I know. You are a drifter. You fight until no one will bet against you anymore and then move on.
Works for me.
They said you watched your old man get killed when you were just a boy. True? I like to know who I’m hiring.
I told you, I ain’t interested. You got the wrong guy.
You haven’t heard my offer yet.
I don’t care.
“Homicide victim recovered from cabin fire is still unidentified.” My men found it going through your motel room. Sounds like the police could never ID the body. Nor did they ever find the killer. That, Mr. Snake Eyes, is my offer. I’m pretty good at finding people. Especially people who kill other people.
Come work for me, and I promise you, I’ll find the man who did this. […] I’ll find a spot for you in my crew. You can start at the docks.
[PORT OF LOS ANGELES, FOUR WEEKS LATER]
[Snake Eyes] Hey.
[chuckles]
Uh-oh. Here comes Fish Boy. Cover up! Cover up! Cover up!
Let me know when you get a new joke.
Oi! [shouts in Japanese]
Hey. Easy, easy. They’re just kids.
[kids shouting]
Throw it over. Yeah.
I’m guessing you were always picked last on the playground, huh?
Hey! No, no, no! Huh? Take it easy. He meant no disrespect. Right?
Yeah. Sure.
I don’t know what your deal is, but you have guts.
Boss.
[man] Hey!
Fish Boy.
[grunts] What’s going on?
Boss wants to talk to you.
Am I in trouble?
Someone is.
Leave the knife. Mmm?
We operate on one currency.
Not money. Not fear. Just one simple thing.
Trust.
See, ’cause without trust, there can be no loyalty.
And without loyalty… there is no yakuza.
[shouts]
[shouting]
[panting]
[speaks Japanese]
Tommy-san.
You look surprised to see me.
Kenta.
I wouldn’t have pictured you in a place like this with friends like these.
My cousin here is one of Japan’s most powerful sons.
And you are one of its most disgraced.
This man betrayed our trust.
He’s an undercover spy, acting out of loyalty to his precious clan.
Let’s show him what loyalty really looks like.
[speaking Japanese]
This is a mistake.
Everything we want in life comes at a price.
Now do it.
[shouts]
That’s disappointing.
Kenta!
[shouting, grunting]
[grunts]
Hey.
Mind?
[engine starts]
Come on. Let’s get out of here!
Let’s go!
[shouts]
[shouting, grunting]
[shouting]
[grunts]
Now can we go?
This way!
[man speaking Japanese]
[man speaking Japanese]
No, no, no.
Kenta!
[grunts]
[speaking Japanese] What an angry boy you are
You always were
[shouting in Japanese]
[shouting]
[groans]
[men shouting]
Tommy, get in the truck!
Anytime you’re ready.
[engine cranking]
Come on!
All right, I’m trying!
[engine starts]
[screams]
[screams]
[sirens wailing]
[shouting]
[policeman] LAPD. Drop your weapons.
Don’t move.
You all right?
Yeah.
Just peachy.
[groans]
[gasps]
[groans]
Good.
You’re alive.
Tommy.
You’re safe.
We are going home.
I don’t have a home.
Not yours.
Mine.
I owe you a blood debt.
You saved my life. Why?
I’m not a murderer.
I looked into your eyes, and I saw honor.
So why run guns for the yakuza?
That was a mistake.
Well, you got that right.
If Kenta ever sees you again, you are a dead man.
He called you cousins.
We grew up together.
We were both next in line to become leader of our clan.
But there can only be one.
So Kenta tried to have me killed.
When his treachery was discovered… I was given the responsibility to decide his fate.
I ordered him banished.
And since then, he has been trying to seize power the only way he knows how.
Through greed and violence.
I didn’t know till today it was Kenta smuggling these guns to Japan.
I was ambushed.
You’re his enemy now too.
Which means your “Fish Boy” life in LA… is over.
There’s no going back.
Hey, where are we heading?
Really?
What is it exactly you do?
A little of this, little of that.
That your wife?
No.
Your girlfriend.
Uh-uh.
Sister?
Akiko is our chief of security.
We value her advice, but we don’t have to take it.
The leader of our clan rarely meets outsiders.
Don’t forget to bow.
[door opens]
Snake Eyes,
I present the leader of the clan Arashikage, Sen.
My grandmother.
The man who saved my grandson’s life.
We Arashikage are in your debt, which means Japan is in your debt.
Don’t worry about it.
I’ll settle for a hot bath and a plane ticket out of here.
I have a better idea.
Stay.
I want you to join us.
Join the Arashikage.
Sen-sama. If I may.
Even allowing him this much access is reckless.
I vouch for him.
With respect, Tommy-san, you do not lead this clan.
Not yet.
Someday I will.
And I will need a warrior like this by my side.
Someone I can trust with my life.
For 600 years, our ninja have brought peace and stability to Japan.
The secret blade and iron wall of every government since the age of Edo.
But things have changed.
New threats call for new strategies.
Even welcoming outsiders… as you, of all of us, should know, Akiko.
Any questions we have about our new friend, the Three Challenges of the Warrior will answer them.
And will he submit to the challenges?
He will.
I’m sorry, the Three Challenges of the what now?
The Three Challenges are designed to reveal an applicant’s character.
The first two will cleanse you of ego, anger and fear and ready you for the third.
That’s the true test.
It will be up to you whether you wish to take it.
What if I fail?
You die.
[chuckles]
You’re being serious.
I wouldn’t put you in that position if I thought it was likely.
I can’t give you a name or a past… but I can offer you a purpose.
And something more important.
A home.
And why would you do that?
Because I saw honor in your eyes, too.
Come.
Get some rest. You have time to decide.
In the meantime, consider my home your home.
So your toys, my toys, huh?
[chuckles]
How American.
[man shouts]
[man shouts]
[Tommy] You’ll need to get farther faster.
We don’t have much time.
The Arashikage are more than just brute force.
We are spies, scouts, guardians, infiltrators.
You will be tested, you will be hurt, you will suffer, and you will fail.
But the hardest part will be listening to you complain about it.
[groans]
[Akiko] I still think this is a mistake.
Zero hits on his fingerprints.
Nothing on any of our facial recognition platforms.
This stray dog of yours is a ghost.
I’m not scared of ghosts.
I’m serious, Tommy.
He was working for the yakuza, for God’s sake.
He’s not one of them.
That doesn’t make him one of us.
“Us”?
My name… My name is Tomisaburo Arashikage.
You think I would endanger this clan?
I am this clan.
Tommy-san, I wasn’t questioning your loyalty.
Just my judgment.
He saved my life, Akiko.
I owe him this chance.
I understand it.
I’m just worried you’re moving too fast.
“Too quick to anger, too quick to react.”
Now you sound like Grandmother.
If I’m wrong about him, we’ll find out tomorrow.
80% of candidates fail the first challenge.
Just saying.
Well, that means 20% pass, Akiko.
Just saying.
[Sen] For 600 years, our fighters have been trained by the greatest warriors the world has ever known.
Hard Master.
And most honorable Blind Master.
From them, you will learn how to fight, how to kill when necessary, but most importantly, how to live according to the Arashikage Mindset.
Abandon ego.
Strike with honor.
Selflessness and truthfulness will lead to harmony.
Any questions?
What happens…
Silence!
You are nothing.
This challenge is a waste of time.
You will fail.
Okay, Hard-on Master, or whatever your name is.
Let’s go.
Challenge one.
Take this bowl from me. I’ll take that bowl from you.
Okay, I’ll bite.
What’s the punch line?
You must take my bowl without spilling any water.
Fail four times and your training is over before it begins.
[grunts]
That’s one.
[chuckles]
Two.
[grunts]
That’s three.
[speaking Japanese] This is embarrassing
[speaking Japanese] He has a lot to learn
[panting]
[Tommy] Abandon ego.
Selflessness and truthfulness… will lead to harmony.
Hard Master.
I humbly request that you accept my bowl in exchange for yours.
No congratulations?
One down, two to go.
Congratulations.
If I ever need a bowl of water, I know who to ask.
You hide it well, but I can tell you’re a little impressed with me.
What I think of you is irrelevant.
You’ll survive the third test or you won’t.
Then it won’t matter at all.
To Tommy, our future toryo.
May you be strong, wise and honorable.
[Hard Master] To Snake Eyes.
May you die well.
[all laughing]
Kanpai.
[all] Kanpai!
That word he used, “toryo.”
It means “head of family.”
I am the last of the Arashikage bloodline.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been groomed to lead.
This is my destiny.
But if I’m to lead the clan into the next hundred years, I have to adapt.
We have to adapt.
I need warriors like you, who have lived in and know the new world but can master the Arashikage Mindset, to become the future of the clan and fight side by side as brothers.
Anyway, eat.
Why is Hard Master staring at me like that?
He isn’t.
He is very nearsighted.
The Blind Master, on the other hand…
he is watching you.
They say he knows a liar when he hears one.
[man speaking Japanese]
Tommy said I could borrow one of his bikes.
His motorbikes?
Bike… [Japanese]
Yes.
[speaking Japanese]
That one.
[people chattering]
Keep an eye on the bike.
[patrons chattering]
I didn’t know if you would show up.
Why?
Just because you left me to bleed out on a dock in LA?
All you had to do was get Tommy on that boat.
Think you could’ve mentioned that he’d wade through 50 yakuza
just for the chance to kick your ass?
Hey, it worked.
You earned his trust.
You got in.
By the way, how did he like,
“I looked into your eyes and saw honor”?
He ate it up.
I knew he would.
He told me about your history.
How you tried to kill him and he cast you out of the clan.
Our family drama is not your concern.
Yeah, you’re right about that, ’cause I’m out.
We had an agreement.
And I seem to be the only guy
who’s keeping up his end of it.
And here I had a gift for you.
You found him.
Where?
Easy now.
I kept my word. Now you have to keep yours.
They want me to take three tests.
I fail the third, I die.
So whatever you need me to do, it better be quick.
It’s up to you.
There is a priceless artifact hidden in the castle grounds.
The Jewel of the Sun.
It’s a symbol of Arashikage’s power.
Find the jewel and bring it to me…
and I’ll give you your father’s killer.
[engine stops]
[kickstand flips]
[speaking Japanese]
[woman speaking Japanese through earpods]
[speaking Japanese]
“You’re welcome.”
This place is built like a fortress. What are you protecting?
When I was young,
I was told stories of the Sun Goddess.
Once, long ago, she wanted to test the character of her people,
so she sent down a gift in the form of a jewel.
A jewel that contained the power of the sun.
We swore an oath to protect it, but more important,
to never use it ourselves.
As I grew, I realized why.
We have the power to destroy anyone who wrongs us,
but that is a dangerous temptation.
True power calls for discipline.
This is Morning Light.
My gift to you for passing the first challenge.
It’s easy to shoot with a gun,
but the sword is a weapon of honor.
[speaking Japanese]
You know what I mean.
[speaking Japanese]
It suits you.
Hey, there was nothing in that brochure about a nuclear jewel.
Only a few have access.
My grandmother, the masters…
and me.
Seems like a lot of protocol for a fairy tale.
Not protocol. There’s a DNA lock.
Like I said, blood matters to my family.
[thunder rumbling]
[grunting]
What are you doing here?
[chuckles] You.
I was going for a walk.
Mm. With a sword?
I thought it was time to get serious about my training.
That’s Morning Light, a weapon of honor.
What makes you think you deserve it?
What makes you think you can use it?
How hard could it be?
Let’s find out.
How’d you get that scar?
How did you get your name?
I’ll tell you when you get to know me better.
If you live that long.
How about a wager?
I’m all ears.
Land one blow on me and I won’t cut them both off.
And if I lose?
You tell me why you’re here.
I thought I did. We’re training.
Here with the Arashikage.
You’re on.
Hit me.
[grunts]
[sighs] With your sword.
Come at me like you mean it.
It’s not your skill that’s lacking, it’s your heart.
If your heart is pure, our secrets will reveal themselves to you.
If not…
they’ll be your end.
[cell phone rings]
You gonna get that?
[ringing]
A win without honor is no win at all.
Are you sure it’s Kenta?
He found a new way to bring his guns to Japan.
He’s taking delivery of a shipment tonight.
If I move fast, I can get the jump on him.
You have a location?
Shinjuku.
I’ll send a team.
No.
I’ll handle this myself.
You have that look you get sometimes.
The shadow before a storm.
That storm will pass when I kill Kenta.
Tommy.
I’ll come with you.
[thunder rumbling]
[thunderclap]
[Akiko] I’ll block the alley from the street.
Tommy, you handle the rest of them.
And you, secure the weapons.
What about Kenta?
He’s mine.
They’re here.
[speaking Japanese]
[speaking Japanese] Who are you?
Boys.
[both shout in Japanese]
[shouting, clamoring]
[shouting]
[grunts]
[choking]
[shouting]
[shouting]
[shouting]
[groans]
[groans]
[panting]
[shouting]
[swords clanging]
[shouting]
Cobra.
This is a lot of firepower.
What does Kenta want with it all?
To start a war. With us.
Which means we’re gonna need support. Let’s call Scarlett.
[PA announcer, indistinct]
[cell phone vibrating]
Major O’Hara.
Give me a second.
I need to take care of some surprise guests.
[grunts]
Go ahead.
Kenta is back in Tokyo
and aligning with Cobra.
This is recent?
From tonight.
Hang on a sec, okay?
[both grunting]
Should we be worried?
About Scarlett?
No. Major O’Hara is with the Joes.
The what?
An elite global counterterrorism unit.
They’re the good guys.
[groans]
[groans]
Cobra.
So what’s the deal with Cobra?
The deal is,
they’re a secret network of terrorist cells, crime syndicates,
arms manufacturers and paramilitary groups
linked under a single centralized command.
A shadow organization devoted to bringing about global revolution
through violence, extortion and fear.
[Kenta] Major?
Major O’Hara? Major?
[Scarlett] I just sent you a mission brief.
I’ve been keeping tabs on an old friend of mine who just landed in Japan.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
Her name’s Ana DeCobray, aka “Baroness.”
Since we lost touch, she’s been busy.
She killed a member of parliament?
Along with 200 other passengers on the same train,
just to influence an election.
She’s been linked to bombings, assassinations and civil unrest
everywhere from Nanzhao to Borovia.
In short, she’s top-echelon Cobra.
If Kenta’s linked up with the Baroness, the threat to you is significant.
I’ll be in Tokyo as soon as I can.
[tires screech]
[music plays nearby]
I didn’t sign up to work for terrorists.
[Baroness] A little late to grow a conscience, don’t you think?
We each have our own agenda.
There is no reason this triangle of ours can’t be purely transactional.
We all have something the other wants.
Baroness.
I know who you are and what you’ve done.
That rock you want me to steal, it’s for Cobra, isn’t it?
No.
I didn’t sign up for this.
As I said, ours is a series of exchanges.
Kenta wants to destroy the clan.
The clan has something I want.
And we have something you want.
Now of course, if you’ve had a change of heart,
you are free to go.
But then, so is he.
He goes by Augustine.
The man who took your father’s life…
and yours.
Tell me where he is.
Under lock and key.
But I promise you, back out now
and you will never see him again.
All that rage…
for all these years.
Are you sure you’re ready to give up the hunt
when you’re so close to finding peace?
Think about it.
You have three days.
Then I let him go.
Trust me. He’ll do it.
He’d better.
Or I kill you both.
[door slams]
[Blind Master] Every warrior has a weakness your enemy can exploit.
The second challenge will expose it.
To avoid harm, you must first learn how you harm yourself.
Most can’t manage and fail.
Where is everybody else?
This test is private and unique to you.
You face it alone.
The light will reveal all.
Follow it.
[groans]
I’m sorry, Dad.
I couldn’t stop him.
It’s not your fault.
You were just a kid.
I couldn’t save you.
You saved yourself.
That’s the only thing that mattered to me.
[breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
Did I pass?
This is more than a test you pass or fail.
It is a mirror to reveal your weakness.
Even if it causes you more pain, you must unburden yourself.
It is the only way to overcome the third challenge.
And I assure you,
this is not a challenge you want to fail.
[motion detector hums]
[speaking Japanese] Motion detectors picked up activity in our weapons research facility
[speaking Japanese] Did you make an ID?
[speaking Japanese] He was masked
[speaking Japanese] How did they get past the walls?
[speaking Japanese] Maybe they didn’t
[gasps]
I miss something?
I followed you into the city.
But you know that.
Where did you go?
You’ve been looking for a reason not to trust me from the start.
You’re an unknown. That’s dangerous.
I think you can handle yourself.
Dangerous to this clan.
You don’t know what this place means to me.
I owe the Arashikage everything.
I never knew family before I arrived here.
Can you understand that?
You want to know why I’ve been a ghost for so long?
My father was murdered when I was a kid.
When I tried to find out why, it was as if he didn’t exist.
False identities, false papers.
Everything about him was a lie.
Even my own name.
That’s why I couldn’t find you.
If I pass the third challenge…
I’m Arashikage, right?
If you pass.
I have to pass.
I’ve done unforgivable things I wish I could tell you, but I can’t.
But if I could become part of this family,
be its protector…
I think that would make it right.
Then empty your heart.
Whatever you’re hiding in there,
the challenge will see right through it.
[door closes]
[Blind Master] I see that you have a clouded mind.
You live on both sides of the mirror.
Only you know whether you are ready to take this test.
Be certain that you wish to proceed.
Once the third challenge begins,
there is no turning back.
I’m sure.
Those who pass are accepted into the Arashikage.
If you survive, you will gain access
to our knowledge and our power.
But you must swear loyalty to our clan.
Do you accept this condition?
I do.
What do I do when I get down there?
[Blind Master] There is a particular tile.
Step on it and wait for judgment.
[chuckles]
Something funny?
You will see,
Snake.
[gears cranking, rumbling]
[rumbling]
[roaring]
Giant anacondas as old as time.
They never harm those who are pure of heart.
What about everybody else?
[hissing]
[hissing]
[hissing]
Empty your heart.
[chuckles]
[grunts]
Go!
Go!
[roaring]
She knows our rules. She will be punished.
Grandmother…
You brought him among us.
The fault is not hers alone.
No, Sen-san.
The fault is mine.
Explain yourself.
The penalty of lying is death.
We are all listening.
My heart is not pure.
I seek vengeance.
My father was murdered.
I have dedicated my life
to finding the man who did it…
and killing him.
[inhales, exhales] This is all I’ve ever wanted.
He speaks the truth.
Your honesty wins you your life,
but not among the Arashikage.
Snake!
You should have told me.
We could have been brothers.
I know I failed you.
You are the only brother I’ve ever known.
And I would pay you back with my life if I had to.
Keep it.
[chattering]
[alarm blaring]
[PA: woman speaking Japanese]
[PA: woman continues speaking Japanese]
[man shouts]
[beeping]
[speaks Japanese] It’s safe
[man shouts in Japanese]
[beeping]
I was hoping you wouldn’t do that.
Akiko.
Still want to know how I got my scar?
From the last man I trusted.
Trust is a hard thing to come by these days.
Time for you to learn a lesson.
[grunts]
[groaning]
[alarm continues blaring]
You have placed the clan at risk.
You must atone.
We will return the Jewel…
and bring you the head of Snake Eyes.
[engine stops]
[Baroness] So?
Do you have it?
You’re gonna start a war with the Arashikage, aren’t you?
What do you care?
Remember our deal, and you will get what I promised.
[train rumbling]
This isn’t my fight.
Come here.
Mmm.
Please,
enjoy your reward.
[Kenta] You will get the Jewel once I’ve destroyed the clan.
[breathing heavily]
Who are you?
You killed my dad.
You’re going to have to be a little more specific.
I killed a lot of people.
[panting]
Roll.
Win, you live.
Lose, you die.
Roll!
Roll!
Snake eyes.
You better think!
[trembling]
Okay, okay. All right.
Now I remember you. You attacked me, tried to save your dad.
Why did you kill him?
Cobra gives an order, you don’t question it.
[exhales]
You’re Cobra.
I was.
Until three weeks ago,
when that bitch dragged me off a chopper at gunpoint.
You must be a big man for the Baroness to hand me over.
Let’s go. Let’s do this.
[grunts]
[panting]
I have to stop Kenta.
[Akiko] There he is.
Follow him.
[Tommy] What’s he doing?
[Akiko] Looks like he’s heading back to the castle.
[horn honking]
Let’s go.
[speaking Japanese] I need backup!
Did you see that? Snake’s fighting on our side.
Tommy, listen to me.
Kenta’s got the Jewel and is headed for the castle.
Can you hear me?
Tommy! Akiko!
Shit!
[guards shouting]
We have to keep you safe.
Nothing matters but the safety of the clan.
You are the clan!
I am nothing by myself.
[shouting]
[shouting]
[shouting]
I guess the party started early.
He needs help.
He deserves to die.
[tires squealing]
[screams]
[shouts]
[chuckles]
[shouts]
We have to stop Kenta. He has the Jewel.
[gunfire]
This isn’t over.
Leave! Now!
I am the Arashikage.
This is a terrible idea.
[panting]
[speaking Japanese] You have fought bravely
I give you my word, your end will be swift and painless
Very noble. But the promise is not yours to make.
The Jewel.
The clan is destroyed.
We kept our side of the bargain.
I trust you’ll keep yours.
With this jewel, Cobra will be invincible.
[Kenta] Maybe I’ll just keep it.
No good deed, huh?
Shut up.
Cobra will annihilate you.
You protect my grandmother. I’ll go after the Jewel.
When you cast me out,
I warned you this day would come.
Kneel.
Very well, then.
Die.
We’re under attack! It’s Tommy.
Snake.
[Scarlett clears throat]
You’re in a tight spot, huh?
I’ve been in worse.
Still, I’d like to propose a very temporary alliance.
All right. But when it’s over, I walk.
Not a chance, but I’ll give you a head start.
[shouting, grunting]
You’re losing your touch. I saw you a mile away.
Sure you did.
[Hard Master] Good of you to join us, Tommy-san.
And just in time.
I count 20 men.
[sighs] Heavy odds.
Yeah. For them.
[shouting]
Snake Eyes,
betray our trust again, I’ll kill you myself.
What is she doing here?
Let’s just say our goals are temporarily aligned.
[Baroness] Just for tonight.
[groans]
[shouts]
They’re mine.
[chuckles]
[grunts]
Yo, Joe.
[all shouting]
Hmm.
Mm-hmm.
[panting]
[coughs]
Fuck this.
You should have killed me when you had the chance.
[Sen] Tommy!
[shouts]
Tommy-san, no! Tommy-san!
Kenta’s gone.
Where’s Snake?
[Kenta] Just stay down.
[groans]
[panting]
Abandon ego.
[grunts]
Practice selflessness.
Strike with honor.
[grunts]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[chuckling]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[shouts]
This is where you die.
[hissing]
[groaning]
[groaning]
[hissing]
The Jewel of the Sun is secure.
And it always will be.
At least for another generation.
I will be the last of our family to lead the Arashikage.
But Sen-sama…
I had no choice.
I only used the Jewel to defend our people.
There is always a choice.
Our clan swore an oath to never use the Jewel,
only to protect it.
You can never…
lead the clan.
With respect…
Remember your vows, Tommy,
to forever serve the clan in any capacity.
“Serve”?
[shouts] Serve?
I have given my life to this clan!
I have sacrificed everything!
Tommy.
It is my blood right!
You offered me your life.
Next time we meet…
I will take it.
Tomisaburo, wait.
You will always be a part of this family.
I serve no one.
I’m going after Tommy.
I had a feeling you might.
Are you sure that’s wise?
In his state, who knows what he might do?
That’s why I have to find him.
This is all my fault.
I have to do everything I can to make it right.
Well, this might be useful.
Be careful.
[clears throat]
Excuse me.
My commander, General Joe Colton,
wanted to share this with you.
I don’t understand.
Your father was one of us. A Joe.
He was a Joe?
You’ll find no record of you in there.
He kept you off the grid to protect you.
So why was he killed?
Your father infiltrated a Cobra cell.
But they found out.
By the time we got there, he was dead and you were gone.
But you should know the intel he provided saved thousands of lives.
At the cost of his own.
It was a price he was willing to pay
to make the world a safer place for the rest of us.
Safer for his son.
He left some big shoes to fill, your dad.
It hasn’t been easy finding the right person to fill them.
[chuckles] So you’re saying I could be a Joe?
Anything’s possible.
We all make mistakes.
It’s what we do next that really matters.
When you’re ready, Akiko knows where to find us.
There’s something I need to do first.
Let’s find Tommy and bring him home.
Something to drink before takeoff?
I’m not here to kill you.
I came to make you an offer.
[scoffs] You’ve lost an army, Tommy.
But I can get you a better one.
Storm Shadow.
Call me Storm Shadow.
* * *
Synopsys
A young boy is orphaned when his father is murdered. Years later, the boy has grown into a talented and deadly martial arts fighter, driven by a desire to avenge his father. To conceal his true identity, he calls himself “Snake Eyes”, a name inspired by watching his father’s murderer force him to roll a pair of weighted dice to determine his fate, killing him when he rolled double ones.
Discovered in an underground Los Angeles fighting circuit, a wealthy Yakuza boss, Kenta, offers to find his father’s killer if Snake Eyes will work for him. When Snake Eyes is asked to prove his loyalty by shooting a man who betrayed Kenta’s trust, Snake Eyes refuses and instead helps the traitor escape. The traitor is Kenta’s cousin, Tommy. Tommy and Kenta were both in line to lead the Arashikage clan, an ancient ninja society devoted to preserving order and fighting evil. Kenta sought to kill his cousin, but failed and was banished.
Grateful to Snake Eyes, Tommy takes him to his ninja dojo in Japan and asks that he be initiated as a member. The current clan leader, Sen, Tommy’s grandmother, agrees to let Snake Eyes undergo three trials to determine if he is worthy. The clan’s head of security, Akiko, doesn’t trust Snake Eyes at first, but he wins her trust by revealing his father’s murder and explains that is why there is no recorded history of him. Unbeknownst to anyone, Snake Eyes plans to betray his new allies. Tommy’s attempted murder and escape is shown to have been staged by Kenta in order to get Snake Eyes close enough to steal the clan’s most sacred treasure, the “Jewel of the Sun”, which has magical powers.
Snake Eyes finds himself increasingly torn between his guilt over betraying Tommy and his clan, and his overwhelming desire for revenge. He passes the first two trials with his exceptional talents, but the third and final trial requires his spirit to be tested by sacred anacondas, who can sense if he is truly pure of heart. Due to Snake Eyes’ secrets, the snakes attack him, but Akiko saves him from being killed. Confronted by the clan, Snake Eyes admits that he has not been entirely honest, but manages to hide the true reason he is there. As a consequence, he is expelled.
Snake Eyes returns in secret and steals the jewel using his knowledge of the clan’s temple, delivering it to Kenta. Kenta explains that he is stealing the jewel on behalf of terrorist revolutionary organization Cobra. Cobra, through their liaison, the Baroness, has been arming Kenta with weapons so that he can seize control of the Arashikage clan. Snake Eyes receives his reward for stealing the jewel: his father’s killer, who turns out to be a Cobra agent. Having realized what his bloodlust has cost him, Snake Eyes spares the man and instead goes back to the Arashikage clan to warn them of Kenta’s attack.
Tommy puts aside his anger and lets Snake Eyes assist him and the clan’s warriors, including Scarlett, a member of the international peacekeeping organization G.I. Joe, in fighting off Kenta’s men. After Kenta admits that he has no intention of handing over the jewel, the Baroness forms a temporary alliance with the Arashikage clan and Scarlett. With his men defeated, Kenta loses the jewel to Tommy, who in his fury tries to use its power to kill his cousin. Kenta manages to escape, but Snake Eyes traps him in the anaconda pit, where the snakes devour Kenta upon sensing his evil spirit. They judge Snake Eyes to now be pure of heart for forgoing his revenge and thus worthy of joining the ninja clan.
After the battle, Sen tells Tommy that he is no longer fit to lead the clan as he broke his vow never to use the jewel. Enraged at losing his birthright, Tommy forsakes the clan, his family and even vows to kill Snake Eyes should they ever meet again. Snake Eyes meets with Scarlett who, after explaining that his father was a G.I. Joe agent, offers him a chance to become a Joe.
In a mid-credits scene, on a private jet leaving Japan, the Baroness recruits Tommy into Cobra, as he rechristens himself “Storm Shadow”.