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Win A G.I. Joe DVD Prize Pack! – Winner!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:40:20 +0000

And we have our winner!

Alejandro Olivo - Lompoc, CA

Thanks to everyone who entered – we have more cool contests on the way before the year is out!

Lots of contests going on here after we laid low for a while… Next up we have a G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra DVD Prize Pack to give away.

G.I. Joe comes out today (November 3rd) on DVD and Blu-ray and thanks to the folks at Paramount Home Entertainment we have not only the two-disc DVD, but also some cool goodies to go along with it.

Here’s the official G.I. Joe DVD/Blu-ray announcement:

The ultimate elite fighting force hit the big screen to defend the world and ended up conquering it in the worldwide smash hit G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra, which earned over $280 million at the global box office. The action-packed, visually arresting adventure based on Hasbro’s immensely popular action figures including DUKE, SNAKE EYES, STORM SHADOW and the BARONESS makes its eagerly-awaited Blu-ray and DVD debut in two-disc sets and a single-disc DVD on November 3, 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy), G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra stars a hot young cast including Channing Tatum (Public Enemies), Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), Rachel Nichols (“Alias”) and Ray Park (X-Men), as well as veteran actors Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point) and Christopher Eccleston (Gone in Sixty Seconds).

And here’s what one lucky person will win:

Two-disc Special Edition DVD
Night Raven Jet with Air Viper (Toy)
M.A.R.S. Troopers (Action Figures)
G.I. Joe Poster

Here’s an example of some of the behind the scenes footage you’ll find on the 2-disc set:

While you’re waiting to hear whether you’ve won, click on the following link to entertain yourself with the “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Basic Training” iPhone game.

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G.I. Joe Hits DVD & Blu-Ray This November

Rob Frappier — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:12:58 +0000

After earning nearly $300 million in worldwide box office grosses during its theatrical run, G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra is set to make another boatload of money this November 3rd, when the film comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. Available in multiple formats, G.I. Joe fans can take the film home for $19.99 as a one-disc DVD, for $24.99 as a two-disc DVD, or for $29.99 as a two-disc Blu-ray.

If you opt for the two-disc DVD or Blu-ray, you’ll get access to a digital copy of the film, as well as two featurettes, “The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE” and “Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE.” Oh yeah, there’s one more special feature I would be remiss to mention. It’s a little hard to explain, so I’ll let the press release do the talking.

“The two-disc DVD and Blu-ray packages will also feature augmented reality technology that will allow owners to participate in an exclusive 3D holographic G.I. JOE combat experience, utilizing their webcams and a special website. Fans will be able to choose between SNAKE EYES and STORM SHADOW, two of the most popular G.I. JOE and COBRA characters, and battle against their enemies one-on-one in an immersive 3D video game.”

Hmm… Sounds…interesting? Anyway, if you enjoyed G.I. Joe in the theaters and you have a Blu-ray player, I would recommend springing 30 bucks to pick up the movie. At the very least, you’ll have another mindless action movie for your rainy day collection.

If, however, you thought G.I. Joe was a disaster, guess you should let Paramount know by keeping your wallet closed.

Will you be picking up G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra on DVD or Blu-ray?

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GI Joe 2 Will Begin Filming By End Of The Year

Rob Frappier — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:51:17 +0000

After raking in worldwide grosses of nearly $300 million, it’s no surprise that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was getting a sequel. Now, thanks to a Korean news site, we know that G.I. Joe 2 will begin filming by the end of the year.

The article (which comes our way thanks to iesb) focuses on Korean actor Lee Byeong-Heon, who played the inimitable Storm Shadow. The report declares that Byeong-Heon will “be starting the filming by the end of this year and has been contracted for the 3rd sequel, also!”

Assuming this is true, (and why wouldn’t we believe an obscure Korean news article, right?) Paramount is wasting no-time at all on moving forward with the G.I. Joe franchise. Hopefully, since there’s no writer’s strike to muck up the script, the plot will of the next film will be slightly better than the first.

In related G.I. Joe news, Dennis Quaid has told io9 that he’s definitely on board for G.I. Joe 2. Specifically, he said “Yeah if they do one, I’m there.” It’s interesting to note that Quaid’s remarks about G.I. Joe say “if” and not “when.” I’m purely speculating here, but if we’re hearing that G.I. Joe 2 will start filming at the end of the year, wouldn’t casting be finalized?

On the other hand, Quaid’s remarks came at the end of a very long interview that focused mainly on Pandorum, not G.I. Joe, so there was no really no reason for him to elaborate further. Plus, whenever we’re dealing with foreign news stories, there’s always the chance for mistranslation.

What do you think? Are you ready to see G.I. Joe 2?

Source: IESB and io9

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GROAN… Summer 2009 Sets Box Office Record

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:55:02 +0000

So we just finished telling you why the Summer of 2009 was the season of bad movies. Now, as if to validate our point (sarcasm alert) Variety has just announced that the Summer of ‘09 has set a new record as the highest grossing summer of all time at the U.S. domestic box office.

So there you have it, folks, it’s official: Hollywood has no reason to ever hire good writers, produce good scripts, or offer us anything better at the multiplex than what Michael Bay can half-envision.

Awesome.

The numbers of course tell a deeper tale than that, so if you’d like to find out just how the heck this summer managed to break the box office bank, here’s the breakdown:

Top earners for the season were Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($399.4 million), Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince ($294.3 million), and Disney/Pixar’s Up ($289.6 million). We all know why the franchise players made bank (it certainly wasn’t because the newest installments were great films in and of themselves) and Pixar is a proven brand that happened to offer a truly exceptional film. Other crap sequels that helped fill the piggy bank: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($193.3 million), Angels and Demons ($133.4 million) and Night at the Museum 2 ($176.5 million)

There were also some unexpected boosts to the box office this year, thanks to Warner Bros.’ breakout hit The Hangover ($270.2 million) and the Sandra Bullock / Ryan Reynolds rom-com, The Proposal ($160.2 million).

Rounding out the Summer ‘09 box office cash pile were reboots/relaunches of popular franchises. On that front you had Star Trek ($256.7 million), Wolverine ($179 million), Terminator Salvation ($125.3 million) and G.I. Joe ($133.4 million and counting).

This really must be just a cruel joke being played by God, IMHO. You have he Writers Guild of America strike back in 2007, during which the scripts for a lot of these films were forced to go into production half-cooked (or less), and what’s the moral of the story? What’s the grand example that the talented writers in Hollywood can hold up to the studios? “Hey, you better treat us right, otherwise we’ll stop working and you’ll end up making more money than you ever have before!”

Pretty short soapbox to be standing on.

It’s also arguable evidence of the (snooty) stereotype that the average American moviegoer has the cerebral capacity of a third grader. Just looking at the numbers I have to wonder just how so many people could be so entertained by so much crap. It once again raises a question one of our readers put to us back in June, after the release of Transformers 2: Is there really a difference between movies like The Dark Knight and TF2 when both films start pulling in crazy bank? How much does quality count?

It was an intriguing topic before, but after hearing that the Summer of 2009 will go down as a the “best” summer at the movies ever (from a profit standpoint), it’s now a raging debate. Expect Screen Rant’s post about it soon.

Source: Variety

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Summer 2009: The Season Of Bad Movies [Updated]

Heath McKnight — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:38:14 +0000

Well, the summer movie season is officially over, and while box office earnings are way up, it seems like the quality of the films have actually gone way down. But for every few badly-written movies (like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers 2, and G.I. Joe–though some will say it’s not that bad), there was a diamond in the rough like District 9. So why were so many movies so bad in the summer of ‘09, even if they did make a lot of money? Hint: The Writers Strike!

Before the summer began, I wrote an article about how the 2007 Writers Strike might affect the summer 2009 movies. I speculated that back in 2007, studios were nervous about how long the writers strike could last, leaving them with a possible lack of films for the fall/winter 2008 and all-important summer 2009 season (early May to late August 2009). To make sure they had big films lined up for Summer ‘09, the studios pushed to have their big-budget scripts quick-finished before the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) contracts were up in November 2007 and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in summer of 2008.

So what happened? Movies like Wolverine, Transformers 2, GI Joe, Angels and Demons, Terminator Salvation, and others got thrashed by critics (and our own, brave reviewers here at Screen Rant), for their lackluster scripts that showed every sign of being half-cooked. Now, some of you might thing bad scripts and summer blockbusters go hand-in-hand – but let’s be honest, when was the last time there were so many stinkers that came out in one summer? Sure, many of these films made a lot of money, but how much of that profit hinges on moviegoers looking for affordable entertainment and “stay-cations” in this bad economy?

It’s very well known that most of the summer ‘09 films were rushed into production. Angels and Demons was delayed a year due to the Strike, but that didn’t seem to help make the final product that much better; Michael Bay has said in interviews that he worked out the overall story of Transformers 2, all the way down to the action AND comedic bits. However, when the WGA strike ended, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were joined by fellow writer Ehren Krueger to try and get the script for TF2 hammered out in a matter of three or four months to meet the production start deadline. At that rushed pace, the script was bound to suffer.

Several Big-budget franchise installments failed to live up to the hype.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the more disappointing movies this summer:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator: Salvation
Angels and Demons
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
Public Enemies (this one is open to debate–it seems kind of split on how people and critics liked it–Vic liked it)

(Continue to pg. 2 to see which movies of Summer ‘09 were actually good!)

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G.I. Joe Contest: T-Shirts From The 80s Cartoon – Winners!

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:10:45 +0000

Here are the lucky winners of our G.I. Joe T-shirt giveaway:

Omri Alon – Seattle, WA
Miguel Lopez – Miami, FL
Bruno Fragnito – Ontario, Canada

Thanks to everyone who entered and keep an eye out for upcoming contests from Screen Rant!

A lot people out there who are looking forward to G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra are fans of the 1980s cartoon, so Screen Rant is giving away 6 G.I. Joe T-shirts from that era. We have two designs and three winners will get one of each of the T-shirts below. These G.I. Joe T-shirts were kindly supplied by 80sTees.com.

We have one with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, and another with the basic G.I. Joe logo. You can see them both below with details of the graphics as well. Again, winners will receive both t-shirts.

Contest ends some time on Friday, August 14th and is open to residents of the continental United States and Canada.

To enter just leave a comment below – 3 winners will be randomly selected. If you are selected you will have 72 hours to reply or we will choose an alternate winner.

Good luck!

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G.I. Joe vs. Transformers 2: Popcorn Movie Showdown!

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Summer is winding down and two of the blockbuster season’s biggest entries, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra have both debuted in theaters to mixed opinion amongst audiences, total lambasting by critics, bale fulls of money made at the box office for Paramount and even more bale fulls made in merchandising by Hasbro, the company whose toys were the inspiration for both films.

But which film was better (read: not as bad as the other)? Even the critics who tore apart both Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe would be hard-pressed to argue that both films are equally as bad. And among you, the fans (or haters), that debate is even more polarized, if our comment sections have been any indication.

So now, for your consideration, Screen Rant is proud to present our first Popcorn Movie Showdown: Transformers 2 vs G.I. Joe!

THE EYE CANDY

OK, so Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen had some of the best-rendered CGI ever to appear on film, hands down. Expect the film to get some kind of (Academy?) award nod for its technical work. And if you’ve seen Transformers 2 in IMAX, you already know that the “true IMAX” sequences of robot-on-robot action are gorgeous enough to make you almost believe that transforming alien robots do exist. Amazing stuff.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra had some cool f/x moments (most people seemed to enjoy the accelerator suit sequence), but nothing even CLOSE to the level of Transformers 2. The two films are not even on the same plane in that respect. Clearly, the win for best f/x goes to Michael Bay and his team of tech wizards (aka Industrial Light and Magic)…

…But not so fast – the term “eye candy” means more than who had the smoothest CGI. What about the ladies? G.I. Joe had red-hot Rachel Nichols making a big-screen splash, and god bless Sienna Miller for always wearing something tight and revealing in every scene (even when her character was standing in the frozen Artic tundra). Now that’s dedication! However, Transformers 2 had the lovely Isabel Lucas and, of course, queen-gorgeous herself, Megan Fox. Even that little toy truck robot wanted to hump her leg; the G.I. Joe ladies got no such love. But hell, in this case, isn’t a visual aid better? Decide for yourself:

The Ladies of G.I. Joe:

Sienna Miller

Rachel Nichols

The Ladies of Transformers 2:

Isabel Lucas and Megan Fox

Winner: In every sense, Transformers 2 was the prettiest belle at the ball.

THE “SCRIPT”

So let’s just come clean: Both so-called scripts for these movies were half-baked hams that couldn’t even pass for coherent if they were reviewed by the blind and deaf. And that’s putting it mildly. It was a shame, too, because both scripts were written by some of the industry’s best and brightest talent: Transformers 2 was scribed by (two of my favorites) Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Fringe, Star Trek), while G.I. Joe was written by Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean, 30 Days of Night).

So what went so wrong that we ended up suffering the go-stop-go pace of Transformers 2 and the make-you-cringe dialogue of G.I. Joe? Or worse yet, The Twins? No doubt the pain we’re feeling now rippled out from the WGA Strike of 2007, when studios pushed their writers to finish the job quick-fast in order to get all scripts possible into production (in whatever half-cooked state they were in) before the impending strike left the studios without any tentpoles for Summer ‘09. I like to think I’m a pretty good writer myself and I can tell you: It doesn’t matter if you’re freaking Shakespeare – if you aren’t allowed sufficient time and space to write a story right, it isn’t going to turn out right.

Now we know. And knowing is half the battle. Hollywood: Pay those writers what they’re owed. We’ve all been officially reminded why good writing matters (don’t let those big box office receipts fool you).

Winner: G.I. Joe at least kept things moving lightly and quickly enough for (most of us) to forget that we were watching a half-cooked story – so long as nobody was talking. At least the plot was easy to follow: Tug-of-war over destructive warheads between good guys and bad guys. Simple. Transformers 2 had me scratching my head so hard, so often, my scalp started to bleed (what was the point of having The Fallen in there? Anybody?).

Keep reading to find out who wins the G.I. Joe vs. Transformers 2 Showdown!

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SR Pick [Video]: The Ballad of G.I. Joe

Ross Miller — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:49:45 +0000

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra opened recently to a better-than-expected box office opening of $56 million domestically, and almost $100 million worldwide. The movie itself undoubtedly has its flaws (the acting, some of the dubious special effects, the dialogue…), but nonetheless it’s a load of fun.

With our real American heroes so busy trying to stop the bad guys from taking over the world, do you ever wonder what they do for fun? The guys over at FunnyOrDie.com have answered that question through a G.I. Joe-inspired ballad that features the likes of Ben Stiller, Julianne Moore, Henry Rollins, Vinnie Jones and Alan Tudyk. Check out the hilarious video below:

Snake Eyes painting a series of sunsets on the beach! I KNEW there had to be something that guy did other than kill people!

What do you think of the video? Funny, right?

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is currently in theaters.

Source: FunnyOrDie

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No Surprise: G.I. Joe 2 is Definitely In The Works

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:38:21 +0000

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra managed to take in $100 million at the worldwide box office including a better-than-expected take of $56.2 million domestically. And although the film cost upwards of $300 million to make and market (and word of mouth hasn’t exactly been all that glowing), this first-week victory seems to have been substantial enough for Paramount to absolutely move forward with a $equel.

Now, we reported before that G.I. Joe 2 was happening, but the LA Times was the first to confirm it: the paper scored a quote from Paramount Pictures vice chairman Rob Moore stating that the sequel “will soon go into development.” The report further indicated that Rise of Cobra’s lead actors are all obligated to return for another film, although director Stephen Sommers – who has been the center of some controversy over this film – is not.

Those who have seen G.I. Joe already know (for the most part) that the film miraculously succeeds in being enjoyable, even though it screws the pooch in just about every area possible – script, acting, uneven f/x, etc. Moore hinted to the LA Times that the studio is thinking that next time out, G.I. Joe will be marketed as more of a family-friendly film, as that seems to be strongest demographic (read: kids who don’t care about dialogue and parents who are at least semi-entertained) that is turning out to see the movie.

For those paying attention, you’ll remember that Rise of Cobra was rushed into production (including the drafting of the so-called script) in anticipation of the WGA Strike, which effectively crippled Hollywood in late 2007 through early 2008. Will a G.I. Joe sequel turn out more cohesive and polished given proper time to develop? We’ll find out.

For now: what do you think about G.I. Joe 2 already being given the go? Did you enjoy Rise of Cobra? Or are you tearing at your hair, wishing that the madness would end here.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is now in theaters.

P.S. Please keep your comments SPOILER-FREE. For free and open discussion of G.I. Joe, go here.

Source: LA Times

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 9, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:59:57 +0000

This week:

G.I. Joe shoots up the top spot at the box office; Jennifer Aniston goes to prison; Gunsmoke rides again; The Losers begin and Renny Harlin goes to Russia.

Box Office

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra shot up the top spot with an estimated $56 million over the weekend. The film had a lot of bad buzz surrounding its release so this is seen as something of a coup. The $175 million price budget means that the film will need to do well abroad and sell a lot of toys before we see a sequel.

Meryl Streep shows that age isn’t a factor in her popularity as she scored her third $20 million-plus opener in three years with Julie and Julia. The film took $21.5 million over the weekend. If the film has the same legs as The Devil Wears Prada and Mama Mia then it could hit the $100 million mark.

Jerry Bruckheimer’s G-Force was third with a weekend take of $8.5 million giving the family film a strong $84 million total.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince banked more than $8 million giving the mega franchise film a huge $273 million total.

People just don’t seem to be finding Funny People funny. The Judd Apatow/ Adam Sandler film took just under $8 million this weekend. It’ll never see it’s $75 million production budget back on US screens.

The Ugly Truth banked another $7 million giving the R-rated comedy $69 million so far.

The Perfect Getaway failed to find an audience this weekend and made $6 million. It was cheap to make and should find an audience on DVD.

(500) Days Of Summer earned $4.3 million on just over 800 screens.

Orphan and Aliens in the Attic both took just under $4 million.

Movie News

1. Jennifer Aniston will star in Goree Girls. The film is a true story of a female country band in a Texas prison in the 1940s

John Lee Hancock recently completed a draft of the script by Margaret Nagle.

Aniston will also produce.

I’m pretty sure that I’m not in the target demographic for this film.

Source: Variety

2. Hollywood is moving ahead on a new film version of long running western series Gunsmoke.

CBS Films has hired National Treasure: Book of Secrets writer Gregory Poirier to write the script for the film.

Gunsmoke holds the record for being the longest running scripted television drama.

There’s a shock – a film version of a classic TV show. I wonder what’s next for the remake machine.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. Principal photography has started on Dark Castle Entertainment’s The Losers.

The film is based on the comic book DC Comics’ Vertigo off-shoot. The adaptation is being directed by Stomp the Yard director Sylvain White.

The film stars Watchmen’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Star Trek’s Zoë Saldana and The Fantastic Fours’ Chris Evans.

The film is shooting in Puerto Rico.

The Losers opens in April 2010

Source: Latino Review

4. Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin will direct a currently untitled drama based on events that took place during the five-day Russia-Georgia battle.

“The drama involves an American journalist and his cameraman who get caught in the crossfire in Georgia and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial journalists.”

Sounds like an interesting change of pace for the director.

Source: Variety

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

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G.I. Joe: Invasion of Cobra Island Viral Movie

Paul Young — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:15:11 +0000

When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s, I was never short of some great toys to play with: Thundercats, Transformers, Silverhawks, and of course, G.I. Joe. If you were anything like me and my buddies, then you had some epic battles in the sandbox involving plenty of Joe figures, pine cone bombs and firecracker explosions. In fact, we had so many injuries in our Joe battles, it led to some unusual but necessary action figure body transplants. Surely, I couldn’t have been the only kid in America to own a Joe with the head of Shipwreck, body of Lady J, Snake Eye’s arms and Barbeque’s legs?

Apparently, someone at Paramount also enjoyed G.I. Joe battles growing up because they’ve filmed a two-part toy battle called G.I. Joe: Invasion of Cobra Island. It’s a decent, inventive, if not amusing attempt at reproducing the sandbox battles we had as kids, but using every cool Joe toy Hasbro offered and some neat props to go along with.

I’m hoping the humor in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is similar to the humor in these videos. If it is, then I have faith that I will enjoy the movie. Watch both videos below and enjoy.

PART 1

PART 2

Now let take a moment to introduce an idea to Paramount and Hasbro: In my sandbox battles, I would have G.I. Joe and Cobra join forces to fight something more dangerous – The Mighty Transformers! That’s right: Paramount, if you are listening, how about combing BOTH Hasbro toy lines into a kick ass G.I. Joe vs. Transformers movie? You own both properties. Just green light it, get a writer and a director (not Michael Bay) and fans will line up at the door waiting to watch.

You have an opportunity here Hasbro and Paramount, please don’t waste it.

In the meantime, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra opens in theaters today August 7^th, 2009.

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G.I. Joe Spoilers Discussion

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:37:06 +0000

We haven’t set this up in a while but readers seem to appreciate it, so while we do have a G.I. Joe review where you can leave comments, we’ve set up this as a place where you can discuss G.I. Joe spoilers to your heart’s content.

If you’re posting comments here, assume that anyone in the conversation has seen the movie – if you haven’t seen the movie, I would recommend you don’t read the comments here until you have.

And while you’re at it, you can give G.I. Joe your own rating right here:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Have at it (but keep it civil – we’ll be watching)!

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Review

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:28:40 +0000

Short Version: G.I. Joe is a summer popcorn action movie done right.

Screen Rant reviews G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I’ll start right off by saying that G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra is what the Transformers franchise should be.

Following months of trailers and clips that frankly, made this movie look like it was going to be awful, imagine my surprise when I actually ended up enjoying it. I don’t recall ever seeing a marketing campaign that so made me NOT want to see a movie that turned out to be decent.

G.I Joe starts out unexpectedly centuries ago with a man named McCullen about to be punished for some heinous crime. He goes on about how his ancestors will avenge him and whatnot and it’s pretty overdramatic – from this scene I wasn’t really sure what to expect as far as the tone of the film.

From there it jumps to “not too far in the future” and we see Christopher Eccleston giving a commanding presentation to the heads of NATO – he’s converted nanotechnology developed to help save lives into a weapon. In missile form it can disintegrate anything it touches within seconds and will keep on devouring everything in its path until it is deactivated. It is a formidable weapon.

A purchase is made and an elite team of soldiers which includes Duke (Channing Tatum) and “Ripcord” (Marlan Wayans) is tasked with delivering four of these small projectiles to some location – of course they never make it there. On the way the first battle/action sequence of the movie takes place and it was pretty impressive. We get our first look at future tech with the ship the bad guys use to attack the convoy.

Up until this point the film actually looks like your standard, straight up action film. That is superseded by the more cartoony aspect when that ship lands and the Baroness (Sienna Miller) and a bunch of armored, silver masked antagonists come out and start shooting up the place with cool beam weapons.

It turns out there is history between Duke and the Baroness, causing the mission to go awry. This event also leads to Duke and Ripcord being taken to G.I. Joe headquarters, invited by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid). We see the massive “Joe” headquarters and soon our boys are put through training and become a part of the team. Along the way we meet Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and brainy Scarlett O’Hara (Rachel Nichols).

Of course the bad guys want to acquire the nano-missiles and the plot revolves around their acquisition and the how and why of their use in the goal of (naturally) world domination.

Now we’ve been talking about G.I Joe here for months, and not exactly in a positive light. Frankly the footage shown has made the film look awful in that cheesy “Transformers” kind of way. Well I’m here to tell you that no one is more surprised than me that I actually thought it was pretty good – maybe even more than just pretty good. Don’t get me wrong – it’s good, but summer action movie good, so keep that in mind.

One of the screenwriters, Stuart Beattie co-wrote all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies and 30 Days of Night (how’s that for variety?) and director Stephen Sommers brought us The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and Van Helsing (but don’t hold that one against him).

What was good? Every damned scene with Snake Eyes in it for one thing. Ray Park ROCKED as the mute character (who left me wondering how he could breath with that facemask on). The sword fight scenes were fantastic, and I loved that he wasn’t strict about only using martial arts weapons – he did not hesitate to pull out a gun if he deemed it the most effective weapon of the moment.

My first reaction to the “accelerator suits” in the trailer was an eye-roll, but they turned out to be one of the coolest things in the movie. They were used in a Paris car chase sequence that was awesome and included Scarlett doing some wild motorcycle riding through Paris traffic in addition to Duke and Ripcord tearing through streets chasing the bad guys.

Another thing that was unexpected was the inclusion of “serious” scenes in the film – in particular a flashback to Duke in the Middle East in a war zone and him at a a military funeral afterwards almost seemed like they came out of a dramatic film. Actually the overall tone of the film was that they approached it fairly straight-faced. There wasn’t much of the feeling that director Stephen Sommers was actively trying to make this a movie based on a toy, animated series and comic book – the film took itself fairly seriously, and that worked.

Oh, and there was a little unexpected cameo by an actor who is usually pretty goofy in films, but wasn’t here, and I enjoyed seeing him this way.

Finally, I liked the fact that there was humor in the film, but it was (with one or two exceptions) very deftly done – not like the “yuk yuk” in your face Transformers humor. It was here and there, but didn’t seem inserted just because “hey, we need a big laugh here.” Oh, and there were nods to the original toy ads, mentioning “life like hair” and “kung fu grip.”

What wasn’t so great? Well, not much, really. Despite the movie taking itself seriously overall, there was enough in the film to remind you that it was indeed a summer action flick based on a toy. The Baroness in the arctic circle with a coat open to expose her deep cleavage, “The Doctor” speaking in an over the top, gravelly melodramatic voice and a few other bits like that. I also felt the movie ran a little long and could have been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so.

The movie is rated PG-13 for action violence and a few scenes of burned/deformed faces – but unlike Transformers 2 there was very little foul language or sexual references. If you bring your 10 year old to this, you won’t be squirming in your seat, but you might have them look away at some of the facial stuff. As to the whole “G.I. Joe isn’t American in the movie” issue – it really wasn’t one. The movie opens with regular Army soldiers and a couple of them end up on the team in pivotal roles. Tempest in a teacup is what that turned out to be as far as I’m concerned.

So if you’re looking for a final action movie this summer that you can bring the kids to, I would recommend G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

(Feel free to discuss the movie WITHOUT spoilers below – if you want to talk about it freely WITH spoilers please go to our G.I. Joe spoiler discussion page)

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Today We’re Totally Crushing On: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Paul Young — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:57:52 +0000

The last time we were “Crushing On” someone, it was Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) from the Harry Potter films. The “Crushing On” series focuses on one relatively unknown or underappreciated actor/actress that may not be popular with mainstream audiences (yet) but that we feel should get some exposure for their work. Today we continue our new semi-regular series “Crushing On” with a name that most people have heard but few people know anything about: Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

It’s really a shame that mainstream audiences haven’t had a chance to fully appreciate JGL’s work. He has quite an extensive background in acting and is only 28 years old, but has been acting since he was 7 with his first TV debut, Stranger on My Land. For the next four years he played various roles in a gambit of TV shows: Family Ties, Murder She Wrote, China Beach, Quantum Leap and L.A. Law. Not too shabby of a line up if you ask me.

His first role in a major motion picture came in 1992 when he played the younger version of Craig Sheffer’s Norman Maclean in A River Runs Through It. Nothing too fancy of a part but it he did well in it being only ten years old at the time of filming. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t see another role in a major theatrical release until 1996 in The Juror and followed it up a few years later with a great performance in 10 Things I Hate About You.

The character Gordon-Levitt is probably best known for is the TV role of Tommy Solomon on the sitcom 3^rd Rock from the Sun. In the five years the show was on the air, you could see him getting better at his craft, even if he was acting opposite of French Stewart. From then on, he soon began choosing more lower budget, indie style films like Brick, The Lookout and Stop-Loss which were all better films because he was involved.

I liked him very much in the latest two films I saw him in: Killshot and Miracle at St. Anna, but the movies themselves were less than okay IMO. I would say that out of all of his performances he has done so far, his role in Brick would be my hands down favorite. If you have never had the pleasure of watching Brick, I would highly recommend you do so. You won’t be disappointed in either Gordon-Levitt or the film.

I don’t know if JGL purposely stays outside the view of mainstream film audiences but he has starring roles in two new summer movies this year that are sure to get his name noticed. First into theaters last month was (500) Days of Summer. We posted the trailer for it a couple of weeks ago and it looks like a great end-of-summer date film. In it, Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, a nothing-special type of guy who works a nothing-special job but falls in love with a something-special girl.

Second (and this is the BIG role) is his casting as Cobra Commander in the upcoming tent pole blockbuster, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. When the news was first announced that he had been cast in the role of an evil tyrant bent on world domination, the news was accepted by the blog-world with a collective THUD! Not because Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a bad actor, but quite the contrary. He’s such a strong actor that it didn’t make sense to include him in with the likes of Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans. And before people label me as a Marlon hater, I’m just saying that JGL’s name hasn’t been associated with big tent pole summer films much less playing the “bad guy” in movies at all.

The more I read about JGL in the role of the evil Cobra Commander, the more I’m comfortable with it. I think he has taken the role seriously enough to give it some great depth and character. As far as the look goes, I haven’t seen the film but I bet you my best friend’s house that he gets a more “familiar” look in the upcoming sequels.

Good solid performances, great range and the ability to make audiences believe his characters are the reasons why we at Screen Rant are “Crushing On” Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

What do you think of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his acting ability? Do you think he has what it takes to carry the blue hood if G.I. Joe movies forward with sequels?

(500) Days of Summer is currently in limited release nationwide. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra opens everywhere August 7^th, 2009.

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G.I. Joe: The (Un) American Hero?

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:11:50 +0000

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the big summer tentpole of the week and of course, with the premiere of the film comes all the attention uninformed mainstream networks try to pile on at the eleventh hour.

In regards to G.I. Joe, it was an inevitable that we would eventually have to hear one particular voice of dissent speaking up: Those who think that G.I. Joe has been stripped of the ‘Americanness’ that once made it great. I wouldn’t call this news, per se, but it definitely made it onto a major news network (MSNBC), so if you haven’t seen it, take a look at the video before we get into the lengthy debate:

The guy crying foul in the video is John Miller from the Conservative publication National Review. Now before you dogpile Mr. Miller and start tearing him down for expressing his opinion (as it is), let’s at least consider his point of view:

THE OLD DAWGS

If you’re over the age of 45, then you’re probably ancient old enough to remember the days when G.I. Joe was a 12″ “Action Man” figurine inspired by WWII soldiers (with some Korean War influences thrown in the mix). The original toy line -- launched by Hasbro in 1964 -- included four figures corresponding to the four branches of the U.S. Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines). Accessory packs (or “blades” for you old-timers) were sold separately, allowing kids to customize each “Joe” with the “blades” they purchased. If that sounds like Barbie for boys, that’s because it was.

This early incarnation of G.I. Joe was unapologetically an American icon and a proud military warrior crafted in homage of those who were out there in the world, fighting the good fight on behalf of the U.S. And that depiction is exactly what guys like John Miller remember: It is the core essence he feels has been lost from the G.I. Joe franchise with it’s new international scope and ‘Robocop-style’ outfits.

And while it might be easy to say “Let it go, dad,” just take a minute first and think about all the beloved staples of YOUR childhood that have been “ruined” by Hollywood in the last couple years (or will be ruined in the next few years to come). Suddenly it’s easy to sympathize with the cranky old-timers, isn’t it?

THE 80s BRIGADE

Yes G.I. Joe got his start as an over-sized, pro-military, knock-off Barbie doll, but what really turned the franchise into a permanent cultural fixture (and a cash-cow for Hasbro) is undoubtedly the G.I. Joe resurgence of the 80s, which turned a whole new generation (mine) onto the franchise and also coined the phrase “A Real American Hero.”

The 80s G.I. Joe came in the form of “modern” action figures (3.75″ short now), and a toy line that included vehicles, accessories and massive play sets. Hasbro also pioneered new strategies in merchandising with G.I. Joe, marketing the toy line while simultaneously launching other media ventures. These included an accompanying Marvel comic book series and, of course, two installments (1985-87, 1989-91) of an uber-popular cartoon series (and one legendary cartoon movie), which helped lure millions of young kids (me included) into the revamped world of G.I. Joe and their nemesis, an evil terrorist organization known as Cobra.

If you’re between the ages of 20-40, then G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is probably the G.I. Joe you’re familiar with. Names like Duke, Scarlett, Lady J, Hawk, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro, Zartan, Serpentor or (my fav) Sgt. Slaughter are ones you know and love -- and you certainly know all about epic gunfights using red and blue lasers.

That’s MY G.I. Joe.

Continue reading ‘G.I. Joe: The (Not) American Hero?’

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G.I. Joe: Destro’s Mask & Other New Pics

Paul Young — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:11:59 +0000

We’re only a few days from seeing Stephen Sommers’ vision of G.I. Joe with the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. To wet your appetite, we have eleven new movie stills to show you, including a long-awaited look at Destro’s (Chris Eccleston) mask!

If you asked me a few months ago – when the first pictures surfaced, showing off the individual characters – whether I was looking forward to Rise of Cobra, I would have stated enthusiastically “YES”. As time went on, however, the first video clips started coming online and my enthusiasm turned into concern.

Then, just as the hammer was starting its downward swing towards the nail, forever sealing my opinion, early reviews started hitting the Internet, and, much to many people’s surprise, the general consensus was that Rise of Cobra doesn’t suck!

Apparently Sommers wants to put the hammer of doubt away and never bring it out again, because he recently released the concept art for Destro’s mask, and if the real mask is anything close to the concept art below then I think the movie could turn out to be really cool.

Check it out (click for a larger version):

The look of Destro we are all familiar with

Not too shabby, right? Now let’s take a look at some of the stills. Again, click on any one for a larger version:

Snake Eyes (Ray Park) Flexes Some Muscle

General Hawk (Dennis Quaid)

Cover Girl (Karolina Kurkova)

Continue on to page 2 for more stills

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G.I. Joe Keeps Sommers Around For The Sequel

Jacob Waldman — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:46:34 +0000

At a junket in Australia hosted by the native press outlet, Jabba, when asked about the word going around the water cooler (read: the internet), Steven Sommers quickly smothered the flaming rumor that he had been canned from G.I. Joe and that the film was being re-edited due to poor testing and flaccid online response.

“I have final cut, it was actually a surprise because I was in the editing room and I got a phone call from a friend checking if I had been fired and replaced, so I just kept editing. That’s what’s crazy about the internet because I have final cut and they couldn’t throw me off if they wanted and clearly when you see the movie you’ll realize how silly that was. Someone said ‘It was the worst testing movie in Paramount’s history’ that’s crap! When you see the movie you’ll know it’s false. It is discouraging though. If you took two seconds to look into it not only do I have final cut but as a director if I didn’t have final cut, you’d have to really screw up a movie to get fired because once a director gets fired from a project the stigma attached to that movie… you’re just dead.”

Allow me to translate: “No f-ing way. As if. Whatever.” Sommers seems to have his head screwed on squarely enough to realize that while it doesn’t take much to start a rumor, it takes a lot of work to overcome one, even a false one. Reinforcing his confidence in the movie, and thereby the public’s, Sommers goes on to reveal that not only will this movie prevail over canard, so will its sequel: Sommers revealed at the junket that the movie get a sequel, and that all the players are locked in to reprise their roles for next summer.

What does this tell us? Cobra Commander will not be defeated? Perhaps Storm Shadow will flip flop and cause enough commotion to warrant a sequel. Maybe the sequel will flesh out Destro’s love for the Baroness and be a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey? Or maybe we could go old skool and really mix it up: G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers vs. Predator (or the Terminator, or Aliens, whatever). I’d be up for all of those, especially the last. Regardless, any plot pieces left dangling shouldn’t leave the audience with any unresolved tension; rest assured, they will be answered eventually.

So one person says something that’s deliciously incendiary, and it takes off, out of control, like a North Korean missile. Before you know it, someone hates someone, or slept with someone’s dog, or is fighting with the Pope; rumors know no bounds. That’s why its important to deep-six any sparks before they turn into wildfires. Thanks to Sommers for posting this little clip on his website, actively dispelling any rumors that the movie will suck, and giving us a taste of what looks to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-Delta-6 Accelerator-Suits flick with plenty to offer the original G.I. Joe fans, and enough to keep the attention of the new ones.

I don’t know about you guys, but I like to keep an open mind. People will say whatever they want, but it’s up to the audience to listen or not. I choose not, at this juncture, and will see the movie regardless of what will or will not be said. In fact, not only will I see the movie, I’ve already begun planning my costume:

Like this only less bad ass; I could never be Storm Shadow, perhaps I’ll be Light Drizzle Shadow.

So what do you think? Are there enough die-hard Joe fans out there to overcome this speculation, or will Sommers’ G.I. Joe be felled by the Rumor Monster (not to be confused with Rumor Willis)? I say GO JOE! And now you know…

Source: LatinoReview

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‘G.I. Joe’ Early Reviews & Awesome Viral Video

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:44:12 +0000

Ain’t It Cool News has two snitches readers who have seen G.I. Joe: The Rise Cobra and are reporting back to let people know what they thought about the film, which pretty much everybody (that I know at least) has written off as a guranteed bomb.

So, did AICN’s readers confirm what everyone has been expecting? Yes and No.

However, one thing there is NO debate about is this new G.I. Joe viral video, which features one brave Joe in an accelerator suit hopping on a skateboard for some extreme half-pipe action! It’s pretty awesome!

But first the reviews:

AICN got two separate reviews (along with photos of the screening passes to confirm these “readers” really saw the movie). Each reviewer – for all their individual differences – pretty much landed on the middle ground of “it’s not as bad as I thought.” Check out a couple snippets:

REVIEWER #1 (a.k.a. “Mr. Blonde”)

..here’s the short version: It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the train wreck I expected. Also, it was more enjoyable than Transformers 2.

The first thing to know, is the movie is pretty cheesy for most of the running time…It’s cheesy, light hearted fun. The action is cartoony most of the time but borders on badass at others (this mostly refers to anytime Snake Eyes is on screen). The effects were all over the place as well. Some stuff looked pretty good (the accelerator suit chase) other times it was typical Stephen Sommers cartoon cgi.

The biggest question, I guess, is this: “Is it a G.I. Joe movie?” Honestly, I’d have to say “No.” It’s not quite the G.I. Joe I remember, but it is a big, cheesy, fun and silly action movie that kept me entertained for about 2 hours.

REVIEWER #2 (a.k.a. “Wild Weasel”)

…I don’t have the view that Stephen Sommers has “raped my childhood” but I can say that the children in the screening were having a blast, and without a doubt were pushing their parents to buy whatever action figure for the character they most identified with.

The movie didn’t make a lasting impression on me and while they set up a sequel, I have a hard time mustering any enthusiasm for it. However, I have a feeling that the movie is loud, violent, and pop-corny enough (is that even a word?) for the general populace to enjoy.

.

No surprise: Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are the high points of the fillm.

So there you have it, G.I. Joe: solid mindless popcorn fun. Of course these are simply two opinions, but really, does the movie look any better or worse to you than what these two reviewers describe?

For full transcripts of these early reviews, head over to Ain’t It Cool News.

Now onto the viral video – check it out and just try to not enjoy it:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra hits theaters on August 7, 2009.

Source: AICN & Daily Motion

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New Posters & TV Spots for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Rob Keyes — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:52:49 +0000

Today we the two newest posters for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as well as several of the latest TV Spots for your viewing pleasure.

To start, here’s the latest for G.I. Joe featuring two of the coolest characters that will be in the movie: Snake Eyes and his sword-fight dance partner, Storm Shadow:

The posters look like the same thing we’ve been seeing over and over again with the countless character posters for this movie. These ones in particular look like they belong on the toy packaging that Hasbro will be pumping out alongside this film.

Check them out and see what you think [Click to Enlarge]:

Ray Park brings back some Darth Maul-like action as Snake Eyes

Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow

What is interesting about these posters though is that if you put them side-by-side, they form one larger wall poster. Thanks to Screen Rant reader Benny who pointed this out and put the images together for us! Check it out:

[Click to Enlarge]

If I were a kid and loved this movie (which I totally would of if I were 10 again), I’d want a wallposter like this featuring two of the likely-to-be fan favorites. Especially since that’s the awesome Ray Park playing Snake Eyes which is always a win.

For more G.I. Joe, Page 2 has three of the latest TV spots for you.

Continue Reading ‘New Posters & TV Spots for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’

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G.I. Joe Japanese Trailer: We See You Cobra Commander!

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:29:34 +0000

[UPDATE: Ok so now we've got a solid look at Destro too! See bottom of the post!]

The Japanese trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra recently hit the web and the guys over at Cinematical were savvy enough to spot a little Easter egg tucked into an otherwise carbon-copy version of the domestic trailer: a first look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander!

Up until now all we’ve had are toys and word-of-mouth to go on, as far as what Cobra Commander would look like in the film, but now we know for sure – and knowing… well, you know. Check out the new Cobra Commander:

…But before I go throwing up the Japanese trailer for G.I. Joe and force you to sit through two minutes of a mediocre-looking movie, I thought I’d warn you: Cobra Commander is only in a single shot (:04 seconds in) and then the rest of the trailer is everything we’ve already seen before. It’s really not such a big revelation, all things considered.

So, if you don’t want to waste the 4 seconds necessary for viewing the trailer, here is a quick screen shot of Cobra Commander (guy on the left with the S&M mask on):

If you want to see the good Commander “in motion,” here is the Japanese trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra:

My personal opinion? Finally seeing Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander is about as underwhelming as EVERYTHING ELSE I’ve seen from G.I. Joe; the design isn’t terrible (he looks kinda creepy), it isn’t great, it’s just…blah…

HOWEVER, this trailer does pretty much prove my earlier (much-disputed) guestimate that the Rise of Cobra international poster was actually depicting images of Destro (Christopher Eccelston) and Cobra Commander in full armor! Here’s a cropped version of the poster so you can see what I’m referring to:

Click image for larger size

Like I said then (from L-R): Storm Shadow, Baroness, Destro and Cobra Commander. I stand by my guestimate.

UPDATE: Ok, so readers are telling me the poster is actually (from L-R): Storm Shadow, Baroness, Cobra Viper and Cobra Commander. NO DESTRO. Pretty random to have just 3 out of the 4 main villains on a poster, I say.

RE-UPDATE: And now, thanks to UGO, we have a better look at what we can actually expect the “finished” Destro to look like:

click for UGO's larger version

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra will be in theaters on August 7, 2009.

What do you think: Cobra Commander – thumbs up? Thumbs down?

Source: Cinematical

RE-UPDATE Source: UGO

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