Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

[rubie]

Looks like the US and Japan has the 7-Eleven GI Joe promo pack

STORM SHADOW Slurpee

captures courtesy hiro700712 & keriimg l auctions.yahoo.jp

Storm Shadow Tee

captures courtesy cottonpark7 l auctions.yahoo.jp

[rubie]

Photos from mydaily.kr

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra TV Spot #13 Finds Its Way to the Web!

July 31st, 2009 12:18am EDT by WildWeasel

And here’s another Rise of Cobra TV spot for you. This one make number 13 and it is fresh off the “presses” too since it has movie review quotes from Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News in it; and he just reviewed it last week.

The Streaming

Source: theterrordrome.com

Another Rise of Cobra T.V. Spot for the Day

July 31st, 2009 11:09pm EDT by HissCommander

Another Rise of Cobra T.V. Spot hit the web tonight, with a few little tidbits of new footage. In this clip we see Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes battling on an electrical platform, Duke knocking out a Neo-Viper, an undersea explosion, and the usual Paris pursuit footage. Bravo to Paramount for sparing no expense in the marketing department.

Watch the STREAMING HERE

Previously related entries

Rising Storm [

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Korean VIP spots-on Hollywood [

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Brace the Hallyu Storm [

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Party of the Storm [

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Rise of Cobra Storming Seoul [

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Storm of Seoul [

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Nonchalant for the Storm, not! [

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GI Joe landed in Seoul [

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The First Storm, Fighting! [

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Idea of the Storm [

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Storm and Sommers [

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Attack of the Cobra [

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Joes & Cobra in Movieweek [

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No more a dream [

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[storm Shadow] He Never Gives Up! [

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Rise of Cobra conference July 29 [

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Topless Storm Shadow Alert [

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Byunghun’s Storm Shadow treat [

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GI Joe: No Mask on Poster [

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Storm Shadow Special Slurpee [

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[rubie]

July 31, 2009

G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra: Byung hun Lee

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

kado.net

Q. Introduction of the character'

A. As you all know, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a movie based on the renowned comic franchise. A special force team, known as 'G.I. Joe' combats with the opposing forces of Cobra. The character I play, Strom Shadow, is a member of Cobra, one that is possesses many secrets while valuing honor utmost.

Q. What attracted you to take part in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?

A. There were many things I had to consider before deciding to take part in film. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was quite different from the types of film I was pursuing in Korea. 'Could I perform the role and rise to the expectations of the audience?', 'How would my fans react my role in a Hollywood blockbuster based on a comic series?' were just some of the concerns I had. But I realized that movies that I enjoyed such as [superman] and [Transformers] were movies based on comic series. I believed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra would also bring fun and entertainment to the audience in the same way, and decided to take part.

The most importantly, although I have been focused on extremely realistic characters until now, I remembered that as young boy came to movie theaters because I was mesmerized by the fantasy of movies and how they would bring my imagination to life. I believe G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a great opportunity to return to this boyhood mentality, and share the joys I felt with the audience.

Q. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra must have been a very different film from your other work, and your first Hollywood shooting must have required a lot of preparation. You must have had to prepare for the character as well such as swordsmanship. Please share some of your experiences.

A. It was a physically challenging. After film the final scenes for The Good, The Bad, The Weird, I just barely caught a flight to the U.S. Upon my arrival, I met my colleagues, the director and staff, along with the marshal arts team to prepare for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. I have never worked with swords before, so I engaged in some serious training. At first, I was a bit worried as things did not go as well as I had thought they would. But as time passed, I began to discover the merits and fun in swordsmanship. The sword scenes went well, and it was a great experience for me as an actor.

Q. How was it working with Stephen Sommers, and such actors as Sienna Miller and Channing Tatum?

A. There were many gun scenes, so all actors spent the first month focused on gun training. I spent a lot of time with the other actors in various training such as swordsmanship, and at first I felt a bit left out. Everything was very new to me, not just the actors, but also the directors and staff, so remained quite and to myself. I think this might have misunderstood to them as me being an arrogant actor. I heard there was a rumor about me, calling me the 'small arrogant Asian.' When I asked them after we had become close about, and everyone said it wasn't true. It was a bit shaky at the beginning, but later we became such close friends that we would hang out with each other every single day.

Q. Are there any scenes you would like the audience 'must not miss'?

A. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a movie that is fun to watch. I know many fans will come looking forward to the computer graphics and visuals, and I hope they enjoy the many exciting new action scenes as well as great spectacles such as the Eiffel Tower scene.

Q. A word for the many Korean and Asian fans

A. It has been a while since I have taken part in a film for children and the entire family. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is an exciting and entertaining film, and as a blockbuster there will many spectacles to see in the movie. I hope the new Byung hun Lee you see in as different style of film and character will be satisfactory to everyone.

[Guest Hyc]

Getting Married is not a licence

Briefly translated from article at Innolife.com by ylin@bhjwlove.com

Lee Byung Hun – “Getting married is not a license, no plans at the moment”

Lee Byung Hun responded to the question when he had an interview in a coffee house on 3oth July. "I'm so busy that it is impossible". "Getting married is not a license whereby your problem is solved when you renew it when it is going to expire. It is definitely not the time to considering marriage now". He added to say, "I envy the Tatum couple, visiting Korea together and Jenna was always visiting the set when we were shooting, I have thoughts about having that kind of life too".

When asked if he has gotten any "hot" attention from the Caucasian ladies during his shooting, he said:" I can't go out to eat in the restaurants as I was on diet to keep fit. This is because there are so many temptations when eating out and that's why I did not have the chance to always meet others. But the fortunate thing is that my cooking skill was better". He jokingly said.

[rubie]

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (2009)

"A big-budget popcorn flick worthy of escapist fun"

Finally, after a yawn inducing summer, we get a big-budget popcorn flick worthy of escapist fun. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" has been vastly underestimated. The film is action packed, moves like a breeze, and has the guts to be a little daring. I honestly did not know what to expect from the trailer, but director Stephen Sommers has returned to the form that made "The Mummy" so enjoyable. He creates a wide spectacle, but never loses the fact that G.I Joe is character driven; and good character work can make up for a lot of shortfalls in an action film.

Here's the spoiler-free gist of the plot. Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are ambushed taking four warheads to NATO. These warheads contain a nano-virus that eats metal and is pretty much unstoppable once released. The attackers have futuristic vehicles and weaponry that shred the military convoy. They are led by the Baroness, an richard simmons-kicking, burn-your-eyeballs hot Sienna Miller. The men are saved by another futuristic unit that fights off the marauders - Scarlet (Rachel Nichols), Snake Eyes (Ray Parks), Breaker (Said Taghmaoui), and Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). They take Duke and Ripcord to a secret base under the Egyptian desert. There they meet General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), who explains that G.I. Joe is a covert force made up of ten nations to combat the world's most dangerous threats. They will need all of their skills and weaponry to face Cobra, a powerful and formidable opponent led by a ruthless villain.
 

Spoiler

G.I. Joe is a wall to wall action flick. These scenes are a frenzy of violence, huge in scope and intense. The Joes engage Cobra on land, sea, and air with a mélange of high tech contraptions. But that's not the kicker. The special effects pale in comparison to the fierce hand-to-hand combat. Ray Parks (Snake Eyes) and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) will take you to ninja school. Their fight scenes are fantastic, master warriors fighting to the brutal death with fists and blades. Stephen Sommers understands that G.I. Joe has to be violent, but can be measured in a way that does not disappoint. For example, many characters die horribly. Heads get blown off, swords pierce bodies, necks get broken by the dozen; but it is not bloody or lascivious. Sommer's doesn't want the film to be too cartoonish or hardcore. He actually nails a perfect tone and it is tremendously entertaining.

I had a deep fear of the 'accelerator suits' I'd seen in the trailers. They looked like a bad rehash of all the CGI motion capture we've been inundated with since "The Matrix". The good news is that the suits are only used twice in the film, and both are for situations that needed the Joes to wear them. So they're not running around with superhuman abilities at all. That would have been terrible, and Sommers was smart enough to understand this.

There's an overload of intricacy to the plot. I won't get into it, but there's really too much going on and it is pretty convoluted. I'm sure I could drive trucks through some of the plot lines, but it's not worth over-thinking a popcorn flick. The essence of the film is very much like the cartoon was in the eighties - a bunch of good guys fighting a bunch of bad guys with cool gadgets. The characters are similar, except that Ripcord is black, and the Joes are multi-national; not the all-American heroes we grew up on. Hopefully we're at a societal point where that doesn't bother anyone. I think the scriptwriters may take some heat for copying some aspects from Star Wars, but I can't fault them for trying. G.I. Joe is the fun ride that Transformers should have been. The summer ends on a high note. Not to be missed in the theater. 

Source: movieweb.com

[Guest ellabel]

^ I want the slurpee container and straw! I hope my maja chula was able to get me one or two of those.

So many articles and new pics of BH in relation to his role as Storm Shadow in GI Joe. He's been the cover of many mags. So happy! Choowa!

I guess marriage is really taking a backseat for our HUNnie, what with 2 more GI Joe sequels, not to mention other projects in Korea and japan. There is no doubt that his apanese fans love and care for BH. Even his co-stars are amazed at how popular he is in Japan. I wonder if Sungja was able to attend the GI Joe activities in Japan.

Hmmm.... wasnt able to read that Phil. Daily Inquirer article on GI Joe. You are right, rubie.. the writer obviously didnt know LBH. Looks like he didnt know hallyu and is not watching Korean dramas here.

Thanks Ching sis and rubie for all the news and pics.

[Guest rentrule]

hey found something on youtube interview with lbh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-UWrqR6S2E

though i have no idea what he says in it and if it was posted before i will delete

Stephen sommers is so funny

[Guest Hyc]

^ Well done ylin for the gist of BH's interview, terimakasih Ching. A sweet sharing as always.

COVER STORY LEE BYUNGHUN

movieweek No.389

Source: movieweek.co.kr

http://usera.ImageCave.com/rubhie/mw500.jpg

Thanks to Ping@bhjwlove.com

[Guest kimchibabe]

^ These are such soft, almost feminine-like poses. His face...he is indeed a beautiful man...a most beautiful man. :wub:

[rubie]

^ Love the Movieweek captures, thanks Ching and especially Ping for sharing with us. Hope there'll be a VOD of the photoshoot.. I remember that MW usually has the BTS clips available.

It is really cool and noteworthy that we not only see BH on the covers of top fashion magazines, but most especially featured in the much-acclaimed movie-related magazines in Korea. That really and truly means a lot for any actor, first and foremost.

hey found something on youtube interview with lbh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-UWrqR6S2E

though i have no idea what he says in it and if it was posted before i will delete

Stephen sommers is so funny

That is awesome sharing, rentrule finally seeing the Tokyo interview and the Red Carpet clip for GI Joe. Definitely hoping to watch that for the longest time, thanks so much for highlighting it. Please don't hesitate to share anything with us. I really cannot check the Youtube page for goodies because my pc's flash player had gone kaput.. the streaming doesn't appear but the clips do work fine when posted elsewhere like here, so I'm really happy with the sharing. Finally something that we're waiting to see. Others may have already seen it as no one said anything or posted any links here anymore.. that's why you'd see sometimes rubie had to beg.

As non-Korean, non-Japanese fans.. we usually don't have the pleasure of English-subbed clips of BH interviews but we'll get by ^^ as every sharing counts. LOL! Stephen Sommers was indeed a funny scene at the Red Carpet.

Btw.. anyone has the VOD for the VIP Premiere of GI Joe to share? Merci!

movies.about.com

Last but not least.. a really cool, really nice & huge daum VOD of BH's interview (different from the youtube).. it showed a lot more of STORM SHADOW in action. As I've heard from others seeing the movie.. Byunghun-ssi really had the acting-chops and screentime presence.. and when you hear his voice in the movie (more speaking lines).. IT IS HIM and not anyone else!

Clip courtesy GBW-cafe.daum

4460

Clip to Keep

(105+ MB)

[rubie]

July 30, 2009

A two-TOP STAR for Brand Marketing Strategy

 

Source: dailycosmetic.com

Gisted solely from memory guessing

MISSHA Cosmetics will launch the Men's Line MISSHA HOMME Urban Soul by actor Lee Byung Hun in the second half of 2009. Similarly, the company had adopted the strategy of promoting 2-TOP STAR for their approach in the new Brand Marketing highlighting South Korea's top movie actors Lee Byung Hun and Kim Hye Soo.

 

Thanks to the highlight at PlanetBH0712 and lovelbh.com, the latest MISSHA CF by Lee Byung Hun

 

[Guest kimchibabe]

^ Noticed that he has softer muscles now but his back, its still rock hard. And he simply looks so good and irresistible...so yummy.

BH as a cosmetics model...now that's another feather to his cap. He must be extremely flattered to have been chosen.

[zashibear]

Missha CM made me faint! Ay ay ay....Hunnie panda will make all the hunnie pandas drool again.

Will stalk 7-11 for that Slurpee cup. It's cute.

[rubie]

August 3, 2009

Paramount Pictures waves the flag for 'G.I. Joe'

By Claudia Eller and Ben Fritz latimes.com

In a highly atypical marketing campaign, the studio sidesteps the traditional Hollywood showcase in favor of taking the film directly to America's heartland

Nearly 1,000 service members and their families at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland got to see something Friday night that very few people in Hollywood have seen -- "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," the last big-budget action movie of the summer.

Paramount Pictures gave the movie its homeland premiere at the base for Air Force One, flying out its stars Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller and Marlon Wayans for a helicopter tour, meetings with the base commander and airmen, and a red carpet replete with paparazzi and billowing American flags.

Debuting the film to a military audience is just one part of a highly atypical marketing and publicity campaign for "G.I. Joe," which opens nationwide and in most foreign markets this Friday. Paramount is sidestepping the traditional Hollywood showcase and courting of the national print media in favor of taking the picture directly to America's heartland.

"G.I. Joe" is embedded in the Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tour, advertised at the Country Music Television Awards and excerpted on giant video screens at Minnesota's Mall of America. It is bombarding Kansas City, Charlotte, Columbus and Grand Rapids on new digital billboards.

The subtext is none too subtle: Critics are likely to roast the film and fanboys of the original toy line and comic book may be indifferent, but if you're a flag-waving, Nascar-loving American, it's practically your patriotic duty to see this movie.

Paramount's decision to focus so heavily on just one segment of the audience illustrates -- in a market increasingly fragmented by demographics and swayed by word-of-mouth via Twitter, text messages and Facebook updates -- the lengths to which studios will go to maximize early exposure among audiences most likely to embrace a film and minimize it for everyone else. "Our starting point for this movie is not Hollywood and Manhattan, but rather mid-America," Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore said. "There are a group of people we think are going to respond to the movie who are normally not the first priority. But we're making them a priority."

Yet overseas, where big action films often earn 60% or more of their ticket sales, rah-rah American sentiment doesn't play well. So those references have vanished from the advertising. European marketing, rather, focuses on action sequences set in Paris -- where the Eiffel Tower collapses -- Egypt and Tokyo, and emphasizes that G.I. Joe is an international team of crack operatives and not some Yankee soldier.

When it comes to selling "G.I. Joe" outside the U.S., the message is "this is not a George Bush movie -- it's an Obama world," director Stephen Sommers said. "Right from the writing stage we said to ourselves, this can't be about beefy guys on steroids who all met each other in the Vietnam War, but an elite organization that's made up of the best of the best from around the world."

Sommers even expects "G.I. Joe" to perform better overseas, particularly in Asia, where costar Byung-hun Lee, a Korean-born martial arts expert, is very popular.

"It was like traveling with Elvis," said the director, who accompanied the actor to a premiere in Tokyo.

G.I. Joe originated in 1964 as a military "action figure" that could be equipped with different uniforms and weapons. In the 1980s it was reborn in comic books, a TV cartoon and toys, with the tag line "A Real American Hero," as a special military unit of the U.S. government that does battle with an evil organization known as Cobra.

The new film, which will be accompanied by a revamped toy line from Hasbro Inc., features many of the characters from the '80s, but in a futuristic setting. With a production budget of $175 million and $150 million more in marketing and distribution expenses on the line, "G.I. Joe" needs the biggest possible crowds to turn a profit.

Although "G.I. Joe" has had some of the hallmarks of big-movie event marketing -- a costly Super Bowl ad, billboards and banners on the side of buses in Los Angeles and other big cities -- a disproportionate amount of resources is being funneled into highly targeted efforts.

Paramount bought ads in newspapers distributed on more than 60 military bases, for instance, and ran a "hometown hero" contest in which entrants wrote essays about a local hero they wanted to celebrate with a screening of the movie. The winner was a 7-year-old from San Diego whose father served with the Navy in Iraq.

One week before its release, virtually no journalists had seen "G.I. Joe" except for Harry Knowles, owner of influential fanboy website Aint-It-Cool-News, who gave the movie an early thumbs up. Beyond Knowles, however, Paramount has largely avoided what would seem like a natural starting point: loyal fans of the toys, comics and '80s cartoon. "G.I. Joe" had no presence at the recent Comic-Con International gathering of genre fanatics, even though there were panels to discuss both the toys and comic books.

"You can never win with those guys," Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, producer of both "Transformers" films and "G.I. Joe," said of the San Diego convention. "They feel they're the keepers of the fanboys flag and have a deep childhood association with many of these properties. And we know the hard-core fans are already coming to see the movie."

[rubie]

August 3, 2009

Supporting Roles Stealing Spotlight

By Han Sang-hee

Staff Reporter

Supporting actors appearing in local dramas have begun unleashing their charms, and more viewers are starting to recognize their presence.

MBC's hit drama "The Great Queen Seondeok" boasts a lineup of interesting characters surrounding the main character, Deok-man, played by Lee Yo-won, who later becomes the first queen in Korea's history.

Lee is not the only actress enjoying the spotlight, as many viewers have taken notice of the villain, Mi-shil, played by Ko Hyun-joung.

Mi-shil dreams of becoming queen, but fails when Seondoek makes a splash in political circles. Ko, who is well known for her sweet and tender roles, has successfully transformed herself into the ambitious Mi-shil, who tries to scheme and threaten her way to the throne.

MBC explained before the drama's airing that Ko was originally offered the role of Seondeok, but she actually chose to take the part of the femme fatale after reading the script. "I thought acting a very clear character would be better for me. I'm breaking out of my original roles, which were balanced and had a certain rhythm. I will do my best not to lose the viewers' attention,'' Ko said at a press conference before the drama's airing.

When the news of Ko's decision broke, many questioned whether both Ko and Lee would be able to portray their respective characters. But worries soon dissipated with the drama's airing.

Numerous viewers posted their thoughts on the drama's Web site, supporting Ko and her fellow actors. Mi-shil is Ko's first attempt as a villainous role and also represents the first appearance in a historical drama in her 20-year acting career.

Meanwhile, SBS' drama "Style'' also has viewers fixed on its various supporting characters, most notably Kim Hye-soo, who appears as Park Gi-ja, a perfectionist deputy editor at a fashion magazine. "I read on the drama's Web site that Lee Ji-ah is the main character, but I can't help but follow every move of Park. Probably because she's portrayed by Kim, who is one of the most fashionable actresses in Korea," Kim Min-jung, a 28-year-old viewer of "Style," told The Korea Times.

Lee plays the assistant whose singular goal is to please her boss, Park, and move up the ladder to become a magazine editor, but she gets tangled up in messy relationships with Park and her fellow male characters.

Working at a fashion magazine firm aided Kim in her full transformation into a fashionista.

At the press conference last month to publicize the show, the actress donned two different outfits, first a sparkly green mini dress, and then a purple dress with a huge bow attached on her shoulder. "Park is very edgy, both in life and style," Kim said at the press conference.

Although "Style" began airing just last week, it hit 18 percent in television ratings, according to research firm AGB Neilson Media Research, and topped other dramas in the same time block.

Other dramas and movies have their fair share of attractive supporting roles, including Lee Honey from the KBS drama "The Partner," Moon Chae-won from the drama "Brilliant Legacy," and movie star Lee Byung-hun in the upcoming Hollywood action film, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.''

Lee, a former Miss Korea, returned to the spotlight as an actor in the drama about lawyers, and despite the low ratings, she has positioned herself as an aspiring actor alongside the main characters played by Kim Hyun-joo and Lee Dong-wook.

Moon first garnered the role of a pretty gisaeng in the drama "The Painter of Wind,'' which starred Moon Geun-young, but failed to attract much attention. The 22-year-old resurfaced in the hit drama "Brilliant Legacy,'' and finally made a lasting impression among viewers, which has led her to appear in another drama, airing this month, called "My Fair Lady" on KBS.

Movie star Lee Byung-hun is also gearing up to attract moviegoers with his role as the ruthless Storm Shadow. Lee may play a supporting role in the Hollywood flick, but his star power still translates well in Asia, proving to be a big plus in promoting the film in Korea and Japan.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

[rubie]

August 3 2009

Review: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra!

By: Craig Sharp at filmshaft.com

It's not very often that such a fond childhood memory of mine is given the opportunity to play itself out on the big screen. Transformers? It never played any real part in my childhood, so when I saw it on the big screen it wasn't with the fondness of someone who'd acted out their very own Transformers movies as a child, in the playground with friends.

That was the feeling I got when the opening credits rolled on G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra this past Saturday, at an exclusive screening in the prestigious Vue cinema at the O2 Arena.

My love of G.I. Joe (or Action Force as it was called in the UK back then), began during a turbulent time in my life, I'd just moved away from my Mother and Siblings to live with my Father in a strange part of town, and knowing no one I quickly bonded with one of my best childhood friends -- over a game of Action Force.

My friend had been brought up on the franchise thanks to his older brother, and very soon I was immersed in a toyline and cartoon series that to a nine year old seemed far too good to be true. Here were the archetypal hero's and villains, the stuff of imagination -- brought to life by some of the most colourful and fantastical characters a franchise has ever seen, and even with the daunting prospect of Secondary School and my teenage years quickly catching up with me I found it difficult to let go of that series. It's not because I was any kind of nerd (which I was by the way), but because I'd never come across a story so simple and yet so engaging at that young age! The good guys were the good guys, and the bad guys were evil -- not because of any complicated back stories or a twist of fate -- but just because that's the way it was.

So you see, when G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was announced, I was as compelled to follow it's production as I was with 'The Dark Knight'. All of this I had hanging over me when I went into that screening on Saturday, and so perhaps unfairly, my expectations for this larger than life property were simply massive!

So onto the film itself, the synopsis is pretty straight forward stuff, one could say it had been ripped straight from the cartoon series itself:

Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster 'TRANSFORMERS,' have reunited for another extraordinary action-adventure 'G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra.' From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. 'G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra' is directed by Stephen Sommers ('The Mummy,' 'The Mummy Returns').

The film opens in 1641, the ancestor of Christopher Eccleston's character James McCullen is caught selling weapons to both sides for his own financial gain. In the bowels of an ancient castle, McCullen (played by the man originally cast as Destro - David Murray) is made an example of, a molten cast-iron mask is seared permanently onto this face, to remind people how traitors to the King are to be treated -- and it's at this point that McCullen Senior makes an almost prophetic pledge -- that no matter what is done to him, no matter how much Kings of the world resist, his sons, and his son's sons will always be a threat to the world -- and so we fast forward to present day.

Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are Special Forces operatives deployed to deliver and protect some deadly new weapons -- four warheads carrying within them a revolutionary Nanomite technology -- capable of eating through anything in mere seconds.

On their journey, their convoy is attacked by a mysterious military force led by The Baroness (Sienna Miller) and comprising of some very scary looking soldiers who are seemingly impossible to kill. Of course it isn't long before G.I. Joe -- the best of the best turn up to defend the convoy and before you know it we are plunged into what can only be described as 'explosive, bone-crunching carnage'.

To say that as an opener this was jaw-dropping scene would be an understatement! The minute I saw The Baroness and the Cobra Vipers step out of their aircraft I had a huge smile stretched across my face, after more than 12 months of waiting I thought 'this is it', 'Stephen Sommers has done it!'

What he's done to be more precise, is to give audiences an almost note-perfect live action rendition of the G.I. Joe series as it was in the cartoon. The dialogue is hammy, the story fantastical and the gadgets are out of this world. In taking what I earlier described as 'some of the most colourful and fantastical characters a franchise has ever seen' to the big screen, Sommers has successfully brought with them the same spirit, the same buzz that made the cartoon the success it was.

My favourite character in the film is without a doubt Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow. The character is everything he should be and more -- a calculating cold blooded assassin and boy can that guy wield a sword! Every time he and Snake Eyes (Ray Park) face off against one another every other battle pales in comparison. Sure ALL that battles in the film were very well choreographed and pretty much glue to your seat but this was two ninjas in not just one death-match but SEVERAL!

I won't give away too much of the plot but everything you've read so far is true, this film is definitely a brilliant setup for a sequel (which is rumoured to begin shooting next year by the way), and while the ending wasn't the perfect ending I'd imagined, it certainly has it's fair share of surprises in store for the unsuspecting audience!

My final note on this film is this: yes I have my issues with some of the costumes (Cobra Commander in particular), and while I believe Cobra Commander to be arguably the most iconic villain in this series, his story throughout the film is by far the best and who knows? We may even get to see the famous blue hood in the sequel?

This is without a doubt one of the most action-packed blockbusters of the summer, so if you're looking for explosive action, sexy villains and some of the most mind blowing sets you've ever seen then G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra will tick those boxes YO JOE!

4 out of 5

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is released in UK cinemas everwhere on Friday 7th August 2009!

[rubie]

August 2, 2009

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (2009)

Review By Julian Roman movieweb.com

"A big-budget popcorn flick worthy of escapist fun"

Finally, after a yawn inducing summer, we get a big-budget popcorn flick worthy of escapist fun. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" has been vastly underestimated. The film is action packed, moves like a breeze, and has the guts to be a little daring. I honestly did not know what to expect from the trailer, but director Stephen Sommers has returned to the form that made "The Mummy" so enjoyable. He creates a wide spectacle, but never loses the fact that G.I Joe is character driven; and good character work can make up for a lot of shortfalls in an action film.

Here's the spoiler-free gist of the plot. Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are ambushed taking four warheads to NATO. These warheads contain a nano-virus that eats metal and is pretty much unstoppable once released. The attackers have futuristic vehicles and weaponry that shred the military convoy. They are led by the Baroness, an richard simmons-kicking, burn-your-eyeballs hot Sienna Miller. The men are saved by another futuristic unit that fights off the marauders - Scarlet (Rachel Nichols), Snake Eyes (Ray Parks), Breaker (Said Taghmaoui), and Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). They take Duke and Ripcord to a secret base under the Egyptian desert. There they meet General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), who explains that G.I. Joe is a covert force made up of ten nations to combat the world's most dangerous threats. They will need all of their skills and weaponry to face Cobra, a powerful and formidable opponent led by a ruthless villain.

G.I. Joe is a wall to wall action flick. These scenes are a frenzy of violence, huge in scope and intense. The Joes engage Cobra on land, sea, and air with a mélange of high tech contraptions. But that's not the kicker. The special effects pale in comparison to the fierce hand-to-hand combat. Ray Parks (Snake Eyes) and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) will take you to ninja school. Their fight scenes are fantastic, master warriors fighting to the brutal death with fists and blades. Stephen Sommers understands that G.I. Joe has to be violent, but can be measured in a way that does not disappoint. For example, many characters die horribly. Heads get blown off, swords pierce bodies, necks get broken by the dozen; but it is not bloody or lascivious. Sommer's doesn't want the film to be too cartoonish or hardcore. He actually nails a perfect tone and it is tremendously entertaining.

I had a deep fear of the 'accelerator suits' I'd seen in the trailers. They looked like a bad rehash of all the CGI motion capture we've been inundated with since "The Matrix". The good news is that the suits are only used twice in the film, and both are for situations that needed the Joes to wear them. So they're not running around with superhuman abilities at all. That would have been terrible, and Sommers was smart enough to understand this.

There's an overload of intricacy to the plot. I won't get into it, but there's really too much going on and it is pretty convoluted. I'm sure I could drive trucks through some of the plot lines, but it's not worth over-thinking a popcorn flick. The essence of the film is very much like the cartoon was in the eighties - a bunch of good guys fighting a bunch of bad guys with cool gadgets. The characters are similar, except that Ripcord is black, and the Joes are multi-national; not the all-American heroes we grew up on. Hopefully we're at a societal point where that doesn't bother anyone. I think the scriptwriters may take some heat for copying some aspects from Star Wars, but I can't fault them for trying. G.I. Joe is the fun ride that Transformers should have been. The summer ends on a high note. Not to be missed in the theater.

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August 5, 2009

No go: Paramount won't show critics 'G.I. Joe'

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Writer 

LOS ANGELES - It's the biggest movie of the summer that practically no one has seen.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens Friday, but Paramount Pictures isn't screening the blockbuster for critics beforehand. Only a select few writers from blogs and movie Web sites have seen it for review _ such as Harry Knowles, the self-professed "Head Geek" from Ain't It Cool News _ and their opinions have been mostly positive.

Instead, the studio says it's intentionally aiming the movie at the heartland, at cities and audiences outside the entertainment vortexes of New York and Los Angeles. Paramount held a screening Friday for 1,000 military service members and their families at Andrews Air Force Base; it's also focusing marketing efforts in places like Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

While appealing to a sense of patriotism nationwide, the plan also is inspired by the disparity that existed between the critical trashing "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" received and the massive crowds it drew at the box office.

"`G.I. Joe' is a big, fun, summer event movie _ one that we've seen audiences enjoy everywhere from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Phoenix, Ariz.," said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures. "After the chasm we experienced with `Transformers 2' between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote `G.I. Joe.' We want audiences to define this film."

With a reported production budget of $175 million and a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "G.I. Joe" follows the adventures of an elite team using high-tech spy and military equipment to take down a corrupt arms dealer. It comes from director Stephen Sommers, whose previous films include "The Mummy" and "Van Helsing."

Long before anyone saw the completed product, though, "G.I. Joe" drew mixed buzz at best for its trailer, which premiered during the Super Bowl. Now it's the final action picture of the summer _ and it has a lot in common with the highest-grossing film so far this year, the "Transformers" sequel. Both are effects-laden spectacles based on Hasbro toys and both are Paramount releases from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

"Transformers" has gone on to gross more than $388 million in the United States alone since its opening six weeks ago, despite receiving just 20 percent positive reviews on the Web site Rotten Tomatoes, a critical aggregator. The withholding of "G.I. Joe" from mainstream critics suggests that the studios believe they can succeed at the box office without them.

It's a tactic normally reserved for horror movies or other genre pictures with built-in fans who don't necessarily care about reviews _ ones based on video games, for example _ not summer blockbusters. Still, "G.I. Joe" has been tracking well because it represents the last big bang of the season, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

"They don't need (to screen) it and there's no upside to negative reviews. The film is going to open well no matter what," Dergarabedian said. "They're being very strategic in who they show the movie to. If they can win over their core audience from these reviews, that's good for the movie."

Devin Faraci from the film Web site CHUD.com is one of the few writers who have seen it for review purposes, and not just for junket interviews. He's among the critics who've contributed to the movie's 88-percent positive rating as tabulated by Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "If I was 10 years old, `G.I. Joe' would be one of the best movies I had ever seen."

Faraci said he was in Toronto recently when he received a phone call at 8:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, asking if he could come to the Paramount lot that day for a "G.I. Joe" screening. He flew back, got off the plane and headed right over.

"It's silly. It's a film that plays on its own terms," he said. "I don't think reviews will kill it but I think it'll get a more positive response than they expect. It's a big, silly, pulpy, cartoony action film and it makes no apologies for being that way."

Source: sg.news.yahoo.com

[willenette]

Korean Actors Play Bigger Roles in Hollywood

Thanks to the Korean wave, or "Hallyu" boom, movie lovers can see more Korean movie stars in Hollywood films these days.

Most recently on July 29, a group of Japanese fans flocked to Seoul to see Korean actor Lee Byung-hun at a press conference to mark the launch of his latest movie “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” with his co-stars Sienna Miller and Channing Tatum and the director Stephen Sommers (who made "The Mummy 3" (2008)).

Lee Byung-hun captured the hearts of Asian fans on the popular SBS drama "All In" (2003) co-starring Song Hye-gyo, and also his movies including "A Bittersweet Life" (2005) and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008). Lee's filmography has attracted the attention of other Hollywood film directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron.

Lee will play Storm Shadow, a Japan-trained Korean ninja who is part of the terrorist group Cobra, in his first Hollywood film. Based on the G.I. Joe Real American Hero action figure brand, this movie tells the story of an elite American military squad that fights against Cobra, whose members intend to destroy the earth. Lee will appear in great physical action and fight scenes in the movie, despite the language barrier as a non-native English speaker.

Co-actress Sienna Miller, one of the hottest actresses and trendsetters in Hollywood, will play a femme fatale character, the Baroness, while star of "Public Enemy" and "CSI: Miami Season 3" Channing Tatum is Duke, a special operations forces commander, charged with the task of transporting powerful state-of-the art weapons. The movie will be released in early August.

Also, on July 26, Korean pop singer and Asia-wide music star Rain, or Jung Ji-hoon, showed a glimpse of his upcoming movie “Ninja Assassin” at a meeting with his fans in Seoul. Rain showed some never before seen still cuts and footage of the latest movie, and announced his plan for his next Asian tour "Legend of Rain" this August, while meeting some 3,000 global fans.

Jung also gave an impressive performance as Taejo Togokan in his debut Hollywood film "Speed Racer" directed by the Wachowski brothers in 2008. In "Ninja Assassin," directed James McTeigue, director of "V for Vendetta" and produced by the Wachowski brothers, Jung will play a leading role as "Raizo," a man who received special training from birth to kill ninjas. For this movie, Jung underwent special physical training and followed a strict diet to achieve a zero body fat physique. "Ninja Assassin" will be released in November this year.

Meanwhile, Korean actor So Ji-sub and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, the heroine of the 2001 hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005), have appeared together in the latest China-Korea co-production film "Sophie's Revenge."

So, the hero of KBS drama "I'm Sorry, I Love You" (2004), and SBS drama "Cain and Abel" (2009) as well as the movie "Rough Cut" (2008), trained very hard to speak Chinese fluently, to play a handsome doctor named Jeff. In the movie, Jeff dumps his fiancée Sophie (Zhang) for new girlfriend Anna. This romantic comedy movie centers on Sophie's cute revenge plans to win back her man from Anna. Fan Bingbing is another Chinese actress, who will play the role of Anna, who steals Jeff's heart. "Sophie's Revenge" will be released in mid-August.

Another top Hallyu star Jang Dong-Kun will make his Hollywood debut in "The Warrior's Way" next year. Jang will play Asian warrior Yang in this futuristic action movie directed by Korean director Sngmoo Lee along with co-stars including Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston and Tony Cox.

By Yoon Sojung

Credit : Dynamic Korea

http://www.dynamic-korea.com/