G.I. Joe: Retaliation

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April 24, 2012

Must Watch:

Second Trailer for Jon Chu's 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Lands

by Alex Billington firstshowing.net

Source: Machinima

"There's a reason we call ourselves Joes." Paramount has launched a second trailer via Machinima for Jon M. Chu's G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the follow-up sequel to the G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra live-action adaptation a few years back. Chu reinvents the series, takes it back to its badass comic book/action figure/cartoon roots and definitely ups the ante with action. Channing Tatum is back again as Duke, with Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, Bruce Willis and Byung-hun Lee back as Storm Shadow. Even if you didn't like the first movie (like me!), give it a shot, cause even I'll admit it looks kind of awesome. Enjoy!

Watch the second official trailer for Jon M. Chu's G.I. Joe: Retaliation, in high def via Machinima:

G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation is being directed by Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2 & 3D, "The LXD", Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) from a script by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick. Channing Tatum returns as Duke, along with Ray Park as Snake Eyes and Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow. Other newcomers to the cast include Bruce Willis as General Joseph B. Colton, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, Joseph Mazzello as Mouse, Arnold Vosloo as Zartan, D.J. Cotrona as Flint, and RZA as the Blind Master. Paramount is planning to release G.I. Joe: Retaliation starting on June 29th, 2012 this summer.

Credit: General Joes

These are highly spoilerish, description of scenes from the exclusive movie screening for selected audience.

Read at the site at your own risk

EXCLUSIVE – G.I. Joe: Retaliation Early Screening Footage Report

EXCLUSIVE – Another awesome G.I. Joe Retaliation screening report!

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April 24, 2012

New G.I. Joe: Retaliation Trailer Arrives Online, Extended Footage From CinemaCon Recapped

Author: Eric Eisenberg cinemablend.com

It’s been a little while since we last saw anything from G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the new action film from director Jon Chu. While a slew of new character posters arrived online last week and we’ve seen the occasional still, the last time we saw any new footage from the movie was all the way back in early April when a new international trailer found its way online. With the film’s release date on June 29th coming closer and closer, I’m happy to report that the drought is over.

Last night – as part of my on-going CinemaCon coverage - I was invited to attend a screening of a five minute sizzle reel as well as a brand spanking new trailer in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that the extended footage is going to be making its way on to the internet, but I do have some good news: the trailer has arrived.

While a good amount of what you just watched was included in the sizzle reel, there were some other awesome-looking sequences that were left out. Of them, my personal favorite was a sequence featuring Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) doing battle in a tight hallway, with the Cobra fighter throwing shuriken after shuriken at the G.I. Joe ninja, with the hero deflecting each one with his various weaponry. Other cool scenes included an extended look at Firefly (Ray Stevenson) using a special exploding motorcycle to invade a fortified building, Blind Master (RZA) informing Snake Eyes that Storm Shadow still lives and a better look at the confrontation between the President (Jonathan Pryce) and his evil doppelganger.

New 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer Delivers the Action

Joes look to get even with Cobra

BY: BRAD BREVET ropeofsilicon.com

Last week it was character posters and today it's a brand new trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the sequel that doesn't look like a sequel to the 2009 box-office success, but poorly received first film.

Set to hit theaters on June 29, the new film centers on the G.I. Joe group as they have but presumably wiped out by the President of the United States, but as it turns out the terrorist organization known as Cobra has infiltrated the American government and are up to some very naughty behavior.

The film could be good, though it would be hard to be as disappointing as the first film with its Transformers suits, sinking ice and underwater fortresses. Have a look at the new trailer and let me know what you think.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation stars Channing Tatum as Duke, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Roadblock, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow, Elodie Yung as Jinx, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Bruce Willis as Joe Colton and it's rumored, though unconfirmed, that Faran Tahir is playing Cobra Commander.

Also, Ray Stevenson stars as Firefly, Walton Goggins will play Warden Nigel James, Arnold Vosloo plays Zartan, RZA will play the Blind Master and D.J. Cotrona plays Flint with a script from Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and Jon M. Chu directing.

The Rock says you should watch the new GI Joe: Retaliation trailer, so we won't argue

Emmet Purcell joe.ie

The new GI Joe: Retaliation trailer has arrived and if you like ninjas fighting while hanging from mountains, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

Paramount have rather wisely thrown out the rulebook for the upcoming sequel, which makes sense when you consider the awfulness that was GI Joe: Rise of Cobra back in 2009.

That means hardly no director Stephen Sommers (replaced by Jon M Chu, director of eh... Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), hardly any remaining cast members aside from Lee Byung-Hun's Storm Shadow reappearing from the dead and the welcome inclusion of The Rock, hoping to do for an ailing franchise what he managed for Fast Five last year.

This time around the US government - which is being manipulated by the villainous Cobra - frames G.I. Joe operatives as traitors, exterminating most of them, leaving small pockets of survivors. Badly beaten, outnumbered and outgunned, the Joes and the survivors make a desperate plan to overthrow the Cobra commander and take back the world.

Yes, it's the plot of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol all over again but in fairness, the above trailer has a few highlights, not to mention the hopefully more than an extended cameo role for action legend Bruce Willis. GI Joe: Retaliation hits back at Irish cinemas on June 22.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer 2 arrives online

flickeringmyth.coml

It's rare that a sequel manages to better is predecessor, but that looks like it could be the case this summer when G.I. Joe: Retaliation arrives in cinemas this summer. In fairness, this shouldn't be too difficult a task when said predecessor is Stephen Sommers' disappointing G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but so far director Jon M. Chu's (Step Up 2: The Streets) G.I. Joe: Retaliation seems to be ticking all the right boxes. The first trailer was an unexpected surprise and - following a slew of character posters late last week - Paramount have now released a second theatrical trailer, which made its way online this morning.

Joining returning players Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Lee Byung-hun (Storm Shadow), Channing Tatum (Duke), Arnold Vosloo (Zartan) and Jonathan Pryce (The US President) in the cast of the sequel are Dwayne Johnson (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) as Roadblock, Bruce Willis (The Expendables 2) as Colonel Joseph Colton, D.J. Cotrona (Dear John) as Flint, Elodie Yung (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Jinx, Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) as Lady Jaye, Ray Stevenson (Thor) as Firefly, Stephen Martines (General Hospital) as Cross-Country, RZA (American Gangster) as Blind Master, Eddie Hargitay (The Superagent) as Tunnel Rat, Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park) as Mouse and Walton Goggins (The Shield) as Warden Nigel James.

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Theatrical Trailer #2 Massive Screenshot Gallery

by Jason (aka WildWeasel).theterrordrome.com

When it was first announced that Director Jon M. Chu was to be at the helm of the live action G.I. Joe sequel, many fans were a bit up-in-arms over the fact that an unproven rookie was going to be directing the movie. At the time, I explained, that we all have to start somewhere. We need to hone our skills by starting with something. And over time, I think many of those fans came around. And after today’s release of the second G.I. Joe Retaliation theatrical trailer, I certainly hope any doubt has been erased. The new trailer is just pure awesome. Lots of great action. Characters that look like G.I. Joe and Cobra characters. And did I mention action? I took some time to put together yet another screenshot gallery from this latest Retaliation trailer, I mostly did screenshots of the new scenes, with a few from previous if they had some difference to them. You can check them all out below.

And Jon M. Chu, thank you. Thank you for this redemption!

also at heyuguys.co.uk / onthebox.com/

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G.I. JOE RETALIATION

- International English Trailer (G)

Trailer screencaps at GeneralJoes.com

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April 24, 2012

Video Blog: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Footage Reactions from CinemaCon

by Alex Billington firstshowing.net

Given it's spring and just before the summer movie season kicks off, I am once again spending a week in Las Vegas attending & covering CinemaCon, the yearly movie theater industry convention. Last night we were invited to see five minutes of finished sizzle reel, action footage from Jon M. Chu's G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which was part of a tease leading up to the trailer reveal, which also hit tonight (watch here). Following that early footage viewing, I met up with and recorded a video blog with friends Peter and Frosty discussing our reactions, and how it's looking like the ultimate G.I. Joe movie for all those life-long, die-hard Joe fans.

This G.I. Joe video blog was recorded with Peter Sciretta from SlashFilm and Steve Weintraub from Collider, who I often record video blogs with (especially at CinemaCon). The first of many from this week!

I'm infamously known for absolutely hating G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra from 2009, it was a piece of CGI trash that wasn't even fun for two minutes. So I've been honestly very cold and very resistant to getting excited for this sequel at all, even though it's written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool), but this footage finally got me. It's just packed with action, big richard simmons guns, and explosions, and HISS tanks, and crazy cool (explosive) gadgets, and ninjas fighting on cliffs, and Cobra Commander. It really looks like the kind of absurd, but insanely awesome, fun action movie that I miss seeing at the movies int he summer. Maybe they needed to find someone like Chu with the passion to make this the way it should've been made.

Now I'm excited, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished movie, and I'm hoping I actually have a damn good time watching this one. G.I. Joe: Retaliation arrives in theaters June 29th. Watch the latest trailer.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2nd trailer, plus notes from a footage reveal)

Source:

flickfilosopher.com

Yesterday I got a sneak peek at 15 minutes of footage from the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which didn’t reveal much more than this new trailer does: mostly there was the addition of a wide variety of interesting and creative methods for making things explode. In fact, there’s nothing that I want to share about my reaction that isn’t reflected in this new trailer.

What we see here, it seems to me, is a blockbuster made more for a global audience than a solely U.S. one, in ways that go far beyond merely exchanging complex dialogue and nuanced characters for explosions and car chases. Look at our heroes:

These are not the usual white-bread faces that populate Hollywood blockbusters. (In fact, this trailer appears to suggest that white-bread Channing Tatum does not survive the attack on the Joes and hence will not feature much in the film. Which can only be a positive.) Whatever their actual ethnic backgrounds, D.J. Cotrona, Dwayne Johnson, and Adrianne Palicki all have a multiracial look that blends in in far more places around the planet than very pale skin and blond hair. Do you remember that Time magazine cover from 1993, the one with the computer-generated image?

Okay, that was meant to represent the average American of the then-near future, but it’s a helluva lot more representative of what the whole world looks like than Channing Tatum is. And this cast looks like that imaginary woman.

So there’s that: more of the globe (and of course, more of America, too) will see people in this movie that look like them.

More importantly, in the current global environment, is the fact that the villain is a WMD-wielding President of the United States. Who attacks London.

Okay, yes, it’s not really the President -- the President is being impersonated by someone else who’s very very evil indeed. But for this to work, it has to be plausible that the President of the United States is just blowing up whatever he wants to blow up, and expecting no repercussions.

Perhaps the most interesting explosions connected to this movie will be those at Fox News, Big Hollywood, and in Rush Limbaugh’s tiny mind once this gets on the right-wing, America-can-do-no-wrong radar. “The United States is not aggressive and injust!” I can hear Limbaugh sputtering already. “America only brings peace with our freedom bombs!” It’s just more of Hollywood’s liberal agenda to... generate ungodly profit by catering to a paying global audience, some of which might not be big fans of American politics and military adventurism (and just fans of American movies). Free market in action, no?

Anyway, it remains to be seen whether the film itself is more interesting than what can be gleaned from the trailer. It can’t be any worse than G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra... and with both The Rock and Bruce Willis -- oh, and Walton Goggins from Justified! he was in the footage we saw, but isn’t in the trailer -- it might just be okay.

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April 24, 2012

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Sizzle Reel and New Trailer Screened at CinemaCon 2012; Video Blog Recap

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub collider.com

With director Jon M. Chu‘s G.I. Joe: Retaliation opening June 29, Paramount and Hasbro are starting to amp up the promotion of the movie by releasing a great new trailer and by having some of the cast (Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki and D.J. Cotrona) talk about the film at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Prior to doing the interviews, I got to watch an impressive five minute sizzle reel and the new trailer with a group of reporters. If you were disappointed with the first G.I. Joe movie, the sequel looks to be a big improvement, as it’s going for a more real world approach while still trying to be a fun action movie. Also, with the majority of the Joe’s possibly getting killed in the first ten minutes (which is why it’s called Retaliation), the sequel could almost be considered a reboot. The sequel also stars Bruce Willis, Channning Tatum, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Joseph Mazzello, Elodie Yung, and Walton Goggins. Hit the jump for more.

Shortly after watching the footage, I recorded a video blog with Peter from Slashfilm and Alex from FirstShowing. We talked about the sizzle reel, the new trailer, and our thoughts on the films. While the sizzle reel and the trailer shared some of the same footage, the sizzle reel offered us brief looks at RZA as Blind Master, Walton Goggins as Warden Nigel James, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, and a whole bunch of cool looking action. The sequel to Joe really looks like the comic book come to life.

With CinemaCon starting today, this is the first of many video blogs that we’ll be posting from Las Vegas. Tomorrow we’re most likely going to see the new Dark Knight Rises trailer and possibly the first footage from Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit in 48fps. Expect our reactions shortly after seeing the footage. Until then, here’s what we thought about G.I. Joe 2.

For more on the Joe sequel, here’s 9 character posters, new images, all our previous coverage., and my brand new exclusive video interviews with Dwayne Johnson and director Jon M. Chu.

New 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer Kicks More Butt Than The First

By:

Casey Johnson

starpulse.com

The new trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been released online via Machinima, and it has more action than the first peek we got months ago. That said, there are some moments we wanted to break down.

Where's Duke? Channing Tatum had a starring role in the first film, but he is nowhere to be seen after the first moments. Did the writers go all-out and kill off a star, or are they keeping Duke's possible survival under wraps?

Political Cycle: The evil Zartan has become the President, thanks to some handy shape shifting capabilities. The trailer is wrought with strong political messaging, like the White House draping Cobra flags. Half the fun of this movie will be reading how blogs on both sides of the aisle try to spin the story towards their own beliefs.

General Joe's One-Liners: A worrisome trend in the two trailers is Bruce Willis' character Joe Colton's insistence to drop one-liners at any given moment. We had the "My cholesterol is kinda high" response to "how are you doing?" in the first trailer, and now we have Willis making a Girl Scout cookies order when three remaining Joes invade his house. It's okay to have some fun; we just want the character to be believable.

Overseas Destruction: In Rise of Cobra, the Eiffel Tower was demolished. Now, at the hands of Cobra, it appears that London is next on the list. Perhaps Cobra is displaying a nationalistic tendency, but it's odd that the victims thus far have only been other countries, not the U.S.

Ninjas are everywhere! We admit Snake Eyes is an awesome character, and his back-story was very interesting in the first film. However, a good portion of this trailer felt like it was for something titled 'G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes." Not that we wouldn't watch that movie, either. We just hope the other action figures get as much love.

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April 24, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer Disposes of Channing Tatum, Recruits Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis (Video)

The second theatrical preview for director Jon M. Chu's upcoming sequel offers plenty of new plot details, as well as a better look at the action sequences.

by Todd Gilchrist THR

Following director Jon M. Chu’s appearance at Cinemacon in Las Vegas, Paramount Pictures premiered a second trailer Monday night for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The follow-up to the studio’s 2009 blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA, Chu’s film stars Dwayne Johnson as iconic soldier Roadblock and Bruce Willis as Joe Colton, the man for whom the Joes were named.

While previous trailers and clips set up the context for Chu’s sequel, the new footage reveals more details about how and why Johnson and Willis’ characters are introduced into the series. Specifically, Duke (Channing Tatum) is among a group of soldiers that is attacked by Firefly (Ray Stevenson), and while the trailer doesn’t reveal his fate, he’s evidently indisposed enough to be absent from the remainder of the clip, if not the movie itself. Subsequently, Roadblock assembles a new core team of Joes that includes Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Mouse (Joseph Mazzello), Flint (D.C. Cotrona) and of course Snake Eyes (Ray Park), after discovering that the President of the United States himself (Jonathan Pryce) has branded G.I. Joe a menace and replaced the division with the evil forces of COBRA.

The last member of Roadblock’s team to join is Joe Colton, and the two men set out to rescue the world from COBRA, whose forces assemble across the globe. As London erupts in violence, Roadblock struggles to keep ahold of his team and avenge his fallen comrades. After that, there’s a bunch of cool swingy stuff where Jinx (Elodie Yung) and Snake Eyes fight up in the mountains against a phalanx of COBRA ninjas.

While if anything the trailer reveals too much plot (and do we really need another disgraced-team-races-to-clear-its-name story?), the footage only further energizes expectations from fans, whose skepticism over the hiring of Step Up 2 The Streets and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never director Jon M. Chu was allayed after the premiere of the first trailer. At least for the time being, Chu seems to have delivered the goods – and then some – with G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but if nothing else, the prospect of seeing Johnson and Willis share the screen is enough to get action fans excited about the film’s big-scale summer spectacle.

But if the promise of a good-looking G.I. Joe movie still isn’t enough to get audiences involved, Paramount simultaneously premiered the website COBRASpecialForces.com, where fans can begin their “COBRA Recruitment Testing” (we qualified as Mercenary, which we’re cool with as long as it means we either get to hang out with Zartan and the Drednoks or Major Bludd and the Baroness). Click here to test your mettle as a member of COBRA.

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April 24, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer: Five Kick-richard simmons Moments

By Josh Wigler (@RoundHoward) mtv.com

Duke goes early and so does London in the brand-new trailer for 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation,' from 'Never Say Never' director Jon Chu.

Crashing through the sky comes the fearful cry of Cobra, but I feel no fear at the laser-blasting terrorist organization's coming arrival. For one, we all know the Joes have this battle in the bag. For another, there's a second "G.I. Joe" movie heading our way in just two short months, and by the looks of it, it's the movie that fans have always wanted. Bring on Zartan, Firefly and the rest of them, I say!

Cobra Commander and his minions are out in full force in the brand-new "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" trailer that arrived Tuesday (April 24) courtesy of Machinima. Featuring an introduction from leading man Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the two-and-a-half-minute trailer embraces everything we loved about that first "Retaliation" spot and ups the ante considerably. Keep reading for the five scenes from the trailer we were most excited to see.

The Duke of Hazard

"Just don't kill Duke. That's really my only request," MTV.com reader Adam wrote in response to the arrival of the first "Retaliation" trailer some months ago. Unfortunately, Adam, I don't think your wish will be granted: Rumors have long been swirling about the early exit of Channing Tatum's "Rise of Cobra" hero, and his limited appearance in the "Retaliation" trailer only fuels that fire further. If there's a silver lining, it's that Duke appears to have grown among the Joe crowd quite a bit since last we saw him. He's got a strong relationship with Roadblock, so much so that he happily volunteers to babysit his fellow Joe's little girls for a weekend. Duke might not last long in "Retaliation," but expect his departure — however it comes — to weigh heavily on Roadblock as the film unfolds.

The Country Is at War

There's only one man who could destroy G.I. Joe in one crushing move, and the Rock voted for him. Viewers well know that the president of the United States is Zartan in disguise, using his influence to push Cobra into the public eye and assert its dominance over the globe. If you thought the rise of Cobra meant the death of the former president, however, you'd be mistaken: The trailer reveals that the real president (played by "Pirates of the Caribbean" veteran Jonathan Pryce) is still alive, if not exactly well.

Two Cases of Thin Mints

With few allies left to turn to, Roadblock takes his surviving Joes — Flint and Lady Jaye — and teams up with the reclusive General Joe Colton, the man who started it all. The hero, played by action legend Bruce Willis, has gone from complaining about his high cholesterol to demanding Girl Scout cookies in this newest trailer. And he wonders why his blood pressure is all out of whack!

London Bridge Is Falling Down

"Rise of Cobra" saw the destruction of the Eiffel Tower. It looks like London's going to undergo a similar "everything must go" sale when "Retaliation" rolls around. What, you really thought that President Zartan wanted world peace? He and the Cobra gang are behind the massive terrorist assault on the United Kingdom, and it's going to be up to Roadblock and his pals to prevent further destruction from happening.

Ninja Wrap

So. Many. Ninjas. But never enough ninjas. There is no such thing, as Snake Eyes and Jinx battling an army of sword-wielding Cobra loyalists on the side of a mountain will surely tell you. Recently, Chu revealed that a nine- to ten-minute, dialogue-free ninja battle would occur in "Retaliation," and going by the previous trailer and this latest one, it looks like this snow-covered mountain is where it's all going down. Awesome.

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G.I. Joe: El Contraataque l Trailer Oficial de México

April 25, 2012

15 Minutes Of GI Joe Retaliation In Brazil

by Shin Densetsu hisstank.com

While AICN was able to see 9 minutes of footage from GI Joe Retaliation, Omelete from Brazil was able to see 15 minutes last week. Here's a breakdown of 3 pivotal scenes that they saw(WARNING: slight spoilers, read at your own risk!):

The Great Escape

It is an extended version of the first scene of the new trailer, which has FireFly (Ray Stevenson) attacking from the outside of a fortress, while Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) fakes cardiac arrest to start the escape plan and release of Cobra Commander, who appears without a mask, with more breathing problems than an asthmatic Darth Vader. Then we learned of the infiltration in the White House and plan to destroy the world (well illustrated with a huge explosion in London.) The sequence ends with the trio of Joes to General Colton (Bruce Willis), Joe of all Joes, asking something in return for aid.

Snake Eyes VS Storm Shadow

The rematch between the two ninjas. A battle that seems unfair, shurikens against a machine gun that can destroy the ninja stars while they are thrown and ends with daggers "out" in a clash between the two. Cut to getting The Rock "a vehicle that works fine in neutral," but he prefers a little more speed.

Fighting in the mountains

This sequence had already been briefly shown in the first trailer and must redefine the use of wire-fu (fighting with steel cables) in Hollywood films. This longer version has more agents of Cobra going up against the Joes, we can see that it has everything to become iconic and endlessly copied. The scene ends in an unexpected way, with a sacrifice.

As with the 9 minutes of footage mentioned earlier, the scenes described here formed the basis of GI Joe Retaliation Trailer 2.

A Description Of 9 Minutes Of GI Joe Retaliation

by

Shin Densetsu

hissta

nk.com

AintItCoolNews' Russ Sheath was able to watch 9 minutes of GI Joe Retaliation, and has posted a description of what he saw(now that the embargo on screener information has been lifted). He describes the movie as very different from the Rise Of Cobra, and he got to hear Cobra Commander speak for the 1st time:

It was difficult to tell whether that was Joseph Gordon Levitt* as Cobra Commander from the quick glimpse we got of the unmasked, scarred leader of the Cobra Legions and I'd be keen to know who voiced him, as we heard the Commander speak he sounded much more sinister and commanding than in the previous movie.

*Levitt has stated before that he is not in GI Joe 2

From Sheath's description, he was very impressed by the ninja duels shown between Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow. A lot of what what he described from the 9 minutes of footage seems to be the basis for the 2nd GI Joe Retaliation Trailers.

This is how he concluded his summary:

From this early footage I think that fans will love GI Joe Retaliation as Chu and The Rock get GI Joe right. Everything that might be considered minor details, for example Snake-Eyes or Cobra Commander's mask are things that have a 30 year history and are in this movie....besides, there's no excuse for a ninja who's taken a vow of silence, having lips.

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Please refer original link for the related captures

April 25, 2012

G.I. Joe: Retaliation perspective after new footage revealed

Source: generalsjoes.com

One of my most popular posts directly after the posting of the original G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer were my 10 questions or answers revealed from the trailer. It seemed to be a very well-trafficed post and I got some great feedback on it, so I figured I would revisit the idea now that we not only have a new theatrical trailer, but we also have some awesome, spoilery details revealed from some early footage screenings.

I will endeavor to write this post keeping spoilers to a minimum, but folks trying to keep 100% pure from potential revelations may want to avoid it. Really, though, I’m just using my own perspective, not much inside knowledge. So, upon these new details and trailers, what do we know now and what is still to find out?

Click the Read the Rest of the Story link below to read my thoughts.

By all accounts, G.I. Joe: Retaliation will be your standard summer action film length, probably around 2 hours or a bit more, and to date we’ve probably been privy to about 6 minutes of combined footage. How can we be expected to formulate an opinion based on that? Why, rampant speculation and furious hyperbole of course! My specialty.

10 – So, come on now... is Duke really dead?

The short answer is, nobody knows yet and everyone seems to have their own opinions. Dave Tree, who saw some extended footage (around 10 minutes worth) and reported on it for our What’s on Joe Mind special edition #11, seems pretty firm in his believe that Duke is dead. The lack of Channing Tatum throughout most of the trailer footage we’ve seen would make me inclined to agree with that (not to mention a distinct lack of Duke love on action figure shelves this summer by all appearances).

However, a recent interview with director Jon Chu makes his fate a lot more ambiguous. He clearly says that they leave the door open to the fate of the original cast members of the Rise of Cobra, and one would assume that means Duke as well. Not to mention the fact that he’s kind of the poster boy for the entire franchise.

09 – How do Jinx and Firefly tie into this whole story?

Still tough to tell this from the trailers, but you can’t argue that she certainly has a pretty big appearance. She shows up in various spots, sporting a red ninja mask, her yellow mountain climbing suit, and the red more martial arts uniform that we’ve seen several times already. This latest trailer showed her in a red facemask for the first time, which is pretty bad richard simmons.

She is apparently Snake Eyes’ apprentice, and I imagine will end up working with the Joes to rescue him. Judging by shots from the original trailer, Snake Eyes is captured apart from the ambush on the G.I. Joe team, and when Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye go to rescue him, I’m thinking that just maybe Jinx ends up in the mix. That might be totally pulling stuff out of my richard simmons, however.

As for Firefly, there has been some concern that he might serve as little more than a cameo throughout the film, but I think these trailers kind of shoot down that notion. Him using those fantastic miniature robotic fireflies is an absolute inspired thought, and seeing him so prevalent throughout so much of this footage gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. He’s obviously closely involved in the firing of the kinetic energy weapon, and he plays a big role in Cobra Commander’s rescue as well, if you read Dave Tree’s footage report. It’s evident that Firefly is a central figure from beginning to end in this film and folks concerned about how much he would be seen may have little to worry about.

08 – What is Joe Colton’s real role?

Like Jinx, we know Bruce Willis is in the film, and we know he’s playing Joe Colton, but it’s been a bit foggy on exactly what he was doing in the movie and where he came into play. We now know that he’s a retired General, and was the inspiration for the G.I. Joe team. When the three remaining members of G.I. Joe end up on the run, they turn to him. He assists them in rescuing Snake Eyes, and supplies Roadblock with the familiar Ripsaw Tank. At first I think many folks thought Willis would have a glorified cameo in this film, but it certainly appears as if his role will be larger than anticipated, which is probably a good thing for Mr. and Mrs. Movie Goer who are attracted mostly by the names they recognize.

07 – What is Cobra’s master plan?

Apparently, it’s to kick the mini cooper out of London.

Beyond that, references were made in the UK Trailer that they were trying to “move the balance of power” and obviously Zartan as the President is forcing a high level of intimidation on the world powers as they make a demonstration out of England’s capital city. Ultimately it would appear that the master plan is to quite simply take over the world… I mean we are talking about Cobra here. The coolest thing is, they seem to have a clear and pointed way of doing that. They have the traditional “super weapon” that you expect with that crazy kinetically powered “rod cannon” in orbit. No, it’s no weather machine or teleportation device, but it’s damn scary as it is.

Cobra having a deadly super weapon = awesome.

06 – How did Storm Shadow survive and what is up with him?

This information isn’t clearly revealed, but judging by various reports we got from folks who have seen extended footage it sounds like Storm Shadow ends up in stasis within those water filled pods, and tricks the guards into getting a bit too close, allowing him to break out and free himself. There was another scene apparently with some laser scalpels working on Storm Shadow’s injuries. We still don’t know a whole lot of detail about how he may have survived, but he is evidently a big part of the sequel film.

The recently revealed Korean trailer also offers some surprising insight as we see a little snippet of what looks like the Blind Master unfolding Storm Shadow’s hood, and it also almost appears as if Storm Shadow is in Colton’s house being spoken to by Joe Colton himself.

What does this all mean? Obviously Storm Shadow has been well established in the comic continuity as an honorable person who only gets caught up with Cobra to uncover his uncle’s killer. With that whole mystery still in play in this theatrical universe are we starting to see Tommy Arashikage redeem himself? If so, who steps into his place as Snake Eyes’ physical and spiritual foil? Many questions leading up to the film’s release and food for thought for potential sequels.

05 – So what is up with the white-suited guy in the silver facemask?

Judging by the trailer footage and mostly based on the intel from the early footage screening, the guy in the silver face plate mask and white uniform is indeed Cobra Commander. From the reports on the What’s on Joe Mind special edition as well as the reports on GeneralsJoes from Russ and Dave, the guy in the silver mask is broken out by Storm Shadow and fits the profile of Cobra Commander.

04 – Speaking of Cobra Commander, is he or is he not “Rex”?

A loaded question to be sure. Both Jon Chu and Lorenzo DiBonaventura have stated that Cobra Commander is a different guy than we saw in the Rise of Cobra. However, reports from Dave and Russ, who saw extended footage, there does appear to be a significant connection between this Cobra Commander and the previous version. When Storm Shadow rescues this mysterious character, he is extremely disfigured, just like “Rex”, and he needs the silver mask to breathe. This is extremely similar to what we saw from Rex in the Rise of Cobra, so this leaves some serious interpretation based on what we’ve heard from Jon Chu and others. Of course there are still plenty of opportunities for gray area… were those tubes “cloning” tubes? Was the advanced footage screening purposefully vague, or offering in misdirection?

There is still a lot to discover here, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the whole Cobra Commander situation unfolds.

03 – What about those Destro rumors?

Again, looking back on the Moviefone interviews, both Chu and Di Bonaventura made specific hints and references to Destro, and it’s clear through many trailer sequences that there are multiple people in those tubes within the government facility. Whether or not one of those people is Destro is still up in the air, and this information was not even revealed to folks who saw the extended footage. It is my belief that Destro is one of those folks in the tubes that gets left behind, and that could possibly motivate him in future films.

02 – HISS Tank vs. Ripsaw? What is what?

This was an awesome revelation in this onslaught of recent trailers and I’m thrilled that the distinction is now clear. Due to the trademark treads of the Ripsaw tank, many fans were hypothesizing that the closest we would get to a HISS Tank was going to be some variation of that Ripsaw. Well, several sequences throughout these trailers has proven that false. There are clearly some very differently designed HISS Tanks rolling up on the capital that bear little to no resemblance (beyond the treads) to the familiar Ripsaw hanging out in Joe Colton’s garage. I think we’ve got the potential for a very cool conflict between the Ripsaw and the HISS Tanks, with the HISS’es obviously having the advantage in raw firepower while the Ripsaw is a smaller, faster, and more mobile offensive vehicle. Could lead up to a very neat on screen spectacle of Cobra vs. Joe vehicles that we didn’t really get with the Rise of Cobra.

01 – Is Roadblock a ninja? Are all the Joes ninjas? What is up with all the freaking ninjas?!

If you want my honest opinion, anyone who has been a G.I. Joe fan for the long haul should understand that like it or not, ninjas are a huge part of the G.I. Joe mythology. That is just the way it is. Not only do they make up a pretty core set of concepts for the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra conflict, but with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow as two major characters, this is just the way it’s going to be.

Obviously, throughout the scope of the toyline, it’s become clear that Hasbro is putting a major focus on the ninja elements, plastering the Arashikage symbol on pretty much everything, including Roadblock. The Rock has even mentioned this tight bond he has formed with Snake Eyes in the film, and the training he has done with him. But honestly, I think people need to settle down.

Just watch the trailers. Do you ever see Roadblock doing a martial arts move? Do you ever see him using swords or jump kicks to defeat his enemies? No, you don’t. In every single combat oriented scene he’s firing weapons. Regardless of the training background with Roadblock and the Arashikage it’s blatantly obvious within the scope of the footage we’ve seen that he will be a soldier in this film, NOT a ninja. Obviously within the tight confines of a two hour movie, it benefits the audience to form a connection between the main characters. They have to bond Roadblock and Snake Eyes in a quick and easy way, and I think having them train together makes sense in that way. If you don’t like it, just ignore it. Snake Eyes and Jinx are clearly the main ninja protagonists, and Roadblock is there to fire machine guns, drive tanks and kick asses. I really think this element is being blown out of proportion by the fanbase, and they should probably reel it in just a bit.

My thoughts on the trailer and footage as a whole

Seriously, what do you think? I’m in severe geek out mode and I have been since about 2:01am yesterday morning. I’ve probably gotten about 7 hours of sleep combined in the past two nights as I rush to get my thoughts on digital paper (and via audio recording) and I keep thinking of more stuff I want to talk about or relive with these trailers. There is so much to digest and so many great details that you miss the first time around. The tone of these trailers is fantastic, the music is great, the reaction to them among not just the G.I. Joe fans, but across the internet proper has been impressively positive, and I simply cannot say enough good things about what Jon Chu is apparently doing with this franchise.

We could be seeing a reinvention in front of our eyes, Joe fans. A real progression from a fringe brand to a more mainstream “tentpole” event. Obviously some of that could be an overstatement, and there is still the potential for things to go sideways, but between the fast-paced frenetic footage, the enthusiastic reports from screenings, and an almost perfect blend of modern concepts and the familiar classic mythology…man, I’ve got some good feelings.

Of course many folks would say I had plenty of good feelings about G.I. Joe: Renegades, too, but dammit don’t kill my buzz here.

[rubie]

April 25, 2012

G.I. Joe Retaliation Exclusive Interview: Filmmakers & The Rock Rivet

by Joel D Amos moviefanatic.com

As soon as Movie Fanatic landed in Las Vegas, we were swept over to Rave Cinemas for a sizzle reel and preview of the G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer that we premiered earlier this week. The footage was impressive as producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, Red) and director Jon Chu have outdone themselves with taking a lauded franchise in an entirely different direction. The casting coup was nabbing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Roadblock to lead the Joes on their next mission. As Chu called Johnson “franchise Viagra” after his work on Journey 2 and Fast Five, the helmer is hoping for the same influx of energy for his G.I. Joe.

We caught up exclusively with Di Bonaventura, Chu and Johnson here and got inside the recharged lifeblood of a franchise born decades ago that salutes our country’s soldiers and their sacrifice. Director Chu, after helming Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never, was brought to the attention of producer Di Bonaventura by Paramount and was thrilled to meet with the helmer. “What he did with that Bieber movie, which could have been anything -- which I thought turned into a really good movie -- it was really shocking,” Di Bonaventura said.

They also had a director in Chu who had been all about G.I. Joe since childhood. “Paramount said that this guy knows the franchise inside and out.”

Johnson said his director’s desire to bring the best Joe possible was palpable. “We have a hell of a director who is so passionate about the title, the franchise, the comics, the cartoons… everything,” the actor added.

Di Bonaventura too shared a joy for everything Joe, as his father represented the real life heroes. “My dad was a G.I. He was a paratrooper in World War II and I grew up with that,” he said and smiled. “I’ve had the opportunity to make movies with the military -- this is not a military movie -- but it has the connotation because of it. What that stands for is an unbelievable faith in decency and willingness to sacrifice and a desire to protect the innocent. They are really great values."

The producer had managed to put two action heroes, Johnson and Willis, in the same movie -- something no one has ever been able to do before. “It was fun. It just happened. I wish we could say we were so smart that we organized it. We didn’t,” Di Bonaventura said.

“As we began to cast the movie, you have this character named Roadblock. You go, 'Who could play Roadblock?' It’s kind of like, 'Duh.' Fortunately Dwayne was available. I had worked with Bruce on Red so I just called him up: 'We’re interested in your playing a guy named Joe Colton, who’s the original G.I. Joe.' He said, 'I played with G.I. Joes!' He immediately got it. For him, it was an opportunity to relive his own childhood.”

Joining Willis in that virtual sandbox was Chu. The gig not only is a huge jump career-wise for the director, but also in some ways a means to meet a destiny forged in childhood. “The personality of all the Joes, is always been a part of my personality. Snake Eyes was one part. I would draw him on my books at school all the time. Roadblock with his rhyming and his cooking -- they all had human characteristics that I adored. The bad guys were always kick-richard simmons too. We tried to bring all of those aspects to the movie.”

Not one to let all the testosterone get all the spotlight, it is clear Chu is taken with the talents of Adrianne Palecki in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. “I loved her work on Friday Night Lights. She’s stunning. I didn’t know how she would be with the guns when she first met with us. She came in and grabbed the guns like she was born with them in her hands,” Chu said. “She holds her own with Bruce!”

Despite the explosive brawn of the film, Johnson wants fans of G.I. Joe to know everything that was done with G.I. Joe: Retaliation was done with love.

“We pay true homage and respect to the mythology of G.I. Joe. We went to great lengths to make sure that they were happy -- from the military fatigues to the design, the costumes and making sure we pay honor to it,” Johnson said. “When you have that foundation of paying homage to the mythology, then you can branch off and grow from that. The foundation has to be solid.”

CinemaCon:

Dwayne Johnson is 'franchise Viagra,' says director

Source:

LA Times

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has reinvigorated so many flagging franchises in recent years that his friends in Hollywood have started to refer to him as "franchise Viagra."

"He's created a brand for himself that's unlike any star ever before, and he brings an energy to properties that need it," Jon Chu, director of Johnson's latest film, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," said at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas this week. The Paramount Pictures movie hits theaters in June.

Indeed, the "G.I. Joe" series was in need of what Johnson calls a "creative shift" after 2009's "Rise of the Cobra" received scathing reviews from both fanboys and critics. While the film was a financial success, raking in over $300 million worldwide, Johnson was cast in the sequel in an effort to help win moviegoers back after the original's poor reception.

The brawny actor has fulfilled the role of the white knight before: He replaced Brendan Fraser in the sequel to "Journey of the Center of the Earth" and helped reinvigorate both "The Mummy" and the "Fast & Furious" franchises.

Still, the 39-year-old actor joked he only considers himself "franchise Viagra" when he's drunk.

"The goal was never to find franchises, go in and take them over," said Johnson, who was in Las Vegas to accept CinemaCon's Action Star of the Decade award. "The first question is, 'Well, can I come in and help elevate a movie?' With this film, it was an opportunity I wanted to grab by the throat and make right. I wanted it to veer off from the first."

Johnson said he was eager for "Retaliation" to have a grittier, more grounded feel. Despite the increased emphasis on physical stunts, Chu says the movie will offer up a more emotional side of its characters -- especially Johnson's.

"I think people will see a whole new face of Dwayne when they get to see him perform some pretty dramatic stuff," the filmmaker said. "OK, he doesn't shed tears. But he sheds punches."

[rubie]

April 24, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer

16 Cheesy-But-Awesome Lines Of Dialogue From 'Joe' Sequel

The Huffington Post | By Christopher Rosen

"G.I. Joe: Retaliation" isn't necessarily a reboot of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" -- the critically-derided-but-financially-successful "Joe" film released in the summer of 2009 -- but it's certainly a remodel. Gone is director Stephen Sommers and "Rise of the Cobra" actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marlon Wayans (Channing Tatum appears in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," but judging from the trailer he might not be long for its world); replacing them are director Jon M. Chu, Adrianne Palicki, Bruce Willis and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Or, as he was called when the "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" trailer debuted on Monday night at CinemaCon: "Franchise Viagra."

"t's a beloved franchise," Johnson told Moviefone earlier this year. "So when the studio came to me with the idea about starring in the movie, they quickly followed that up with, 'Here are our ideas of rebooting it: More real, more rooted, more boots-to-the-ground, and a bit darker.'" Sounds good, Rock! Also: a bit more cheesy-but-awesome -- at least if you judge "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" on some of the perfectly meat-headed dialogue presented in the newest trailer.

Ahead, the 16 best ("best") lines from the "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" trailer. Count on many more when the film explodes into theaters on June 29.

[via Movieline]

1. "They're all dead."

2. "There's only one man who could authorize a strike like that ... and I voted for him."

3. "What if the president isn't the president?"

4. "You're insane."

5. "We have to assume there's no one we can trust."

6. "There is one man."

7. "Call me Joe."

8. "This is it, boys. This is what we waited for."

9. "Boom."

10. "Whoever did this, will be back."

11. "We're all that's left."

12. "Let's get to work."

13. "World ain't saving itself."

14. "Something else is going on here."

15. "Get out of there, now."

16. "I ain't gonna be in neutral."

[rubie]

April 24, 2012

New G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer sees Bruce Willis come to the rescue

By Emily Hewett metro.co.uk

The new trailer for Jon M. Chu's blockbuster G.I. Joe: Retaliation sees Bruce Willis unite with Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum and D.J. Cotrona to take on Cobra's Zartan once and for all.

Bruce Willis leads the Joe squad alongside Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum and D.J. Cotrona

in Jon M. Chu's blockbuster G.I Joe: Retaliation (Picture: Paramount)

The sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson take the lead from Channing Tatum as the Joe squad fight their nemesis in London.

Most of the heroes from the last movie are wiped out in the trailer, with only Johnson’s Roadblock surviving along with two other new characters - D.J. Cotrona as Flint, and Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was recruited to bring a breath of fresh air

into the sequel (Picture: Paramount)

Following the assassination, Roadblock then leads a black ops team in a revenge mission against Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), enlisting their retired special ops founder General Joseph Colton (Willis) on the way.

And Chu, who has also directed the likes of Step Up 2 The Streets and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, is confident the cast reboot will wash with fans.

Adrianne Palicki's Lady Jaye is also a new addition to the franchise (Picture: Paramount)

When asked whether the sequel addresses the cast makeover, he told The Hollywood Reporter: 'We address a little bit, but also leave some of it up in the air.

'But in my mind, the movie was never about them; the movie is about our characters that you introduced from the beginning. We wanted people to come into this movie and, if you haven’t seen the first movie, be totally OK, which is actually pretty tough because Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are hard to explain to somebody who had never seen G.I. Joe.

The US President is not who he seems (Picture: Paramount)

'But we leave some of it open, so you’ll see.'

And Chu, who took over from Stephen Sommers, has dubbed Johnson 'franchise Viagra', saying he has the ability to breathe new life into existing series, as he did with The Scorpion King, Fast Five, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation sees the mortal enemies battle it out in London (Picture: Paramount)

The 32-year-old director is also convinced he's perfect for the directing role: 'I grew up with G.I. Joe. I played with all the toys, and I was a little spoiled kid, so I got all my brothers and sisters toys. I would play in the backyard in my sandbox, in the trees, in the couches.

'And if [a toy's] arm would break off — even better. The story would get more interesting. I’m convinced this is where I learned to tell stories.”

G.I. Joe: Retaliation opens in the UK on August 3.

[rubie]

April 24, 2012

London Eye is falling down! British capital meets a messy end in the new trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation

By ANDREA MAGRATH dailymail.co.uk

They blew up Paris in the last film, and now the team behind G.I. Joe have set their sights on our shores.

In the newly-released trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the London Eye, House of Parliament and Westminster, Hungerford and Waterloo Bridges are all blown up in spectacular fashion.

Bruce Willis is to star as 'the original Joe' in the sequel, which also stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and returning star Channing Tatum.

London Eye is falling down! The British capital gets blown up in the new trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation

But most of the original Joes are assassinated at the start of the film by the Cobras as their nemesis Zartan succeeds in stealing the American president's identity.

With the Joes disbanded, the surviving members go underground and seek out the original Joe to help them take down Zartan.

Bruce Willis takes centre stage playing Joe Colton, teaming up with Johnson's Roadblock and newcomer Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye.

Director Jon M. Chu said it took some time to woo Willis. 'He was always our dream guy to play Joe Colton, the original Joe, [but] I didn’t necessarily know if he would ever do something like this,' Chu told The Hollywood Reporter.

'It’s such a very specific brand -- the character Joe Colton exists, but not really. But the question I keep getting from people like my mom is, “Well, who plays Joe?” And there is no Joe, but we had this character Joe Colton that we built into the movie that would help bring it back to the basics.

And there was no battle of the egos between action stars Willis and Johnson, the director says. 'To have them both next to each other is blowing my mind. They love each other, Bruce and Dwayne. I'm surprised they’ve never been in a movie together.'

Despite most of the much-loved character from the 2009 film meeting their end at the start of the sequel, Chu says he has made this movie with new fans in mind.

Asked how he deals with explaining the new cast line-up, Chu reveals: 'We address a little bit, but also leave some of it up in the air. 'But in my mind, the movie was never about them; the movie is about our characters that you introduced from the beginning.

'We wanted people to come into this movie and, if you haven’t seen the first movie, be totally OK. So for me, I was like, "Let’s jump to a different part of the Joe world."

'It’s the same world, but at a different point.'

G.I. Joe: Retaliation premieres in the US on June 29 and in the UK on August 3.

[rubie]

April 24, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' trailer 2: Bruce Willis orders Girl Scout Cookies (Video)

by Corinne Heller ontheredcarpet.com

A new trailer for "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" has been released and sees General Joe Colton, played by franchise newcomer Bruce Willis place a sweet order.

The trailer opens with an U.S.-led attack on the G.I. Joes, a special strike team called the "ultimate freedom fighting force," which aims to defeat the terrorist group Cobra. Senior fighter Duke, played by Channing Tatum, and fellow franchise newcomer Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character, a heavy machine gunner and cook named Roadblock, are among the soldiers attacked.

The president, played by Jonathan Pryce, announces: "This country is at war. The new special forces unit, Codenamed Cobra, will protect us where the Joes could not. The G.I. Joes are no more."

The U.S. leader is actually an imposter - the villian Zartan, played by Arnold Vosloo of "The Mummy" fame.

Following the infiltration of the White House, the Joes, led by Johnson's character, enlist the help of the original G.I. Joe, aka Colton.

Colton, played by Bruce Willis, points a gun at them and sarcastically places an order for two cases of Girl Scout cookies - Thin Mints.

In 2002, the actor bought 12,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from his daughter Tallulah and had them sent to U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

After Colton agrees to help the Joes, the team springs into action to stop Cobra, which appears to have succeeded in blowing up the city of London.

"Let's get to work," Johnson's character says. "The world ain't saving itself."

Former "Friday Night Lights" actress Adrianne Palicki, who was supposed to play Wonder Woman in a television pilot before NBC shelved the project, plays Lady Jaye, the team's covert operations specialist.

Byung-hun Lee is back as Storm Shadow and newcomer Ray Stevenson, who recently starred in a new film adaptation of "The Three Musketeers," plays fellow ninja baddie Firefly.

The new movie is based on a popular Hasbro toy line and is set for release on June 29, 2012. It is the sequel to the 2009 film "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and was directed by Jon M. Chu, who also helmed movies such as "Step Up 3D" and "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

A previous trailer for "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" samples the White Stripes' 2003 song "Seven Nation Army." Check out both trailers here.

[rubie]

April 25, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' bests original

Lee Byung-hun reprises 'loner' Storm Shadow, praises new director

By Kwaak Je-yup jay@koreatimes.co.kr

Lee Byung-hun, who stars as Storm Shadow in the new film by Jon M. Chu “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,”

speaks at a press conference Wednesday. The movie opens in theaters nationwide in June. / Courtesy of 1st Look

For one of the country’s biggest stars, Lee Byung-hun was surprisingly — even excessively — modest.

At a press event to plug the second installment of the G.I. Joe franchise in Seoul Wednesday, Lee shied away from accolades and was focused on praising the film instead.

“I absolutely think that (the sequel) will be more fun than the first one,” he said firmly at the conclusion of the Q&A session.

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Bruce Willis and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It is slated to open in theaters nationwide in June.

Lee based his claim mostly on the excellence of the 32-year-old American director, who replaced the original’s Stephen Sommers (best known for “The Mummy” series).

According to Lee, Chu gave a breath of fresh air to the action film.

“If Mr. Summers concentrated on showing many different characters and state-of-the-art CGI-enhanced scenes together, Mr. Chu was focused on the people. He wanted to show their personal histories,” he said. “He thought of the drama on top of flashy visual effects.”

Earlier, the actor said he was also more satisfied with his own acting, though language difficulties remained an issue on set.

“If I had just a lot of sword fights and kicks in the first movie, this time my character (Storm Shadow) is seen more up close. It has a dramatic aspect that shows his history, inner conflicts. I loved how much of my acting I could show this time around... but I still think I could have been much more competent in a Korean film.

“Frankly speaking, it’s hard. Casual speech and delivering lines in English belong to two different dimensions. Because you use a foreign language, you’ve got to be sure you could recite lines without a mistake even if someone woke you up from a nap.

“On the set, someone from the crew told me after I read my line that my pronunciation was off for one of the words. Right after my head became completely blank, busy thinking about that one line. Sometimes I felt I was back in the earliest days of my career.”

His character is an independent combatant who fights for neither good nor evil in the story. Lee said that his status as a loner was the role’s biggest attraction and claimed he would not want to play anyone else, even if he were given a chance.

After his debut in 1991, landing a part in a TV drama series following an open audition, Lee fast became a heartthrob and the center of media attention. But the actor has since established himself as a rare figure on the Korean screen who has achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, unencumbered by his good looks.

At cinemas or on TV, his name headlined a marquee of monster hits, from “Joint Security Area (2000)” by Park Chan-wook, the highest grossing film here at that time, to “IRIS (2009)” on KBS, the most expensive Korean small-screen drama in history.

Riding high on national-level success, Lee became one of the first Korean actors to break out in the overseas markets, starting with the 2008 arthouse film “I Come with the Rain” by French director Tran Anh Hung. He starred alongside American and Japanese leading men Josh Hartness and Takuya Kimura, respectively.

It was also announced Wednesday morning that on June 23, Lee and Korean acting great Ahn Sung-ki will be guests of honor at the Korean Film Festival in Los Angeles, becoming the first actors of Asian origin to leave their hand and footprints at the plaza in front of the iconic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Almost 200 Hollywood celebrities have left their mark there since 1927, the year of the venue’s opening.

At the press event, however, Lee played down the hype and took it with utmost modesty.

“There are people who set goals and there are others who have dreams. Goals are something you think are realizable in the future, but dreams are based on just your wishful thinking. This honor is even beyond my wildest dreams.”

The film “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” will have its world premiere in Hong Kong, on June 21.

[rubie]

April 25, 2012

Lee shares his Hollywood experience

Hallyu star returns as Storm Shadow in 'G.I. Joe 2'

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldm.com) koreaherald.com

Shooting his second Hollywood film required a number of things of actor Lee Byung-hun, including mastering every script line in a perfect American accent and getting used to the extremely strict shooting schedule.

The hallyu megastar is returning as the famously heroic “Storm Shadow” character in his upcoming sci-fi film “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” which is a sequel to the 2009 picture “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.”

“In Korea, things can be flexible if an actor is sick or isn’t in his or her best condition,” Lee told reporters in a press meeting promoting his upcoming action in southern Seoul, Wednesday.

“So if you are seriously ill, you can re-schedule your shooting schedule. But that’s simply not the case in Hollywood. The production cost for each and every shooting day is just colossal there, so even if you’ve broken your leg you’d still have to show up at the set. Everything is pre-planned in every single detail, so you’d always start and finish each day’s work on time. I found the system very efficient, but also a bit scary and intimidating at times.”

Actor Lee Byung-hun speaks at a press meeting held in promotion of his upcoming film

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” at CGV Apgujeong, southern Seoul, Wednesday. (1st Look)

Both the 2009 and the upcoming films are based on American board game company Hasbro’s toy and cartoon series. While Lee is returning as the same Storm Shadow, the heroic character who works as a ninja bodyguard in the first film, other casts and director have been changed.

The upcoming picture is directed by Jon M. Chu, while starring top Hollywood actors Bruce Willis and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson along with Lee. The hallyu star said shooting the sequel was certainly easier than the first one, but the language barrier and getting used to the strict schedule were still a challenge for him to overcome.

“I’d memorize each and every line perfectly before going to the shoot,” the actor told reporters.

“But I’d just forget every line ― literally every single line ― when I’m told that I’ve pronounced one word wrong while acting. Having to think that I somehow have to fix my pronunciation for that one word would just make me totally lost at the set. There’s a huge difference between making conversation in a foreign language and acting in a foreign language. I feel the most comfortable when I perform for pieces that are based on Korean culture. So I can’t help but feel that I could’ve done better if this were a Korean movie.”

Though he felt it was too “strict” at times, Lee said the efficient Hollywood system offers a lot to learn.

“Compared to Korean movies, pre-production phase is much longer for Hollywood films,” said Lee. “Because they perfectly plan out everything in advance, the actual production period is a lot shorter. I think it’s a lot more efficient that way and maybe things can be done in a similar way here.”

When a reporter asked if it bothers Lee in any way that his Storm Shadow character can be seen as another American stereotype of Asian men, the actor said he thought the character was “something that he had to do” in his foray into Hollywood.

“I didn’t necessarily decide to play this character because I loved it so much,” Lee said. “Right now I’m not given with a lot of choices in Hollywood. I thought this character was something that I had to do in my first steps of breaking into their world. And maybe I will be given with more choices once I do this character very well, though he maybe another Asian male stereotype.”

The top actor was reported to be dating popular actress Lee Min-jeong earlier this month. Both he and Lee denied the reports. Prior to the press meeting, reporters were asked not to ask him any “personal questions” and inquire only about the upcoming movie.

Lee is currently shooting his first period drama “King of Joseon,” which is slated to be released in late fall.

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” opens in local theaters on June 21.

Please check out EverythingLBH.com entries 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 for the GI Joe: Retaliation Press Day compilation or simply click on to Lee Byung Hun-soompi thread. ^^

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April 27, 2012

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Japanese Poster & Trailer

Source: Nate

Credit: GBWcafe.daum

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Watch on Youtube

HERE

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There's a message from Lee Byunghun at the beginning of the clip and Bruce Willis at the end.

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Jon M. Chu ‏ @jonmchu

Billboard spotted for the first time!!! It happening...

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April 28, 2012

Why has Hollywood gone toy crazy?

Hollywood's new assault has begun. It's the march of all your childhood playthings, from Battleships to Lego, Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Space Invaders, says Daniel Bettridge independent.co.uk

Battleship launched a broadside at the UK box office last week, cruising to an impressive £3.8m haul over the course of its opening weekend . The movie has yet to open in the US but the early signs suggest that it looks like being another success story for toy manufacturers Hasbro, who are also behind the big screen treatments of Transformers and G.I. Joe.

As the movie's marketing so proudly proclaims, Battleship is based on the classic children's board game of the same name. Of course, no one wants to watch a two-hour game of chance in which Liam Neeson and Rihanna call out alphanumeric grid references in a bid to sink each other's aircraft carriers. So director Peter Berg has, with the help of a reported $200m (£120m) budget, transformed Battleship into an action-laden sci-fi epic in which an international fleet must face off against an alien race.

It is, of course, a far cry from the game that generations of children have played on scraps of paper and with pre-made sets. So why have Hollywood bigwigs been so keen to tie the blockbuster to its board-based predecessor? The answer lies in the next big movie trend that will see Hollywood turn to our toyboxes in search of franchises.

Battleship is just the opening salvo in an upcoming barrage of films based on some of our favourite childhood toys. Others include big-screen treatments for adolescent amusements ranging from Candy Land to Cluedo; there's even a Monopoly movie in the works, with Ridley Scott, of all people, slated to bring the family favourite to the silver screen. And that's just board games.

There are also a host of projects based on retro computer games – including live-action realisations of space-based favourites Asteroids and Space Invaders. And lets not forget toys themselves. Films based on Lego and the pliable plaything Stretch Armstrong are set for our screens in 2014; as well as an all new instalment to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise from Michael Bay.

Bay, of course, has previous when it comes to commercialising childhood nostalgia. It was the astronomical success of his big-screen Transformers trilogy that kick-started Tinseltown's current toy story. To date, the Transformers franchise has grossed more than $2.6bn worldwide, with the latest instalment, 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, accounting for almost half of that; making it the fourth-highest-grossing movie of all time.

The success of the series clearly wasn't a one-off; nor was it an isolated incident. In 2009 another childhood favourite was transferred to film, as an all-action movie based on the popular G.I. Joe action figures launched its assault on the box office. Despite a lukewarm reception, G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra went on to gross more than $300m and its success has paved the way for a sequel, G.I Joe: Retaliation, which will no doubt do the business when it lands in cinemas this summer.

Despite their popularity among adults, comic books are a predominantly pubescent pastime; and while they were first adapted for screens back in the 1940s, the genre has only really exploded onto our screens in the last few decades as a slew of Spandex-clad characters have taken up residence in the multiplex. The same is true for movies based on popular video-games, a trend which, despite setting off on unsteady footing after Bob Hoskins and Co bombed in the 1993 adaptation of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros., has proved enduringly popular at the box office.

Hollywood's heavyweights have traditionally been drawn to comic books and video games because they offer a mixture of compelling characters and richly textured back-stories; the fact that they cash in on our childhood memories is just an added bonus. In stark contrast the recent rash of projects plucked from our childhood playthings have neither of these things. Instead, Hollywood execs are investing staggering amounts of money in exchange for what is essentially a well-known brand name. The appeal of toybox movies is that they come complete with a pre-made audience which is interested in seeing its childhood playthings brought to life on the silver screen. It's what advertising types call "unaided awareness", and the fact that these blockbuster brands are instantly recognisable to audiences means that studios don't have to risk millions of pounds selling a fresh concept.

It's a role that used to be played by Hollywood's A-listers: the Cruises, Clooneys and Pitts of this world; who by merely being attached to a movie, could help to hook in a particular proportion of the audience. But A-listers are expensive, and their power has waned in recent years. By contrast, brand movies are significantly cheaper to fund, and also have a direct line to our childhood memories.

FIVE UPCOMING FILMS FROM YOUR TOYBOX

Monopoly

Despite being cut loose by Universal, Ridley Scott's Monopoly movie has still passed Go and the property is currently being built by scriptwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who have already penned 'Ed Wood' and 'The People vs Larry Flynt'.

Lego

Warner Bros. is bankrolling a live action/ animation hybrid based on the colourful Danish bricks. Currently slated for release in 2014, the film is being written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, whose previous projects include "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and "21 Jump Street".

Stretch Armstrong

Another project recently dropped by Universal, this film, based on the popular pliable plaything originally released in 1976, has found a new home with Relativity Media and is set for cinemas in April 2014.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Bruce Willis and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson join the cast for this summer's 'G.I Joe' sequel.

Garbage Pail Kids

Hatched in 1985, the Garbage Pail Kids were launched by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman as an irreverent parody of the Cabbage Patch Kids, and are currently being prepped for cinemas.