G.I. Joe: The Movie

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/10849526.html

I don't have a problem with international heroes, organizations, or characters, but this is as bad as making Uhura in the new Star Trek movie white.  G.I. Joe is, and always should be, an American hero.  The article above makes it even worse, as you can read about the inspiration behind a toy, the man whose face was on the original G.I. Joe Marine--and the promise the toy company made him that is now being broken.

Of course, what they are doing with the villain is pretty bad too. . .

[Pyroclasm]

Did I miss something?  What's wrong with the villain?  Destro was a Scottish Arms dealer.  So apparently the movie will focus on Destro as the main villain.  Since they are apparently doing the movie inspired by the 80's cartoon & toy line, it really doesn't have anything to do with Mr. Paige's likeness used for the old figures.  They hadn't used his likeness during the GIJoe vs. Cobra era and during that time, GIJoe didn't reference an actual person.  It was an organization.  And although a "Real American Hero", the GIJoe organization has been made up of international characters throughout the 80's series.  If it takes moving the location to an international location to make it marketable for the rest of the world, I'm all for it.  What says that there will be no American operatives?  I'm just hoping they don't take away the crazy codenames and designs for the sake of grounding it in reality.  Not much point of making a GIJoe movie if it becomes indistinguishable from such action/espionage fair as the Bourne Trilogy.

[Midnight]

Okay so... GI Joe: A Real American Hero becomes Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity: Action Man.

...is it just me or does the latter sound like a very poorly translated anime title?

[Pyroclasm]

According to Wiki:

[edit] Live-action film
Paramount has commissioned the development of a live-action G.I. Joe film following the success of the 2007 Transformers feature film. The film is being slated for a 2009 release date with Stephen Sommers as the director[2][3] and Stuart Beattie as the scriptwriter.[4] The film will feature an international task force based in New York[5] (previously Brussels)[6] called G.I.J.O.E, (a backronym for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity), instead of the US-centric team featured in all previous incarnations, in order to internationally market the film.[2][6] The film will feature Destro and the Baroness as the main villains, the Dreadnoks as mercenaries and Cobra's hired muscle, and Cobra Commander in a "puppet master" role. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow's rivalry will be one of the film's main plot points.[5]

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

A LITTLE better, but the name G.I. Joe is itself so American, it should still be an American organization with international members.

[ow_tiobe_sb]

♪ They got a message from the Action Man:
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too.
I've loved all I've needed to love--
sordid details following." ♫

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

[the_ultimate_evil]

to heck with you all to me it will always be action force

[Pyroclasm]

to heck with you all to me it will always be action force

I agree TUE.  Although I grew up with it as GIJoe, the international name has always been Action Force.  I'm just happy they are considering incorporating GIJoe into the name even if it is an acronym.  I really have no problem with them making it more global.  Let's just hope they do a good job in representing the characters.  Maybe it's time we speculate and nominate actors for the parts. :D

[Kommando]

to heck with you all to me it will always be action force

I agree TUE.  Although I grew up with it as GIJoe, the international name has always been Action Force.  I'm just happy they are considering incorporating GIJoe into the name even if it is an acronym.  I really have no problem with them making it more global.  Let's just hope they do a good job in representing the characters.  Maybe it's time we speculate and nominate actors for the parts. :D

In Canada it was GI Joe:  A Real Hero.  Plus we got maple leafs to stick on the vehicles and such instead of stars.  I don't see a problem with it being a global force.  In fact with today's climate, it HAS to be a global force if its to be seen as the good guys and not a self-appointed police force.

[captainspud]

Plus we got maple leafs to stick on the vehicles and such instead of stars.

Bwuh? I never got those. Mine was always stars.

<--feels ripped off

[BlueBard]

Bah.  Another movie based on toys.  What's next?  The Micronauts Movie?  Gumby: Action Hero?  Bah.

Used to be the toys were based on the movie.  And I much prefer it that way...

(signed, The Old Curmudgeon)  ;)

[Previsionary]

Bah.  Another movie based on toys.  What's next?  The Micronauts Movie?  Gumby: Action Hero?  Bah.

Used to be the toys were based on the movie.  And I much prefer it that way...

(signed, The Old Curmudgeon)  ;)

Someone obviously didn't see this then: http://www.impawards.com/1995/posters/gumby_the_movie.jpg

*teleports*

[edit] and just to prepare you now, there's talk of a second gumby movie. You may now attack hollywood. :P

[JKCarrier]

Gumby started out as a tv show, I think.  :P

I'm a bit older than most of you, so for me G.I. Joe is still the 12" figures with interchangeable outfits. Plus Mike Power - Atomic Man and Bulletman the Human Bullet!  :lol:

[JeyNyce]

If I remember correctly G.I. Joe had bases all over the world, didn't they?  So have a HQ outside the US doesn't bother me.  Like before I hope they keep the code names and please say Yo Joe! in the movie.

[thanoson]

What was that giant lizard that you would shoot in the sensor with a light? I remember that thing fighting the 12" Joe. Actually, a Rom: Spaceknight movie would be awesome.

[Kommando]

If I remember correctly G.I. Joe had bases all over the world, didn't they?  So have a HQ outside the US doesn't bother me.  Like before I hope they keep the code names and please say Yo Joe! in the movie.

Sounds good to me.  When I read the "stationed in Brussels" part, the first thing that came to me was a flashback to X-Com the game, and if anyone read the novel by Diane Duane, they had their base in Switzerland.  Being stationed in Europe does seem to be appropriate.  It also reminds me of UNIT from Doctor Who. 

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Bases around the world isn't a big deal, but the original ideal was that they were an international organization whose headquarters were in Brussels.

[Pyroclasm]

October 30, 2007


Message to G.I Joe Fans

Hasbro's G.I. Joe Team wanted to take this opportunity to clarify some of the facts regarding the G.I. Joe live-action movie that we are developing with Paramount Pictures. 

First and foremost, we are not changing what the G.I. Joe brand is about.  The name "G.I. Joe" will always be synonymous with bravery and heroism. 

The G.I. Joe brand has enjoyed a successful 43-year history, spanning two key generations.  The first was the line of 12-inch "realistic military" figures that were popular with kids in the 1960s and 1970s.

The second generation, was created in 1982, and is based on a cast of fictional heroes and villains that make up the "G.I. Joe vs. Cobra" fantasy.  The premise of this fantasy is the story of the G.I. Joe team, led by Duke, and their "fight for freedom wherever there is trouble" against the evil Cobra Commander and his Cobra force.  This storyline was an instant hit with kids in the early 1980s, spawning a highly popular 3-3/4-inch action figure line, comic book collection and animated series.

This movie will be a modern telling of the "G.I. Joe vs. Cobra" storyline and its compelling characters that Hasbro created 25 years ago.  The G.I. Joe team will not be based in Brussels.  Instead, they will be based out of the "Pit" as they were throughout the 1980s comic book series.  And, in keeping with the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra fantasy, the movie will feature characters and locations from around the world.  Duke, the lead character and head of the G.I. Joe team, will embody the values of bravery and heroism that the first generation of G.I. Joe figures established.

G.I. Joe is a very important property to Hasbro and we thank all of our fans for their enthusiasm.  Without all of you, the brand would not be where it is today. 

Thank you.

[the_ultimate_evil]

ironiclly this is the only board i've seen that dont mind the international changes, many are baying for blood, and i've even seen without getting too deep into politics that the changes are all the liberals hidden agendas lol

[Pyroclasm]

From what I've read, the movie will be centered on Snake Eyes.  I'm assuming centered in the same way the X franchise was centered around Wolverine even with an ensemble cast.  The main villains will be Destro & Baroness, with Cobra Commander in a behind the scenes role (think Emperor Palpatine).  The movie is also said to rely heavily on Zartan and the Dreadnoks.  I've always been a Cobra sympathizer, so let's hope they at least get the Cobras correct.  Now I wonder who will play the Baroness? :wub:

[JeyNyce]

It's funny that they called Duke the leader.  I always thought he was, but in the comic it was Hawk, not Duke.  I wonder if Sgt. Slaughter will make a appearance?

[zuludelta]

From what I've read, the movie will be centered on Snake Eyes.  I'm assuming centered in the same way the X franchise was centered around Wolverine even with an ensemble cast.  The main villains will be Destro & Baroness, with Cobra Commander in a behind the scenes role (think Emperor Palpatine).  The movie is also said to rely heavily on Zartan and the Dreadnoks.  I've always been a Cobra sympathizer, so let's hope they at least get the Cobras correct.  Now I wonder who will play the Baroness? :wub:

A fellow Cobra sympathizer! My favourite characters in the comics were always Storm-Shadow, Zartan, and the original three Dreadnoks (never really cared all that much for how Storm-Shadow and Zartan were portrayed in the cartoon, though).

Anyway, I don't really mind the liberties they've taken with the GI Joe team and it's make-up... the cartoon always struck me as fairly jingoistic pap anyway (even by 1980s standards). Also, people who are quick to scream that it's straying from the original material by making the team an international strike force are probably unaware of the origins of the GI Joe "characters" (as opposed to the toys).

In multiple interviews over the years, it's been revealed that the original GI Joe characters (Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Hawk, Steeler, and a couple who would make later toy debuts, Tunnel-Rat and Leatherneck) were originally created by writer Larry Hama as a S.H.I.E.L.D. team (obviously operating under the United Nations like the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D.) called "Fury Force". Even the idea of them operating from a faux motor pool ("The Pit") was part of the original pitch. Contrary to popular belief, though, Cobra wasn't just a re-named Hydra, the concept were actually created by editor Archie Goodwin. When plans for the "Fury Force" book were scuttled, Hama then reworked the character designs for Hasbro, who, in 1981, were looking for some individualized character designs and backgrounds for their new line of 1:18 scale action figures utilizing the 1960s GI Joe brand.

In effect, there's some neat symmetry in how events leading up to the movie played out... Hama's original, international strike force is re-molded to fit Hasbro's "Real American Hero" toy line, and now, almost thirty years later, the GI Joe brand is being reworked into an international strike force to fit the tenor of the times.

Click here to read more about the Hama GI Joe characters origins as a S.H.I.E.L.D. team (including early design sketches).

Time to play cast-a-movie!

Snake-Eyes: Ray Park (he doesn't need to talk, and he'll be wearing a mask anyway)

Storm-Shadow: Donnie Yen (yeah, I know he's Chinese, not Japanese, but since Sho Kosugi is probably 60 years old now, he's the only guy I can think of who's a legit theatrical/cinematic martial artist who looks the part and can actually act). Maybe they can get Takeshi Kaneshiro (a.k.a. Jincheng Wu), since he probably looks the part more, but he doesn't have the martial arts background that I think would be necessary to convincingly play the role.

Baroness: Monica Belluci (mmmmm... )

Destro: I don't know... Vin Diesel?

Cobra Commander: Willem Dafoe (all he has to do is reprise his Green Goblin speaking voice)

Roadblock: Michael Clarke Duncan

Scarlett: Jessica Biel or Milla Jovovich, both of whom can play convincing action roles

Hawk: Sam Elliott

Duke: Mark Wahlberg

Stalker: Samuel Jackson (who will then proceed to chew up the scenery)

Zartan: Gary Oldman (hey, he was in Fifth Element, so I don't think he's above playing a goofy role in a movie based on a toy)

The original Dreadnoks (Buzzer, Torch, Ripper): Spinal Tap (ha ha ha)

[Mr. Hamrick]

i've heard one cast member already been announced:

George Clooney

No, I am not joking.  Clooney apparently walked away from the film he was working on to take a part in the upcoming film.

[JeyNyce]

More Info:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200710310008

[Pyroclasm]

More Info:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200710310008

Not really info, just an article about some guy and his ravings.  You'd think these people never heard of a global market, or that GIJoe mythology mostly revolves around the storyline developed in the eighties which is about an international team (despite the american symbolism).  I don't think it is in the best interest of the movie studios, Hasbro, or even America to put out a movie with the theme that America is better than everyone else.  Making the good guys all american standing against a solely international group says to me "Frell the world".  Pride in your country is one thing, but in this day and age, the world is too small to think so xenophobically.

Ok, I'm gonna stop now before this turns too political.  Maybe we should switch gears and talk about the movie itself?
ZD, that's an interesting list, but Monica Bellucci as Baroness?  I don't see what people see in her.  I would be happy if I never see her in a movie again.  It's the same feeling I get with Catherine Zeta Jones.  (can't really explain why...)  Me, I want to see an actress of Slavic descent. (Isn't Baroness Romanian?)  Perhaps in this role Milla would work.  She does look hot in leather and black hair.  (Think Ultraviolet)

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I don't think it is in the best interest of the movie studios, Hasbro, or even America to put out a movie with the theme that America is better than everyone else.

Since when did anyone say anything about American being better than everyone else?  Having a movie featuring the American military is NOT the same thing.

I expect British movies to having the British military win the day, Chinese movies to feature the Chinese military and so on.  Why do the Americans have to be the one nation that's not allowed to display pride in their own military?  And no, I don't care whether the movie is distributed internationally or not.  It's the principle of the matter.

But G.I. Joe can have international members, or perhaps be an originally American group later sponsored by the U.N. or NATO or whatever.  I could, MAYBE live with that.  After all, you can't get away from the fact that the name G.I. Joe is DISTICTLY American since it refers specifically to the American military, and just the American military.

[Kitt Basher]

I find it funny that all of the people who can't stand that they changed this about spider-man or that about the x-men or anything about the fantastic four just to market the movies to non-comic fans have no problems with them changing anything with GI JOE.

It is amazing how much hate there is towards America and things American ... even from Americans!

[zuludelta]

I find it funny that all of the people who can't stand that they changed this about spider-man or that about the x-men or anything about the fantastic four just to market the movies to non-comic fans have no problems with them changing anything with GI JOE.

It is amazing how much hate there is towards America and things American ... even from Americans!

I don't think it's hate... speaking from my perspective as somebody who grew up in a place and time that was frequently a staging ground for the ideological and real battles between the US-sponsored state military and USSR/China sponsored Communism, I'm uncomfortable with any media that can potentially oversimplify and trivialize issues that have affected me personally (a reaction of mine not just restricted to films, mind you, it's a large reason why I've never been able to play through certain FPS and shooter games, even if I'm a big fan of those game genres). I'm less likely to complain about changes in the X-Men mythos or the Fantastic Four because I haven't personally had any dealings with super-powered mutants or been the subject of cosmic ray irradiation  :lol:. 

Does this mean I think a GI Joe movie featuring the American military as the protagonists is "wrong" (in any sense of the word)? No. In the hands of a capable writer, I think a "Real American Hero" interpretation of the property can be done well (as I've mentioned before in previous posts over the years, I'm a huge fan of most of Larry Hama's work on the GI Joe comic of the 1980s, despite my personal politics and views).

Since when did anyone say anything about American being better than everyone else?  Having a movie featuring the American military is NOT the same thing.

My biggest fear is that a Hollywood treatment of GI Joe as an American entity would lack any of the subtlety and nuance Hama infused in his comic book writing... in fact, I'm worried that a Hollywood treatment of GI Joe would be nothing more than the film equivalent of a Hulk Hogan wrestling match where he thoroughly stomps on a horribly caricatured Canadian/Russian/Arab/etc. to the chants of "USA!" from the crowd.

I think we're looking at a potential turkey no matter what direction they go with the protagonists' nationalities, anyway (because really, I don't think anybody's really expecting all that much from a movie based on a toy line), so I think adapting the material to appeal to the broadest market possible is a sensible strategy, and knowing that Hama's original intent for the characters was to use them in a S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off book back in the day just makes it a lot easier for me to accept the changes made to their nationalities in the film.

ZD, that's an interesting list, but Monica Bellucci as Baroness?  I don't see what people see in her.

I can see two things that make her appealing (ba-da-bump!)

Me, I want to see an actress of Slavic descent. (Isn't Baroness Romanian?)  Perhaps in this role Milla would work.  She does look hot in leather and black hair.  (Think Ultraviolet)

It's been a while since I read the comics, but I don't think they ever revealed her country of origin. All I know is that she's an actual baroness named Anastasia (can't remember if they ever gave her a last name), to give her a generic Slavic/Eastern European air. I always assumed she was from one of the Soviet states, since her brother was working with the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War (Snake-Eyes killed him then, which sort of ties into why she's got a mad-on for the GI Joe team). Milla Jovovich could probably work in the role, at the very least she wouldn't have to study up on the accent.

[Pyroclasm]

I don't think it is in the best interest of the movie studios, Hasbro, or even America to put out a movie with the theme that America is better than everyone else.

Since when did anyone say anything about American being better than everyone else?  Having a movie featuring the American military is NOT the same thing.

I expect British movies to having the British military win the day, Chinese movies to feature the Chinese military and so on.  Why do the Americans have to be the one nation that's not allowed to display pride in their own military?  And no, I don't care whether the movie is distributed internationally or not.  It's the principle of the matter.

But G.I. Joe can have international members, or perhaps be an originally American group later sponsored by the U.N. or NATO or whatever.  I could, MAYBE live with that.  After all, you can't get away from the fact that the name G.I. Joe is DISTICTLY American since it refers specifically to the American military, and just the American military.

I didn't say you did.  Read my entire passage not just the one line.  Any movie that pits the US military as the sole protagonist against the world says that.  And since Cobra is a purely international organization made up of individuals from a variety of countries that even include American Allies, that is EXACTLY how it would be perceived anywhere but in American theatres.  (Note Transformers featured the US military and was definitely pro-American military, but it set them against robots, not other nationalities.)  This isn't the Cold War era where not only was the world a bigger place (and smaller theatre market) but there was no real care as to whether we piss off other countries.  That said, I feel the ONLY way GIJoe could work as a purely American themed movie is if it were period piece either set during the Cold War, or even earlier when there was no such thing as Cobra and it was just a bunch of military guys with the same exact scar.
Living in an international community such as the Internet, it is disturbing to read the anti-American feelings had by people around the world.  But when you try to view us through their eyes, sometimes the view from the outside is more disturbing.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

My biggest fear is that a Hollywood treatment of GI Joe as an American entity would lack any of the subtlety and nuance Hama infused in his comic book writing... in fact, I'm worried that a Hollywood treatment of GI Joe would be nothing more than the film equivalent of a Hulk Hogan wrestling match where he thoroughly stomps on a horribly caricatured Canadian/Russian/Arab/etc. to the chants of "USA!" from the crowd.

I suppose that is a valid enough concern.

I didn't say you did.

And I never said that you were referring to me in any way.  The idea never even occurred to me actually.