G.I. Joe Retaliation: New recruitment video posted for Cobra Special Forces!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

It would seem that Cobra is taking advantage of the recent press blitz leading up to the release of G.I. Joe Retaliation to get its own message out. Taking a page from the re-imagined Cobra that was seen in the ill-fated G.I. Joe Renegades series, Cobra is presented as a law-abiding, capable, and honorable private military contractor. Cobra is your friend, your protector, and to be a soldier for Cobra is an accomplishment an individual can be proud of!

Personally, I love it! In the 80’s, Cobra was envisioned as an entity that reached out to the disenfranchised members of society who were beaten down by the economic times. Now, in an era of highly public mega-corporations and private military contractors, the organization is re-imagined as a sleek professional army. It also explains how a group like Cobra could exist as a well-armed militia and NOT attract undue scrutiny by the general public. Rather that being a secret society, Cobra is hiding in plain sight.

To learn about Cobra, visit CobraSpecialForces.com!

G.I. Joe Retaliation hits theatres and IMAX on March 29, 2012!

G.I. Joe Retaliation to get IMAX release!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Planning on seeing G.I. Joe Retaliation on March 29? How about seeing it on a big screen? A really BIG screen?

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro, today announced that G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the action-packed follow-up to the 2009 box office hit G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX^® 3D format and released to select IMAX^® theatres internationally starting March 28and for a one week run in North America beginning March 29.

“Dwayne Johnson has resonated well with IMAX fans, and we believe his strong global appeal, coupled with the action spectacle of G.I. Joe: Retaliation in IMAX 3D is sure to excite moviegoers,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

The IMAX release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience^® with proprietary IMAX DMR^® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

You can learn more about G.I. Joe: Retaliation by visiting Paramount’s official site at http://www.gijoemovie.com.

About G.I. Joe: Retaliation
A follow-up to the 2009 release G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro and di Bonaventura Pictures, presents G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy, Cobra, they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® characters, the film is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2013.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Source: http://www.itnewsonline.com/showprnstory.php?storyid=253341

G.I. Joe Retaliation – Preview of new trailer debuting this weekend.

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Fred Meyer

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Okay, if you’re one of the G.I. Joe fans who can’t get enough of Retaliation you’ve probably contemplated going to see Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters this weekend to catch a glimpse of the brand new Joe trailer. However, you don’t have to wait until Friday… Break.com has posted a “preview of the preview” and JBL has mirrored it below:

Break Exclusive: New G.I. Joe Has Amazing Ninjas – Watch More Funny Videos

So, is it March 29, 2012 yet?

Look who’s getting reviewed soon– Joe Colton! (Or more importantly JOHN McCLANE!)

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Fred Meyer

A very special G.I. Joe: Retaliation box arrived in the mail here at “JBL HQ” last week. Normally I wouldn’t order a figure early like this nor would I pay significantly more than retail (as I’m cheap) but the subject matter was just too good to be ignored.

Some folks may call him Joe Colton from G.I. Joe Retaliation but for the majority of us he’ll always be Officer John McClane of the NYPD!

I wanted to toss up a quick headshot photo to alleviate folks concerns about the head likeness and the neck. The head sculpt is SOLID and the dreaded “Recondo neck” has been fixed! (Thanks John Warden!)

Expect a review coming this week!

G.I. Joe: Initiate Episode 2 debuts!

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Fred Meyer

Looking for more G.I. Joe Initiate to satisfy your Joe video cravings? Look no further!

Okay, I’m a day late and a dollar short on posting this in a timely fashion. (We moved over Thanksgiving weekend and I’m still unpacking and trying to settle in.)

Regardless, Fred Doss and crew have put together a terrific second installment of this fan-produced Joe web series. Action, adventure, Beach Head, Mercer– this part has it all! Check it out below and then be sure to head on over to Facebook and give G.I. Joe: Initiate a “Like”! (Mark Zuckerberg tells us that those are important!)

For more details on the project, check out the official website!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Trailer #3 debuts!

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Fred Meyer

Feast your eyes on the latest trailer for G.I. Joe Retaliation– hitting theatres on March 29, 2012!

Honestly, this is the strongest trailer yet– at least in my eyes. A few new shots of Snake Eyes and Jinx preparing for their mountain assault, a longer shot of the HISS tank, more Bruce Willis, and a “buddy cop” moment between Roadblock and Duke– something that was lacking in the previous previews. Plus, it looks like Zartan throws the gauntlet down to several world leaders– and gets a dig in at North Korea in the process. It’s a win-win!

I’ll leave the bulk of the commentary up to the internet but this trailer has me more excited about things that I was previously.

New G.I. Joe Retaliation poster debuts!

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Fred Meyer

It’s been a while since there’s been anything new on the G.I. Joe: Retaliation front. The film is currently slated for a March 29, 2013 release date (which is only 2 days before a certain admin’s 40th birthday) and promotion for the spring debut hasn’t really ramped up yet. So, imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw this GEM of a poster hit the web.

Seriously– click to make this image larger and you’ll see why I like it so much. First off, it doesn’t come across as “G.I. Joe starring The Rock” nor is it “Channing Tatum IS G.I. JOE!” It’s an ensemble piece that highlights the more prominent core cast (and Duke). It’s also got one piece that was missing from so much of the promotion for both Rise of Cobra and Retaliation thus far– the Cobra logo. Hasbro has 30+ years invested in that single piece of branding and yet it was barely used in promoting any of the live action G.I. Joe endeavors thus far and that’s a real shame. I’d argue that the Cobra logo is the single most-recognized symbol in all of the G.I. Joe mythos.

Some of the older G.I. Joe fans out there might remember the ad campaign for the 1989 release of Batman, starring Michael Keaton. (Still, in my opinion, the BEST of the Batman films.) One particular commercial featured nothing but silence and a slow fade in of the Batman logo with the words “June 23” at the bottom. It was simple, effective, played on symbolism that the general public already knew, and ruined nothing of the film’s plot. Plus, it set itself apart from the usual “noise” found on TV by being silent. I can recall a conversation between my parents stopping because they thought something was wrong with the TV during the ad. In other words, it got their attention.

Regardless, the new Retaliation poster looks amazing in my opinion and is something that I’ll be trying to track down to add to the family room. It’s a far more interesting visual piece than the previous posters released.

In hand pics of the cancelled G.I. Joe Mindbender, Budo, Zap, and Nano-BAT from Rise of Cobra!

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Fred Meyer

I think it’s safe to call Gyre-Viper the “Indiana Jones of the G.I. Joe fandom.” Venturing into the depths of the Chinese marketplace and scouring the internet for cancelled and rare items “that belong in a museum”, he manages to unearth more cancelled and prototype items than anyone out there. Some are good, some are bad but all are worth seeing.

His latest batch of finds includes some figures that never saw production in the ill-fated G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie line. Consisting mostly of parts from previous releases, this set of four would have given fans an update on Budo, Dr. Mindbender, Zap, and introduced the Nano-BAT to fans’ collections. While Zap is pretty easy to recreate by performing a simple head-swap and the Nano-BAT is seeing a release though the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service in the near future, I find myself sad when I realize that Budo and Mindbender won’t see a release in this form.

Here are a few mirrored pics but check out the entire treasure trove of images over at JoeDeclassified.com!

[Show as slideshow]

New G.I. Joe Retaliation international trailer debuts with updated footage

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Fred Meyer

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

It seems like forever since we’ve had ANY news regarding G.I. Joe Retaliation. Since the change in release date to late March, the film has pretty much dropped off of the mainstream radar for the time being. However, a new international trailer has been released that reminds folks that March 29 is indeed coming.

There’s not a lot of new footage but what there is shows off more Firefly, more of Snake Eyes and Jinx on the mountainside, and gives us a few more details about Cobra’s plot to take over the world. It would seem that the stakes are indeed higher than anyone thought as the “President” (aka Zartan) drops one heck of an ultimatum to what appears to be a group of world leaders.

Check out the brand new trailer below:

Fanfilm: G.I. Joe: Initiate episode 1 debuts online!

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Fred Meyer

There’s been a lot of buzz about G.I. Joe: Initiate these past few months. Created by Joe fan and film veteran actor Frederic Doss, the film is a labor of love showcasing a more gritty and realistic take on our favorite Real American Heroes. This weekend at Coil Con III, episode one made it’s “live debut”. Thanks to the power of the internet, it’s also available on YouTube!

So far it’s a pretty dark story. Fans will thrill to see what appears to be a very IDW-inspired Major Bludd and what appears to be Chuckles interrogating Beach Head! (Our favorite deodorant-adverse ranger is played by the film’s co-writer and director!) Other Joes making an appearance included Low Light, Recondo, Stalker, and Mercer. Cobra is equally represented with cameos by Firefly and the Crimson Twins: Tomax and Xamot! The whole adventure really hits me with the type of vibe that G.I. Joe: Reloaded was going for a number of years ago– a more “real world” darker take on the Joes. With just under 7 minutes available so far it’s hard to tell to infer too much of the story but so far I’m intrigued. As of now, I’m giving it a full-on “Yo JOE!”

To follow more of G.I. Joe: Initiate, hit ’em up on either the official website GIJoeInitiate.com or on their Facebook page!