Sharpshooter recreates G.I. Joe Retaliation trick shot

Remember this scene from G.I. Joe Retaliation?  You know– where Roadblock and Duke have a post-operation shooting contest to determine whether Roadblock takes his next promotion or if Duke babysits Marvin’s daughters?

Well, it seems that professional sharpshooter Kirsten Joy Weiss wanted to put the scene to a Mythbusters-style test and determine if it was possible to shoot out the flame from a candle.   Was she successful? Continue reading

G.I. Joe Retaliation Ultimate Roadblock Review

G.I. Joe Retaliation Ultimate Roadblock

It’s no secret that Roadblock was the focal point of the G.I. Joe Retaliation marketing efforts.  Simply put: you don’t put someone like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a film and then ignore his presence.  This also means that the accompanying toy line is going to be chock-full of Roadblock figures– each with something just a bit different to make them unique from the rest.  Such is the case of the wave 3.5 release of “Ultimate Roadblock” which attempts to be the most screen accurate version of the character to date.

So, is this really the “Ultimate Roadblock” or just “yet another Roadblock”? Is he worth a purchase after the wave 2 Battle Kata Roadblock version?

Head on over to the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index and check it out!

G.I. Joe Retaliation returns to AMC Theaters August 5 – 7

Spend Your Summer Nights at AMC - Google Chrome_2013-07-08_21-28-11

 

Would you like to see G.I. Joe Retaliation on the big screen just one more time?  Would you consider donating to the Autism Society of America, Will Rogers Institute, or Autism Speaks?

If you answered “Yes” to either of these questions, AMC Theaters has a deal for you.  Introducing the “Spend Your Summer Nights at AMC” program!

The program is simple– for the rest of the summer AMC Theaters is hosting a special screening of a previously-released film each Monday – Wednesday night at 10pm.  For only $3.00, you can have the chance to revisit a number of blockbuster films on the big screen one more time including The Amazing Spider-man, Django Unchained, and G.I. Joe Retaliation!  That’s right– the incredibly fun Joe movie directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Bruce Willis, the Rock, and Ray Park will be on the big screen from August 5 – 7.

So, not only can you revisit all the thrilling action of the Joes taking down Cobra one more time but you can also feel good about doing so by knowing that your ticket dollars will go to help one of three key children’s medical charities.  C’mon– what could be better than that?

As they said in Starship Troopers– do your part!  Hit AMC Theaters today!  (Okay, maybe I added that last bit.)

Check out AMC’s Spend Your Summer Nights at AMC website for more information!

2 days to G.I. Joe Retaliation – battle kata gear

Twitziller nears the conclusion of his “40 Reasons to Be Excited for G.I. Joe Retaliation” series with “battle kata gear.”

G.I. Joe Retaliation battle kata gear

Honestly this is a tricky one to write up because it’s not really overtly featured in the film.  The Battle Kata Roadblock figure showcased the full extend of the variable weapons system wielded by Roadblock rather effectively.  It’s a dynamic concept and one that can offer a soldier in combat more options than they can shake a stick at.  Plus, it’s hard not to look at the image above and think just how cool that pistol is.

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s series of images below.  Tomorrow is RETALIATION DAY!!!

JBL reviews G.I. Joe Retaliation

G.I Joe Retaliation movie poster

To borrow a phrase from one of the recent Star Trek series “It’s been a long road, getting from there to here.”  Two years since Rise of Cobra and then an unexpected nine month delay before G.I. Joe fans were treated to a second attempt at a big screen franchise of their favorite Real American Heroes.  Nearly three years since G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra tore apart the G.I. Joe fandom and tarnished the image of the once-dominant brand as a kitschy modern day remake of Mega-Force.  This time, however, things appeared to be different.  Director Jon M. Chu, better known for his Justin Bieber documentary, set to direct a script from the talented duo that brought us Zombieland.  Admittedly, all were fans of the incredible comic run by the “godfather of G.I. Joe” Larry Hama and promised a film that was more true to its comic roots than RoC.  However, I’d heard that song and dance before but tonight felt different.  The lights dimmed and I sat with friends in a surprise early birthday celebration organized by my wonderful girlfriend Amanda.  Was this a film to redeem the brand, the fandom, and reignite the enthusiasm of many disheartened fans?

Read on and find out one Joe fan’s opinion…

JBL Reviews G.I. Joe Retaliation  (mostly spoiler-free)

 

Feel free to add your own comments below!

7 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – Roadblock

Twitziller is counting down the final seven days until G.I. Joe Retaliation with today’s reason to be jazzed: ROADBLOCK!

day 7 - roadblock

As a kid, I had a core group of favorite Joes– and the center of the group where Gung-Ho and Roadblock!  In some ways they were the Riggs & Murtaugh, Butch & Sundance,  .  On of my favorite stories featuring them was in Marvel Comics G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero vol 1 #39 – #41 which involved a mission to Sierra Gordo.  Two of my favorites were front and center– what’s not to love?!

When it came time to play one of the largest Joes in the sequel film, Paramount went to one of the biggest names in entertainment – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  It’s a brilliant move as who else would be able to wield the giant M2 (as seen above) and yet still exude the charisma to play the team’s resident heavy machine gunner and chef?  The Rock brings with him not only a fan base but a strong confident portrayal of a fan-favorite character with the action-hero chops to back it up.  Seriously– the casting director should get one heck of a Christmas bonus for this!

Now if only Gung-Ho can join him in the sequel!

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s images below:

The G.I. Joe Retaliation review that matters

Larry Hama

Larry Hama

In the next week there will be a lot of critics who turn their eye toward G.I. Joe Retaliation and offer their thoughts on the film’s merits.  Some will be familiar with the property and others will not– and therefore these reviews have the potential to be a bit of a mixed bag.  Sure, the critic for the Springfield Herald might have enjoyed the film but he might not have any idea of who the charaters are, etc.

Yesterday, Larry Hama, the fan-dubbed “godfather of G.I. Joe” was treated to a screening of the film.  The author of the majority of the file cards and comics from the A Real American Hero as well as the current ARAH comic from IDW, no single individual has contributed more to the characters of G.I. Joe than Larry.  He posted his spoiler-free thoughts on the film last night on Facebook:

I liked RETALIATION a lot. Vast improvement over ROC. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow are much more up front, and the whole thing is a lot more character-driven. Not only is there no sinking ice, but the big finale involves physical action with people rather than choreography of CGI vehicles. The Rock is perfect as Roadblock, and Bruce Willis’s take on Joe Colton is brill (he has some of the best lines.) There’s no sign of Scarlett, but the actress who plays Lady Jaye is quite good. Jinx is amazing. Flint is kind of meh. Overall, the direction is terrific and crisp. I can tell what is going on all the time, and everything LOOKS great. Ninja fight sequence in the mountains is amazing, in that you never lose track of what is happening, and there’s a ton of fast visual input. Is there stuff I didn’t like? That would be quibbling. The positive outweighs the negative here. And I walked out feeling that the characters had been treated with respect.

Larry’s background not only time in the US Army and extensive martial arts training but even work as a guild-sanctioned actor.  To hear that he felt the characters were treated well and that the film’s direction is solid may help reassure a lot of fans who were still on the fence about a live action sequel in the wake of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

March 28 is rapidly approaching people!!!

Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation Battle Kata Roadblock

G.I. Joe Retaliation Battle Kata Roadblock

G.I. Joe Retaliation reviews continue here at JBL!

He’s large and in charge and he just might be carrying the “people’s heavy machine gun!”  That’s right– I’m talking about an action figure based on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s portrayal of Roadblock in G.I. Joe Retaliation!  In the second wave of figures Marvin S. Hinton is dubbed “Battle Kata Roadblock” based on his innovative modular weapon system.  He’s also sporting a full Arashikage tattoo on his forearm.  So, has Roadblock gone over to the “Ninja Side”?  Is this figure worth the $9.99 sticker price?

Check out  the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe Retaliation set visit details emerge across the internet

G.I. Joe Retaliation March 28

Up until now the press for G.I. Joe Retaliation has been limited mostly to videos  released through Paramount Pictures and interviews conducted with some of the cast and crew.  Last year a number of websites were treated to set visits although the details of those excursions were held back when the film’s release date was pushed back.

Well, now the flood gates have opened!  Check out the following links for a plethora of great information!

31 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – rappelling assault!

Twitter user Twitziller continues his “40 Reasons to Be Excited About G.I. Joe Retaliation” series with today’s image: rappelling assault!

High octane plausible action: this is what much of G.I. Joe Retaliation seems to be based upon!  While the shots of ninjas swinging around a mountaintop retreat appear to use a significant amount of CGI, it’s shots like this that showcase a real world practical effects approach to action.  It’s the kind of sequence that you’d have seen back in heyday of the action movie– the 1980’s!  Roadblock is going for “shock & awe” in this sequence and, unless Cobra troopers have nerves of steel, the sight of a 6″+ heavyweight fast roping down with a SAW should be enough to send them running back to Cobra-La!  (Yes, I went there.)

Check out Twitziller’s previous entries in the series below.   The days until the film’s release are getting fewer and fewer in number!

30 days to go!