Tag Archives: Fandom

JoeCon 2013: Custom figures, part 1

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One of my favorite parts of any JoeCon is the display of custom figures up for judging.  I’m not a customizer myself.  (Just a hack writer who likes to shoot pics of figures and offer opinions under the guise of a “review.”)  However, I am in awe of the creativity and inventiveness of the G. I. Joe fan community when it comes to customs.  Whether it be a simple repaint or a complete transformation of one figure into another, the individuals that showcase their talents here deserve ever ounce of recognition that the community can give them.

So, you’re sitting there saying “enough gushing– GET ON WITH IT!” I couldn’t agree more so below are most of the custom figures that were on display on Friday.  I was shooting these as judging was happening and could only get half so look for another update tomorrow.

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

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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!!!

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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G.I. Joe Retaliation reviews from around the Joe community

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G.I. Joe Retaliation March 28

While tomorrow is the official release date, a few theater chains across the US had early screenings of G.I. Joe Retaliation last night and more showings this evening.  With showings come comments and reviews– many from site owners and long-time Joe fans.  In order to give fans a fair picture of the overall community vibe for the movie, I’ve collected Joe site and Joe fan reviews below.  These aren’t from paid media outlets but rather from folks just like you and I.  Just remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion– even if it isn’t necessarily in step with your own.

Note: some of these will contain spoilers to varying degrees.   Read at your own risk.

G.I. Joe Retaliation Reviews:

I’ll add more as I find them.  If you know of a Joe site with a review of the film, toss me a comment below and I’ll add it to the list!

3 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – Lighting!

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Twitziller counts down the final days to G.I. Joe Retaliation‘s full release in the US with “lighting”!

day 3 - lighting

In film, lighting is one of the myriad tools available to a director to paint a scene.  In the black and white era, it provided a necessary contrast and was used to place subtle emphasis on a particular element.  In G.I. Joe Retaliation, lighting plays a crucial element in framing the scenes.  With action set during the day and the night, how light plays across the various elements will set mood and tone.  Audiences will see how effectively it used in just a few days.

You can view the entire series released thus far below:

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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4 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – Lady Jaye

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Twitziller gives fans the final few reasons to be excited for G.I. Joe Retaliation including Lady Jaye!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Lady Jaye

Lady Jaye became an essentially part of my personal G.I. Joe universe with her first appearance in G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra!  Debuting at the same time as her paramour Flint (as well as Shipwreck, Mutt, etc), the Covert Operations specialist proved herself to be smart, capable, and more than a little sassy!  She was the kind of strong confident female that brands like She-Ra aspired to have.  Whereas the female characters in Rise of Cobra were portrayed in relation to other mail character, G.I. Joe Retaliation shows Lady Jaye as an extremely strong and capable addition to the team.  She’s a qualified marksman as well as a master of covert operations and infiltration and, if the trailers are any indication, Adrianne Palicki brings her to life with the respect the character deserves!

JBL has previously reviewed the G.I. Joe Retaliation Lady Jaye action figure.

Check out Twitziller’s previously-released images from “40 Reasons to Be Excited for G.I. Joe Retaliation” below:

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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5 days to G.I. Joe Retaliation – motion

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Twitziller counts down the final few days until G.I. Joe Retaliation with today’s reason to be excited – the use of “Motion”.

G.I. Joe Retaliation motion

A properly choreographed fight sequence is very much akin to an intricate dance. The individuals involved flow and shift with each other’s moves to form a seamless piece that is more effective than the sum of its parts.  As a long time fan of martial movies, I’ve seen this time and time again– both in the films and in the interviews that accompany them on DVD.  However, the same can also be said for action sequences in general in film– they’re all about motion.  It’s what separates a film from other visual media like comic books.  The effective use of movement enhance a scene where as too much motion can utterly destroy it.  (Anyone remember the motion-sickness inducing car chase as the end of the Bourne Supremacy?)  Director Jon M. Chu seems to employ motion effectively in the clips we’ve seen thus far– keeping his camera perspectives steady for the most part while letting the visual focus be on the actors and the subjects of the scenes.  The audiences eyes are draw to the motion of the film, not the motion of the camera trying to capture the action and the result looks like it will be a visual feast for the eyes.

It’s good to see the G.I. Joe brand being treated in such a respectful fashion rather than as a “live action kids cartoon” this time around.

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s images below as the countdown to G.I. Joe Retaliation continues!

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day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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15 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – ninja duel!

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The ever creative Twitziller continues his countdown to the US premiere of G.I. Joe Retaliation with “the ninja duel!”

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With the exception of the Sunbow animated series, nearly every incarnation of G.I. Joe has featured the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow conflict.  This pair of characters evolved into a classic Yin-Yang pairing– right down to their color schemes!  From the epic battle in G.I. Joe Resolute to the famed encounter in the Silent Castle in G.I. Joe vol 1 #21, the inevitable duel of these characters is something that fans clamor for.  Their encounters in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra were lackluster at best but the clips revealed thus far promise some truly epic action from the ninja sword brothers.  (This time Snake Eyes won’t be stuck hanging onto the bottom of an SUV while Accelerator Suits hog the action.)  Regardless of the outcome, any conflict between these two is bound to be rife with tension– and that makes for good viewing!

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s countdown images below:

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day-39-minitank
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day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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Two weeks from today, many Joe fans should have already seen the film at midnight showings!  The 28th cannot get here soon enough!

Here’s a sneak peek at the battle, courtesy of Paramount International’s YouTube channel:

 

23 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – the El Camino

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Twitziller continues the countdown to G.I. Joe Retaliation with another reason to be excited for March 28: the El Camino!

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Of all of the reasons we’ve been given thus far, this is my favorite for the simple reason that it’s something that could have escaped notice entirely.  Let’s face it– the El Camino is the platypus of the automotive industry.  It’s a weird fusion of a car and a truck whose very design is almost symbolic of the late 60’s and 70’s.  It also has the distinction of being the most unlikely G.I. Joe assault vehicle since the Joes commandeered the van of Bongo the Balloon Bear in the classic Marvel run.   Now if only we’d get a nice 1:18 standard version in the Joe line.  (I’m serious!)

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s images below as the countdown to G.I. Joe Retaliation continues!

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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30 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – practical effects

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

day-30-practical-effects

The modern cinematic world is one dominated by CGI.  More often than is necessary, filmmaker’s fall back on computer generated imagery to solve any and all manner of problems.  From removing unwanted elements such as safety harnesses to changing a character’s eye color, CG has become incredibly common place.  Yet, there is a certain plausibility that comes from practical effects that digital effects still can’t replace.  Go back and watch the old Bond films and you’ll see what I mean– that guy jumping off of a cliff on skis really did jump off of a cliff on skis!  The eye can tell it’s not faked and therefore the scene has a higher level of tension.

G.I. Joe Retaliation appears to be going that route as well.  Real effects involving real stunt work.  I’m not saying that there isn’t any CGI in the film nor am I saying that CGI can’t be impressive but there’s something to be said about doing things the old-fashioned way.

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

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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29 days to go!

32 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – Cobra helicopter

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

day-32-cobra-helicopter

Going back to the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline it’s pretty obvious that Cobra has always had some really innovative vehicles.  From high-speed tanks like the HISS, to the powered CLAW glider, to the one man helicopter the FANG, the armies of the serpent have had a solid technological edge.  In the trailers for G.I. Joe Retaliation we’ve been given the briefest of glimpses at this new piece of Cobra’s aerial arsenal and it’s left this Joe fan wanting more!  Sleek, black, and sporting the Cobra logo– it’s the perfect type of weapon to fit into Cobra Commander’s stable.  (Why there wasn’t a toy version, I’ll never know.)  Regardless of the role it plays in the film, it’s just another piece of the puzzle that forms my anticipation for this film!

Check out Twitziller’s previous entries in the series below.   I for one cannot wait until I can post “0 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation”!

day-40-color
day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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32 days to go!