I think we're not even going to get a generic action movie. I think we're going to get a monumentally unrealistic fuck up of a movie. The first 'vehicle' they introduce at the licensing trade show? Something that bores its way through the earth, carrying people inside.

I don't know about you, but that SCREAMS modern military covert operations to me.

A vehicle that bores through the Earth I have no problem with; Cobra has them, although they look nothing like that. In fact, they have a lot of advanced weaponry, so unrealism is the last thing I'm worried about -- I'm actually hoping there will be flight pods. What I'm worried about is what Rob is worried about: wildly divergent casting and costumes that leave nothing from the original G.I. Joe mythos but the premise, and barely that. ...That said, I actually kind of like this poster. Sorry, Bricken.

Didn't you get the memo? There won't be ANY American flags anywhere in this film because the Joes are no longer American forces. They are now U. N. Peacekeepers headquartered in Brussels.

Let the suckage begin.

Oh, I know — I'm just still bitter.

Ok see...they can have flight pods, they can have vehicles that tunnel to the center of the earth for a weenie roast. But to say that the U.N has the balls to employ people that use weapons?!?! There is only so much we can accept!

You all make excellent points. Also, what we're going to be treated to is intro. shots/scenes of the characters in their well-known costumes so that the producers can slyly point to that on the DVD commentary or some shit and say 'see, it was really important to us to give a shout out to the fans', and what they won't say is 'RIGHT BEFORE WE PROCEED TO BUTT-FUCK THEIR MEMORIES WITH A BROKEN BOTTLE'.

Having said that--yeah, I guess realism isn't exactly #1 with G.I. Joe, and I actually think they should make it fairly absurd, over-the-top action. But my fear is that they won't do it the CORRECT absurd, over-the-top way.

To whit: I wish they would have an amazing fight between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow in the streets of London that eventually leads them to the big Ferris Wheel thing, in which they fight gloriously, and somehow it becomes unhinged and begins to roll down the street (or something), and then it crashes into Big Ben in a huge explosion. That of course wouldn't be realistic but at least it will make us say 'coooooolllll'...

Or something.

Shit, at this point I say we all start contributing loosely-tied-together action scenes and try to out-write the movie before it even comes out. THAT'll be disappointin'!

As far as I know, they are not based in Belgium. Hasbro said as much in a press release. They even said that G.I. Joe would be an American fighting force. I don't know where they're based out of, but it's definitely the Pit, so I would expect Staten Island or the desert. Check hasbro.com/gijoe in the news section.

1. Gun
2. Body Armor
3. Accessories
4. Shiny Red Gizmo
5. tie (Scar and Stern Look)

A while back, I read a review of Iron Man that really summed up my thoughts on these types of movies. The reviewer said that 'the writers and director did not INSULT the viewers intelligence.' What I take this to mean is that the movie creators did not shy away from the highly fictional and, in some ways, over the top aspects of bringing a comic book character to life on the big screen.

I think that I take the making of these movies (Transformers, Iron Man, GI Joe) so seriously because it's people like me that have helped keep these DAMN franchises alive for so many years. Think of all of the obscure cartoon, toy lines, and comics to come and go in the past 20-30 years. Some sucked ass and some kicked ass- and those are the ones that so many of us keep going back to, pouring our money into the bottomless pit that is our youth. Am I the only one that thinks that hasbro did the GI Joe 25th aniv. line for the kids out there? HELL NO- they damn well know that people who remember the original series and gave a rat's ass about it will snatch up those Destros and Shipwrecks at first sight. If it was about the kids, they'd go back to Sigma Six where next to everyone was a ninja and no one can live without 15 different versions of storm shadow and snake eyes. (No offense Sigma Six fans)
After so many years of bull shit movies with the occasional bulls eye, I've decided that the silver screen is NOT the highest complement a title can receive. But I do believe that it is the fastest way to give the finger to all those who have kept the franchise alive since the early 80's.

Okay, so they don't specifically say "American", but this announcement by Hasbro promises that Joe HQ will not be in Brussels, and will instead be in the Pit, as if we should know exactly where that is. So, I would assume America, if not specifically Staten Island or the desert.

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=F285F255-D56F-E112-46FAEBF95750D7E9

Monty Python's top four names for Belgians:
4. I can't think of anything worse than "Belgians."
3. Let's not call them anything, let's just ignore them.
2. The Sprouts.
1. Dirty stinking Belgian bastards.

You're right, Jed, it isn't the highest compliment anymore. And I hate to dredge up bad memories, but in a way it's Lucas's fault. Yep.

We all fondly remember the original Star Wars trilogy. We regard it just about as highly as it should be regarded. But then along came the prequels--specifically, that first godforsaken trash heap "The Phantom Menace", and we were rightly bereft. It's a travesty. BUT--we still went to see it. In droves. And so did kids. And, perhaps because they've been weened on crap (though cartoons are probably on average BETTER now than they used to be, but I digress), the kiddies LOVE them. The new trilogy is incredibly incredibly popular with kids today, just like it was with us then. So now that's what Hollywood is banking on: that YOU'll come because you want to see what they did with your cherished memories, and your children (or just children/teens in general) will come because it looks cool. And the wheels keep on turnin'.

Couldn't they do something better than 'Rise of Cobra' though?

Baroness and Snake Eyes posters. Looks like they gave Snake Eyes a different visor here?

http://www.film1.nl/blog/item.php?id=594

http://www.film1.nl/blog/photospecial.php?id=58&page=2

If this was a poster for a Mass Effect movie I would be super excited, as "Duke" here looks so much like the default male character in his space suit that it's slightly spooky.