Just as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was starting to fade into the rear view mirror, The Wrap brings it back into focus by reporting that according to sources, Stephen Sommers will be coming back to direct the G.I. Joe follow up sequel. They also report that the right people are happy with the script that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have turned in.
Does this mean anything substantial? Probably not…especially because a Hasbro rep sort of side-stepped the question during a recent video interview with the Motley Fool (an interesting point brought forward by Entertainment News International’s Jay Cochran courtesy of his Twitter account). Honestly, mentally I’ve moved on to Renegades, and I think part of me is looking forward to that at least a little bit more right now, but I was pretty unashamed with my enjoyment of the first film, and if the follow up can capture the same energy, but perhaps redirect it in a way closer to the mythology, maybe the Hollywood franchise can become something the fans are more into.
Time will tell.
cue ROC haters in 5…4…3…2…1…
Well, I for one enjoyed RoC (especially after the bad taste of Transformers 2) and am really looking forward to the sequel. I hope things are confirmed and filming begins soon!
Oh good, Sommers is back. I’m looking forward to the completely uninspired acting performances and half-assed cheesy-looking CGI.
Maybe if we’re extra lucky there will be some completely awkward and forced cameos from actors from “The Mummy” films.
Yay?
“Oh good, Sommers is back. I’m looking forward to the completely uninspired acting performances and half-assed cheesy-looking CGI.
Maybe if we’re extra lucky there will be some completely awkward and forced cameos from actors from “The Mummy” films.
Yay?”
Geek.
i wasn’t impressed with RoC but it was no near as bad as Bayformers 2.
I kinda with you on this Justin in that I hope the sequel can have the same energy but hot a bit closer to home.
And I also agree with you Ben, in that if you’re going to have Brendan Fraser do a cameo, have him DO SOMETHING other than just standing around so we can be reminded that he and Stephen Somners have worked together before.
I second what Ben said, but disagree with Eduardo. Bayformers had no story but at least was visually appealing if you could make it beyond 5 seconds before realizing that it was pointless. ROC had a story, but had Sommers who wouldn’t know what to do with it if Shakespeare wrote it, Cecil B. DeMille and the dead Warner brothers were advising him.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they can produce. If they can iron out some of the awkwardness of the first film and get a good base story with action to back it up I’ll be pretty happy. G.I. Joe 2 is just too hard not to get excited about even if it ain’t perfect. I hope the toys continue to rock, but NOBODY better suggest any playsets remotely like the 2009 PIT. If they need a designer that bad, they can just farm it out to Mattel *puke*
Putting my dislike of all the little details that ruined RoC for me aside for a minute here, I fully agree that there is lots of room following the story of the first one to give us a fantastic sequel.
The reason I find myself unable to really care is because after having seen the first one about a half dozen times now on movie channels, it’s not really the story that bothers me, nor most of the characters, but quite unfortunately the two main characters Duke and Ripcord and the so-bad-you-want-to-shoot-yourself-just-to-make-the-pain-stop “acting”. Which really can only be attributed to the director not getting these guys in top form for the role. Okay, Wayans isn’t a great actor by any stretch of the imagination but he’s the lesser of the two evils here anyway, and would be okay with teh occassional joke if the main lead Duke was in top form. Channing isn’t that bad. He’s not an A-list actor for sure but I’ve seen him in other movies and he’s definately likeable. In RoC though, he comes across as having the IQ of a baboon. It’s almost like they shot the whole movie with him all doped up.
For lack of any other explanation, I blame Sommers for this. Compare Fraser’s performance in The Mummy to the 3rd film (Emperor’s Tomb???…can’t remember). I loved The Mummy and Fraser was really into it. In the third film it’s just reading the lines with nothing else. This is exactly how Channing came across in RoC.
A good script may help motivate the actors, but I think Sommers returning is very bad news for us, just like Bay is ruining Transformers for so many Transformers fans. With so many directors in Hollywood now that grew up with GIJoe is Sommers REALLY the best they can do?