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GeneralsJoes Reviews Discount Store “Running Change” Shipwreck

The Road to Retaliation continues with my daily reviews, and we start off this Monday morning with the “Running Change” version of Shipwreck!  The Navy soldier dons green and brings the fight on land!  Check out the latest review on my 30th Anniversary Review page, or just by hitting the link below.

Incredibly awesome G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra concept art online

I know there is mixed reactions about G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and even myself, an unabashed fanboy, can find severe faults with it.  That being said, a lot of the technology designs and concept work was flat out incredible, and seemed to fit very well within a G.I. Joe vs. Cobra science fiction aesthetic.  Perhaps some pushed the boundaries a little bit, but there were still things to love about other elements.

Starbuck dug up some great concept work from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra designer Christopher Ross, and you can check it out at his website right here.  Included is some preliminary work for the Accelerator Suits as well as the nanomite rocket launchers, Scarlett’s crossbow…and well, a metric ton of stuff, honestly.  One really interesting piece was something called “The Warrior” which has elements from the Accelerator Suit, but beyond that is pretty unrecognizable as a used concept.

I’ve mirrored some of the images below, but definitely check out Christopher Ross’ website for more details.  Big thanks to Starbuck for digging this up.

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Continuing the countdown – Reason #19 why G.I. Joe: Retaliation will be great

As we break the three week barrier, Twitziller continues pumping out the reasons to see G.I. Joe: Retaliation.  Well, you know, besides the fact that we’re all diehard G.I. Joe crazies.  He dips back into the film production side of things today.

#19:

Scene composition is a much trickier endeavor than people might think as the cinematographer must find a way to include just enough into any given scene, without giving away too much.  The scene above is a perfect example.  They could just do a tight shot on the helicopter as it moves towards Roadblock (and chances are, there will be some of those as well) but this scene with the helicopter in the background gives a much more precise impression of depth and puts Roadblock much more in harms way.  You actually feel like you’re right next to him, watching this deadly Cobra instrument of destruction home in on you.  Cobra Commander is barely visible on the side of the vehicle, but you know he’s there.  This already looks like a really fun sequence and it looks like it’s going to be one of many featuring Roadblock and Cobra Commander.

To be honest, obviously on a much smaller level, but I feel like cinematography is something I struggle with myself, with my reviews and Dio-Stories.  It’s not an easy thing to master, even with taking still pictures, I can’t imagine the skill and talent involved at the motion picture level.  Stuff like this is why I give fanfilm producers tons of credit.  It’s not just dressing in a costume and clicking the “record” button.  There is so much more involved.

Keep following Twitziller on Twitter and check GeneralsJoes for the latest updates.  Previous entries are below.

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Twenty days left until G.I. Joe Retaliation and Reason #20 to look forward to it!

We’ve broken the top 20!  Yes, even on a Saturday, Twitziller is at the keyboard pumping these things out, and today he’s got control of a Cobra superweapon!

#20:

From the MASS Device to the Weather Dominator and everything in between, Cobra has always been all about the super weapon.  Some piece of futuristic technology that separates them from their peers and helps drive them towards world conquest.  For a film, obviously they want to stick closer to reality than some of the more outlandish animated series plots.  No Fatal Fluffies here.  The choice of a satellite that launches a space-bound weapon is truly inspired.  Obviously based heavily on the long-rumored Tungsten Rod Cannon, this is the type of “10 minutes in the future” technology that G.I. Joe and Cobra have been built around for the past thirty years, and is a great choice for Cobra’s weapon of mass destruction.

Using this powerful instrument, Cobra not only places a secret agent in the White House, but effectively brings the entire United Nations to their knees.  In other words, this is Cobra at their most sinister.  I love it.

Keep following Twitziller on Twitter for the latest updates, and GeneralsJoes is going to keep posting these, too.  The countdown is hurtling forwards and I for one cannot wait!

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Fandango offering custom created G.I. Joe: Retaliation themed gift cards

If you use Fandango to set up your movie viewing (or even if you don’t), this is a great chance to get a unique G.I. Joe: Retaliation collectible.  Fandango is offering specialized gift cards for your local theaters using G.I. Joe: Retaliation scenes and characters.

Check it out at Fandango.com and take a peek at some of the designs mirrored below.

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Coming Soon interviews G.I. Joe: Retaliation VFX Supervisor

We all latch onto interviews with actors and big names involved with film production, but in many cases it’s the crew that has the best insight.  ComingSoon.net interviewed James Madigan and asked many questions about the visual effects involved within G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

It is a fascinating look into how the ninja elements of the film differ from the military ones and how the entirety of the mountain battle sequence was conceived.

Check out the interview over on Coming Soon.

Paramount unleashes G.I. Joe Retaliation character profile videos with NEW FOOTAGE!

Okay, my mind is officially blown.  Is it March 29th yet?!?

These character profiles are only 20 seconds long each, and they are KILLER.  Action-packed with new footage, gunplay, and what looks like some serious parkour action.  Wow.  Very quick cuts, but a lot of gunfight awesomeness packed into 60 seconds worth of footage here.  Check out the three character profiles for Duke, Flint, and Lady Jaye below, or at the Paramount International YouTube channel.

We are officially at the halfway mark, and at Reason #21 Retaliation will ROCK!

Wow, it doesn’t seem like it’s already been 20 days since Twitziller started this campaign, and if the next 20 days go this quickly, I’ll be one heck of a happy Joefan, because I’ll be sitting in a movie theater getting ready to watch G.I. Joe: Retaliation!!  Today Twitziller covers one of the focal points of the entire film, and one that seems poised to deliver the thrills and excitement that perhaps the Paris Pursuit scene in the Rise of Cobra did not.  Time will tell…

#21:

With reports already out there that this mountain battle sequence will feature a 10 minute homage to issue #21, I think many of us are pretty excited to see how this will all finally transpire.  The most fascinating thing is that much of this battle has already been seen by folks, between the various trailers and the four minute sequence prior to Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.  All of that being said, there is still a sense that seeing this on the big screen within the framework of the story will be an experience for sure.

I feel like I continue to hammer on the Rise of Cobra and the Paris Pursuit sequence specifically, but that’s not my intention.  I just thing that sequence being the main focus of the first G.I. Joe film was a mistake.  Beyond the fact that it was reportedly just a Stephen Sommers pet project that found life within a G.I. Joe movie, so much of it was a drastic departure from what many fans love about G.I. Joe.  I actually didn’t mind it as much as many people did, but with science fiction suits of armor, it didn’t necessarily feel like a G.I. Joe focused battle sequence.

The mountain battle on the other hand, with Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Red Ninjas galore, feels ripped from the pages of the Marvel Comics.  Fans and audience members who see this on the big screen have a palpable G.I. Joe related memory to tie it back to, and the fact that it was choreographed and implemented so well only serves to enhance that feeling.  It certainly looks like it’ll be a terrific sequence in the film, and one I cannot wait to experience myself, especially in 3D.

Follow Twitziller on Twitter for the latest updates to this, and you can keep hitting up GeneralsJoes to do the same.  Big thanks as always to Twitziller for allowing me to mirror his content here and for going through this project.  It’s an impressive feat, to be sure.  Previous entries can be seen below.

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GeneralsJoes reviews Discount Store “Running Change” Duke

Continuing on with the “running change” versions of those exclusive figures that came out last year is Duke!  This Duke is a dark gray instead of the green that we got last year.  If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think they were going for a Sunbow version of Breaker homage.

Take a look for yourself and decide!  Hit up my 30th Anniversary Review Page, or go to the direct link below.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Cobra Commander voice actor revealed!

This question has been floating around the fandom for a very long time, and many fans just short of assumed that Charlie Adler was voicing the menacing Cobra Commander in the G.I. Joe: Retaliation film.  Apparently this is not the case!

PopSugar.com interviewed Robert Baker, and within the scope of that interview, he revealed that he is indeed the voice of Cobra Commander in the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation film.  You can watch the interview below, he reveals the tidbit at around 6:25 in the video below.  Mr. Baker has previously been in the television show Justified (along with fellow Retaliation alums Walt Goggins and Joseph Mazzello) and will be in Lone Ranger this summer as well.  You can see his resume on IMDB.com.

A huge thanks to Erik for sharing this interview with GeneralsJoes.  It’s been a mystery, and it’s awesome to get that mystery revealed!