News & Discussion Thread

[Mace Dolex]

Maybe somebody else can confirm this but did anybody else spot Major Bludd or someone sporting his familiar helmet in the opening credits when all the characters are zooming to the screen?

[Emgr55]

I also hated that they made Flint a dumb ass recruit, Flint was one of the cool guys in the cartoon i was not happy.

[Lencho01]

Here's some more concept art...

http://constantinesekerisdesign.blog...-approved.html

http://constantinesekerisdesign.blog...n-designs.html

http://constantinesekerisdesign.blog...signs-for.html

[StarLord]

One thing I just remembered was when Cobra Commander says "Firefly, good to see you old friend." (Or something like that)

Given that Chu stated that this was still the same character Rex, wasn't he like, late 20's? Firefly looks about 40 lol.

Doesn't make sense.

[Human Torch]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

Maybe somebody else can confirm this but did anybody else spot Major Bludd or someone sporting his familiar helmet in the opening credits when all the characters are zooming to the screen?

Yeah,I noticed it.I hoped he would show up near the end as just a walk on cameo,but nope.


I really am disappointed with Duke's death.It's kinda like having Star Trek with Captain Kirk dying 15 minutes into the movie.

I didn't like Zartan dying either.The actor looked nothing like the character.I was hoping he'd survive to a third film,so he could get the classic "Alice Cooper" look and found the Dreadnughts.

[DJ Kornphlake]

I was bummed Firefly died.

[Drizzle]

Saw Retaliation tonight and was surprised at how much I liked it. I liked this waaaaaaaaaaaay more than the first one, but that isn't saying much. It still has its problems, but it's an average film unlike Rise of Cobra, which is just a bad film. I liked that the Joes were a military team this time, and not some stupid global police force wearing tacky outfits like in the last one. And mercifully, the CGI was much better this time around. Probably because they didn't have to create stupid shark submarines and things of that nature. And thank god they got rid of the stupid mouth they put on Snake Eyes' mask.

What I didn't like:

- I actually would have welcomed Duke's death in the last one, but I've warmed to Channing Tatum since then, so I would have rather had Duke stick around.

- No explanation whatsoever about what happened to the rest of the Joes from the first one besides Duke and Snake Eyes. I guess we can assume they're all dead? For the record, the only one I would have wanted to come back was Scarlett.

- "Destro, you're out of the band." Why? Did Cobra Commander consider Destro a threat? Or did he just have no use for him? Either way, I'd like to see Destro come back in the third one.

- It's never explained how Storm Shadow survived his encounter with Snake Eyes in ROC. Yeah, we get that he can use his ninja skills to stop his heart, but that doesn't explain him surviving a fall into below freezing water after getting STABBED THROUGH THE CHEST WITH A SWORD.

- They could have shown Zartan's actual face more often.

- RZA, we get it. You like Asian culture. That's cool. But your accent was ridiculous in this.

- Exactly how much time is supposed to have passed between films? You'd think that it would have been a couple of years, but in the scene where Lady Jaye is comparing the two Presidents, she says that the President's been acting differently "since August", and since Zartan assumed the identity of the President at the end of the first film, this would imply that no more than a few months to a year has passed. So you mean to tell me that Duke becomes leader of the Joes mere months after joining them? Huh?

It's still an entertaining popcorn flick, and it's rejuvenated my interest in the G.I. Joe franchise.

[psylockolussus]

I was actually a bit disappointed with this film, I felt it was too short. Okay the music was nice, the action/cgi was better, I liked the change of tone compare to the 1st movie but the film was too quick for me and there wasn't really anything special. I prefer the 1st movie because I actually enjoyed that one but this one was just uninspiring.

[S. Grundy]

Originally Posted by Drizzle

- They could have shown Zartan's actual face more often.

Pryce playing Zartan playing the President is the best thing about the movie, I could have used more of him.

- Exactly how much time is supposed to have passed between films? You'd think that it would have been a couple of years, but in the scene where Lady Jaye is comparing the two Presidents, she says that the President's been acting differently "since August", and since Zartan assumed the identity of the President at the end of the first film, this would imply that no more than a few months to a year has passed. So you mean to tell me that Duke becomes leader of the Joes mere months after joining them? Huh?

I think he was just promoted to be the leader of the Alpha Squad, not the whole organization.

[TheVileOne]

I wonder if Arnold Vosloo even did any actual work on the movie. All that footage looked liked it could've been left over from the original or they just did some fancy CGI facial composite shots.

I was disappointed we never actually got to see Zartan.

[psylockolussus]

I wonder why Firefly never got his own poster. Everybody got one.

[StarLord]

Originally Posted by Drizzle

- "Destro, you're out of the band." Why? Did Cobra Commander consider Destro a threat? Or did he just have no use for him? Either way, I'd like to see Destro come back in the third one.

He probably thought Destro had his chance (ROC) and blew it. Now it was his turn.

[DaddlerTheDalek]

President Zartan was Awesome!

[mr. peasant]

Originally Posted by Drizzle

No explanation whatsoever about what happened to the rest of the Joes from the first one besides Duke and Snake Eyes. I guess we can assume they're all dead? For the record, the only one I would have wanted to come back was Scarlett.

I think the reasons for this was obvious:

One, the movie is trying to remain accessible to new audience; recognising and operating on the belief that lots of people either didn't watch the first one or didn't like it enough to remember all the details. As such, all the unnecessary fat was trimmed off. Note that although neither the Baroness nor Destro played a role in the movie, the latter was still mentioned and shown because it would have been weird to have shown the rescue of Cobra Commander without Destro being present alongside since the two were imprisoned in the same place when last seen.

Second, the creators didn't want to commit themselves unnecessarily. Should the sequel be successful and a third be made (which from the sounds of things looks like to be happening), they wanted to leave the door open for the old characters to come back should the creators want them - and the actors willing to reprise their roles. Duke was present to provide continuity and to legitimise Retaliation as a sequel to Rise of Cobra.

Originally Posted by Drizzle

"Destro, you're out of the band." Why? Did Cobra Commander consider Destro a threat? Or did he just have no use for him? Either way, I'd like to see Destro come back in the third one.

Well, in this universe, Cobra Commander treated Destro more as a tool and pawn than an ally or friend. Now that Destro no longer has the resources of MARS at his disposal, he is no longer of use to the Commander.

Originally Posted by Drizzle

RZA, we get it. You like Asian culture. That's cool. But your accent was ridiculous in this.

Yeah. That was weird and stuck out like a sore thumb.

[Donut]

Originally Posted by mr. peasant

Duke was present to provide continuity and to legitimise Retaliation as a sequel to Rise of Cobra.

They did not need Duke for tha

[mr. peasant]

Originally Posted by Donut

They did not need Duke for tha

I disagree. Channing Tatum was the star of the last movie. Had he been absent, in addition to the lack of involvement of any of the previous movie's visibly recognisable leads, this would have damaged people's perception of the movie. True or not, it would have come off looking like one of those cheap, direct-to-DVD sequels where none of the original cast show up.

[TheVileOne]

I dunno, killing off or writing out the lead of the last movie sounds like a DTV sequel move to me .

[SpideyFan866]

Originally Posted by DJ Kornphlake

I was bummed Firefly died.

I was bummed Duke, Firely, Zartan, and every Joe died.

[DJ Kornphlake]

Zartan kind of had to die though, what with Storm Shadow's revelation and all.

[Mace Dolex]

Originally Posted by Human Torch

Yeah,I noticed it.I hoped he would show up near the end as just a walk on cameo,but nope.


I really am disappointed with Duke's death.It's kinda like having Star Trek with Captain Kirk dying 15 minutes into the movie.

Well at least Duke's death was handled better than Capt. Kirk's ridiculous holding onto the rail in Star Trek Generations.

And I was reading the entry in wikipedia and there seems to be some confusion as to what character that one bald dude that was Zartan's aide, wiki says he's Zandar but IMDB lists him as calling himself Havoc.

[lespaul59]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

Well at least Duke's death was handled better than Capt. Kirk's ridiculous holding onto the rail in Star Trek Generations.

And I was reading the entry in wikipedia and there seems to be some confusion as to what character that one bald dude that was Zartan's aide, wiki says he's Zandar but IMDB lists him as calling himself Havoc.

Zartan Calls him Zandar and I think it may be done more than once. There is a character named Havoc listed in the credits but Zandar is in the credits also. When I first heard Zartan call the guy Zandar I was like did I hear that right because I think it was a cool nod to the fans because I personaly just don't see him on the list of Cobra characters that should be used.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by DJ Kornphlake

Zartan kind of had to die though, what with Storm Shadow's revelation and all.

Which was exactly why they should have omitted that out of the film. That s*** was ridiculous given that Storm Shadow had all day to kill Zartan in the first film.

[Bowie]

Saw this yesterday. Absolutely wretched. Dialogue was beyond cringe-worthy, the pacing felt like a choppy mess, Jonathan Pryce was awful...I thought it was an abomination. I'd give it */****.

[bubbadoom]

Originally Posted by TheVileOne

I wonder if Arnold Vosloo even did any actual work on the movie. All that footage looked liked it could've been left over from the original or they just did some fancy CGI facial composite shots.

I was disappointed we never actually got to see Zartan.

Vosloo was on the movie - maybe only for a few days - but he was there. The scenes with him with young Storm Shadow and later pulling off his peasant disguise to reveal Zartan took a few days ...

[mr. peasant]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Which was exactly why they should have omitted that out of the film. That s*** was ridiculous given that Storm Shadow had all day to kill Zartan in the first film.

Except he didn't know Zartan killed his master back in the first film.