You know, I honestly loved the movie just as much the second time around. Haters who claim the FX are “cheap” are flat out wrong. I paid careful attention to see if I could find faults with the CGI to see what people are talking about … I found none. The movie is just so fun … it doesn’t go more than 10-15 mins. without a big action sequence exploding on the scene … what more could you ask for from a Summer blockbuster? The idea of an underwater lair is SO G.I. Joe … it’s deffo the kind of thing you’d see in the cartoon. The worst parts of the film are when it tries to be “serious”. I say, jettison all the drama dialog and get back to the lasers and explosions ;) I prolly won’t see it again in theaters but this is a movie that I’ll be picking up on DVD.

No big plans for today … I got a lot of reading to get back to so that’s prolly what I’ll do.

From the first peek at Joseph Gordon-Levitt as The Doctor/Cobra Commander, I had hope that the final product would be as cool as the cartoon was and I am SO RELIVED that the movie turned out so well. Let me be clear here, G.I. Joe is LIGHT YEARS better than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I’m convinced that fans of the cartoon will love the movie version … which is basically a cartoon come to life. The colors are vibrant and bold and really make it feel like a real-life cartoon. The FX are STUNNING. This movie was made by Paramount, the same studio who did the Star Trek movie … they know FX. I believe it cost $175 million to make this film and it shows … they did not skimp on the CGI, I just loved all of the battle/action scenes. Let me address the “robot suits” used in the film that everyone seems to hate. To be honest, the suits are just G.I. Joe versions of the Iron Man suit … it worked in that movie and it works in this movie, too. Plus they are only used in one action sequence … but really, all of the action sequences are amazing! Three key sayings from the original cartoon are used in the movie and very adeptly, I might add. Be on the listen out for the classic G.I. Joe phrases — A real American hero, Knowing is half the battle and “life-like hair and Kung-Fu grip” (which was the way the action figures were described on the packaging). There are a few G.I. Joe cameos which I don’t want to spoil … but wait ’til you see who plays Gung Ho ;) I also loved how multicultural and gender friendly the film is … the Joes and Cobras are made up of many races and the women are not treated as weak characters. Sienna Miller’s Baroness is BAD ASS! In all honesty, she was my fave character (tho Storm Shadow comes in a close second). Channing Tatum has a shirtless scene … people, what more could you want?

There are a few things that I didn’t like but they are so marginal, they don’t really detract from the movie overall. Marlon Wayans (Ripcord) is the weakest character in the film. He does the comedy relief but mostly, I just wished he’d shut up. I REALLY didn’t like what they did to Cover Girl … you’ll know what I mean when you see it but I was all WTF??? That part didn’t make any sense to me at all. I didn’t really like the connection between Duke and The Baroness (but I did like the connection between The Doctor and The Baroness). She is a purely evil character and should stay that way. Snake Eyes never speaks, we all know this, so why does his costume have lips? It’s freaky … I could do without the lips.

I did like many of the changes to the story that have been added for the movie … the familial connections between characters, the revelation that the Baroness’s last name is de Cobray and the explanation on how Zartan is able to be a true master of disguise. Seriously, I could go on and on. I had A BLAST last night … I cannot wait to see the movie again. I’m just so happy that one of my fave childhood cartoons was turned into a very entertaining movie. GO SEE IT. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it. I loved it a lot. The ending was BRILLS!!!!!! See it and then lemme know what you think.

Here are some of the pics that I snapped at the premiere on our way in:

After the jump, check out the pics I snapped at the after party — you have to see who I got to meet …

Channing was SUCH a sweetie, it’s always nice running into him. It’s even nicer when he puts those big arms around me ;) I was totally charmed by Sienna Miller … she looked AMAZING in person. I told her I was married and we got along famously ;) I keed … but I did tell her how much I loved her as The Baroness and she blew me kisses. She was sweet.

I have to give a shoutout and much love to DJ Bizzy, who djed the party and hails from Detroit Rock City (by way of Philly) along with my girl Charlie Pinto who always takes such great care of me at Paramount events:

We had SO MUCH FUN. I’m just so happy that the movie turned out so well, I want to tell everyone. Don’t believe the hate, go see it for yourselves. It’s outrageously over-the-top and fun as hell … it’s just what you’d expect from a cartoon come to life.

This afternoon, I fly back home to Detroit for a couple of days so I’ll be comin’ atcha from the Midwest tomorrow and Sunday … have a great weekend! And please, lemme know what you think of G.I. Joe ;)

I, too, was in attendance at the Hollywood premiere of G.I. Joe and, while my full review is on the way, it is with great pleasure that I tell y’all that THE MOVIE RULES!! I enjoyed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 10,000 times more than the moronic Transformers 2 … and, to be honest (as far as blockbuster films go), I enjoyed it about as much as I enjoyed Star Trek earlier this year. Again, I’ll get to all of that later on … but gettin’ back to the premiere, I have to tell you … the Joes clean up pretty nice. Of course Channing was too hot for words (and yes, I did get to inadvertently run into him at the after party) but I was stunned by both Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols last night. Sienna was really workin’ that Hollywood glamor. The premiere was really fun and I can’t wait for all y’all to see the film and judge it for yourselves. It’s big, fun, outrageously over-the-top and will really serve the fans well, I think.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Her reputation went from glamorous free spirit to home wrecker when she fell for a married father of four. And in the aftermath of her affair with millionaire actor Balthazar Getty, Sienna Miller has admitted it ‘probably looked awful’. ‘I probably seem like not a particularly nice person, not a girl’s girl,’ the 27-year-old actress confided. And yet this acknowledgment of questionable behaviour came with the excuse that it was all just part of her rebellious character. ‘I think if you put a camera in anyone’s life and document it daily for six years, from the age of 21 to 27, there are going to be things that aren’t always pretty,’ she declared. ‘Those are the rebellious years, the years of self discovery. I’ve never been someone who has conformed, and I think my response to that level of attention was to pretend it didn’t exist.’ While Getty’s wife Rosetta went into hiding to look after their four children, Miss Miller’s rebellious streak saw her pictured topless with her lover on holiday. But as she explained to GQ magazine, she was not perfect and could not live her life trying to please other people. ‘I do think sometimes people get morally superior without understanding situations,’ she said. ‘And the situation I got into [with Getty] was not ideal but it happened and if I could go back and be more responsible, I would. Well, I probably would be less naive about ignoring the fact that people care. I’ve always kind of done exactly what my instincts said. I have a good brain on me but I’ve never really used it when it came to making decisions about love, which has been a blessing and a curse.’ She added: ‘I definitely have been foolish. I’ve made apologies to people I needed to, but I can’t apologise to people I don’t know for things they don’t understand.’ Miss Miller, who claims Getty is now just a friend, is probably better known for her love life than her movie roles. Before Getty, she had well-documented romances with actors Jude Law and Rhys Ifans. She has also been linked to James Bond star Daniel Craig, musician Jamie Burke and Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen. The actress, whose new film GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra opens this week, said she knew she was regarded as ’sexually manipulative’, but insisted this was not the case. ‘I’m supposed to be this complete slapper, that’s my reputation,’ she said. ‘But actually I was in a relationship from 19 to 21 with (the fashion designer) Dave [Neville], 21 to 24 with Jude, then 25 to 26 with Rhys, and then Balthazar. And then a few dalliances, three months here and there, but I’ve never been like a shitter. I’ve actually been kind of single for the past year. I’ve had somebody on the end of the phone maybe, but I haven’t been living with anyone or been in a proper relationship, and it’s been really great. And now I’m completely on my own. I think I’ve grown up a lot.’

Hallelujah! Sienna Miller is too pretty a woman to be chasing married men when there is a world of single men that would kill to be with her. I can’t say that I endorse her cheating ways on the “rebellious years” of “self discovery”, that kind of behavior is more an act of immature selfishness, but she seems to finally see the error of her ways … which is great news for everyone. Here’s hoping she can move forward with this new knowledge and carry on in a more respectable manner. I don’t think anyone expects sainthood from the young actress but if she wants to earn people’s respect, she’s going to have to start acting in a respectful manner. She appears to be on the right track … here’s hoping she sticks to the semi-straight and narrow.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Aww, it’s cute that Rachel Nichols likes what her action figure for her character Scarlett looks like. Unlike Sienna Miller, Rachel seems pleased with the way her doll turned out. I’m trying really hard not to think about the fact that Marlon Wayans is in the film … but focusing on Channing Tatum and his … er, assets … are a great distraction. I am very much looking forward to the release of this film. I’m hoping with all my might that it will be fun!!! This is the week, y’all!! Very soon we’ll know if the G.I. Joes will save the world!!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Sienna Miller is more than a bit miffed that a new doll of her looks ’sort of posessed’. While most actresses might consider it an honour to have an action figure made in their image, Sienna moaned that the brunette GI Joe was cross-eyed, and had a big chin. The figurine has been made for her new action movie GI Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra. The 27-year-old stars as a femme fatale in a sexy black leather catsuit as The Baroness opposite Channing Tatum. But an annoyed Sienna moaned: ‘My doll is cross-eyed and has the biggest chin you have ever seen. “Action figures are always a bit off, aren’t they? Oddly enough from side on it is definitely me but front on she looks sort of possessed.” But she added: “I’ve got very happy nieces and nephews when they get my doll for Christmas.”

HMMM … perhaps if the toy-makers wanted her action figure to be more recognizable as Sienna Miller it should’ve been packaged with a married man. I mean … ‘cuz then there’d be no doubt. Cue laughter. And we move on. After the jump, check out what some of the action figures created for the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra look like — including Cobra Commander (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) — whose doll-version gives some clue as to what he will look like in the film …

OK … so Cobra Commander’s action figure isn’t too clear in this photo but it looks like his un-masked, damaged face is featured in his doll-version — never before has Cobra Commander’s face ever been shown in action figure form:

I’m sure G.I. Joe collectors are already scrambling for these action figures of The Baroness, Shana Scarlett O’Hara, Conrad Duke Hauser, Cobra Commander, Courtney Cover Girl Krieger, Destro, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes (all of which can be ordered online). Which one of these new toys will YOU be purchasing for YOUR collections?

[Source, Source]

While the Joes have done some promo work for the film previously in Australia, this is the first proper movie premiere for the film. I still have high hopes that the movie will be good but there is a lot of buzz going around about just how not good it really is. Nonetheless, as a huge G.I. Joe fan I deffo plan to see the film for myself and will make my own determination. The Joes have a lot of bad press to battle in the coming weeks … let’s hope they’re as successful battling bad reviews as they are battling the villainous organization Cobra.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

In what would have been the most bizarre on set accident yet, actress Sienna Miller revealed she nearly burnt her breasts making new movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Speaking at an event in Sydney, Australia, to promote the film, the 28-year-old star, who plays femme fatal The Baroness in the film, said she nearly suffered the rather undignified occurrence when an explosion got too close for comfort. But thankfully it was just a rather close call. She said a press conference in Sydney: “Luckily it wasn’t my breasts, it was the bit in-between. It got a bit burnt when an explosion got a bit close.” Sienna arrived at the press launch for the film in fine style, as she and her cast mates turned up in a power boat. And she also revealed she wasn’t too impressed with her character’s black leather cat suit: “I won’t be wearing one again. Squeezing myself into that with the aid of talcum powder every day for five months was more than enough. I could barely move in it anyway,” she said. The actress looked informal in a print dress from Brit designers Poltock & Walsh Autumn/Winter 2009 collection, accessorised with a pair of suede/leather Chloe ankle boots. Sienna who has enjoyed an on/off relationship with father-of-four Balthazar Getty, brushed off questions that she had plans to walk down the aisle. She said: “No plans to get married, no. No-one to marry!” But co-star Channing Tatum, 29, was actually on his honeymoon. Channing, 29, who married Step Up co-star Jenna Dewan on July 11, had to delay his honeymoon because he will be promoting the new $170million movie for two weeks. He said: “I am on honeymoon but not at the moment. We’ll pick that up after the promotion work is done.” The star, who plays the film’s hero, Duke, said: ‘When I was first approached about the role I thought, “Aww man, how are you going to make a movie about G.I. Joe in a time of war? Then I read the script and it was nothing to do with the military at all. I’m a big supporter of the soldiers and the military and I don’t have a view on the war at all, I’m not a political person. But this is a fantasy film, it is an escape from everything that is going on.” Also at the event were co stars Marlon Wayans and Rachel Nichols who arrived at Sydney’s historic harbour with Sienna and Channing in a customised speedboat. Director Steven Sommers also rejected claims that he had been removed from the film after disastrous test screenings. “It’s complete lies. I have always had final cut of the film. People just make stuff up. You have to really screw up to get fired from a movie. The stigma of that would kill it. This is not the case.” Actor Channing, 29, said: “I hope it does OK”, while a less tactful Sienna added: “You know, GI Joe, it’s not going to be the best acting work we’ve ever done.”

LOL! Not even the actors seem to have much faith in the film … but, I’m still VERY excited to see it when it opens next month!! It’s a shame that Channing has to “work” while he’s on his honeymoon but it’s really hard to feel bad for the guy. It remains to be seen where the G.I. Joe promo machine moves on to next but they’ve got a lot of work ahead of them to sell this flick. Are any of y’all planning on seeing this movie when it opens on August 7?

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

I would say about 95% of the Japanese trailer contains footage that we’ve seen in the other trailers that have been released here in the US but this one includes the extra scene of The Doctor standing next to James McCullen (Destro) in the first few seconds of the video. After the jump, if you are so inclined, check out the full Japanese trailer that features for the first time Joseph Gordon-Levitt …

A number of brand new “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” pictures have been unraveled. Three of the new photos present some members of the G.I. Joe team, the other two take the focus on Sienna Miller’s The Baroness, while one displays the battle between Lee Byung-Hun’s Storm Shadow and Ray Park’s Snake Eyes … Based on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy franchise, “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” is set ten years in the future and chronicling the rise of the Cobra Organization. It also revolves around Duke and Ripcord’s introduction to the elite G.I. Joe team, and follows the team from the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps as they fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the Cobra in plunging the world into chaos. Directed by “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” producer Stephen Sommers, the action movie sees the likes of Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, Rachel Nichols, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Christopher Eccleston among the cast ensemble. It is scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters on August 7.

Yeah, I’m such a geek for this shizz. While the boy inside me is really looking forward to seeing the forces of G.I. Joe battle the nefarious Cobra bad guys, the bigger boy inside me is really looking forward to Channing Tatum in all of that superhero spandex crime-fighting wear. I’m also looking forward to Sienna Miller’s portrayal of The Baroness … I just hope she doesn’t eff it up. The Baroness is one of my fave G.I. Joe characters (big shocker) and I’m hoping her portrayal on the big screen does her justice. We’re just 2 months away from finding out. Do y’all think she can hack it? Is anyone else out there really lookin’ forward to seeing this movie?

[Source]