G.I. Joe: Retaliation | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Jon M. Chu |
Written by | |
Based on | G.I. Joe by Hasbro |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Stephen Windon |
Edited by |
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Music by | Henry Jackman |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures [3] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes [5] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $130–155 million [1] [6] |
Box office | $375.7 million [5] |
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a 2013 American military science fiction action film based on the G.I. Joe toy line. It is the second installment in the G.I. Joe film series and the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by the writing team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the film features an ensemble cast with Lee Byung-hun, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Channing Tatum, and Arnold Vosloo reprising their roles from the previous film, while Luke Bracey and Robert Baker take over the role of Cobra Commander, replacing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and D. J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, Bruce Willis, and Dwayne Johnson round out the principal cast. In the film, heavy machine gunner Roadblock (Johnson), along with the surviving G.I. Joes, exacts vengeance on Cobra for his intelligence and infantry specialist Duke (Tatum) and their comrades' deaths, after a Pakistan incident involving nuclear warheads in which the Joes become traitors.
Originally slated for release in June 2012, the film was delayed in order to convert to 3D and boost interest in international markets. G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released in the United States on March 28, 2013, by Paramount Pictures. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, although it was considered an improvement from its predecessor and grossed $375.7 million worldwide against a budget of $130–155 million.
Intelligence and infantry specialist Duke leads the G.I. Joe Team to the Korean Demilitarized Zone to rescue a North Korean defector. They are then assigned another mission to steal nuclear warheads from Pakistan after the death of its President during a civil war. Deeming them as traitors for causing an international incident, Zartan, still impersonating the President of the United States, calls an airstrike that kills Duke and many Joes. Heavy machine gunner Roadblock, sniper Flint, and covert operator Lady Jaye survive the attack by diving into a well, and they return to the United States to contact General Joseph Colton, who provides them with weapons.
Meanwhile, Storm Shadow, who survived the Arctic base's destruction, [lower-alpha 1] and demolitions expert Firefly rescue Cobra Commander from an underground maximum-security prison in Germany, leaving Destro behind. Storm Shadow is injured and retreats to a temple in the Himalayas to recover. The Blind Master, leader of the Arashikage Clan, sends Snake Eyes and his apprentice Jinx, to capture Storm Shadow, allowing him to answer the murder of his uncle, the Hard Master.
After Zartan announces that Cobra will become the premier U.S. special forces team, replacing G.I. Joe, Lady Jaye deduces that someone is impersonating the President by noting changes in his speech patterns. At a presidential fundraiser, she steals a sample of the President's DNA, confirming that he is Zartan. They escape after a confrontation with Firefly and Zandar, the head of the U.S. Secret Service's Presidential Detail and a member of Cobra.
Snake Eyes and Jinx locate and capture Storm Shadow after a battle with some ninjas loyal to Storm Shadow and take him back to Tokyo, where Storm Shadow proclaims that he did not kill the Hard Master and proves it by fighting Snake Eyes with the weapon that killed the Hard Master, which breaks as it isn't Arashikage steel. The Blind Master deduces that Zartan was the one that murdered the Hard Master and framed Storm Shadow for it, who joined Cobra to bring it down from the inside. Exonerated, Storm Shadow accompanies Snake Eyes and Jinx, his cousin, as they join the Joes' efforts to stop Cobra and avenge the Hard Master.
Zartan invites the world leaders to a summit at Fort Sumter, where he launches the entire US nuclear arsenal, forcing the other nuclear powers to do the same. He then activates the self destruct for the US missiles, thus removing the justification for the retaliation strikes and goads the other leaders into doing the same to save the Earth. All the other leaders eventually self destruct their nuclear arsenals as well, and Zartan proclaims a nuclear free world. Zartan then reveals that he has created Project Zeus: orbital kinetic bombardment weapons at his command. To prove his superiority, he destroys Central London and activates the remaining weapons, offering to disarm them if the leaders submit to Cobra. Storm Shadow betrays Cobra Commander and starts a fight, revealing Cobra's deception to the world leaders. Colton kills Zandar and rescues the real President with Lady Jaye, while Storm Shadow kills Zartan. While Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Flint fight Cobra's soldiers, Cobra Commander instructs Firefly to protect the launch device, and escapes by helicopter. Roadblock overpowers Firefly and destroys the orbital weapons. Storm Shadow leaves after avenging his uncle.
At the White House ceremony, the real President addresses the nation and commemorates the Joes, who were awarded by Colton: Roadblock, Snake Eyes, Jinx, Flint, and Lady Jaye. Colton presents Roadblock with an M1911 pistol that belonged to General George S. Patton, to be used when they find Cobra Commander. Roadblock proudly raises the weapon and fires a single shot in honor of his fallen comrades, vowing to avenge them.
After the financially successful release of The Rise of Cobra , Rob Moore, the studio vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, stated in 2009 that a sequel would be developed. In January 2011, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers of Zombieland , were hired to write the script for the sequel. [8] [9] The movie was originally thought to be titled G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, [10] which was later denied by Reese. [11] Stephen Sommers was originally going to return as director of the sequel, but Paramount Pictures announced in February 2011 that Jon Chu would direct the sequel. [12] [13] In July 2011, the sequel's name was revealed to be G.I. Joe: Retaliation. [14] [15] Chu would later declare that Paramount wanted a reboot that also served as a sequel to The Rise of Cobra since "a lot of people saw the first movie so we don't want to alienate that and redo the whole thing." [16]
In January 2011, it was confirmed that Lee Byung-hun would reprise his role as Storm Shadow in the sequel. [17] [18] Channing Tatum and Ray Park also returned, as Duke and Snake Eyes, respectively. Rachel Nichols, the actress who played Scarlett in the first film, stated that most cast members would not be returning, except for the three aforementioned actors. [19] In March 2011, Sienna Miller stated that she would not be returning for a sequel. [20] Joseph Gordon-Levitt also confirmed that he would not be returning as Cobra Commander in the sequel because he was too busy with The Dark Knight Rises . [21]
In June 2011, Dwayne Johnson was cast as Roadblock, [22] D. J. Cotrona and RZA were cast as Flint and Blind Master, respectively, [23] while Élodie Yung was in talks for the role of Jinx. [24] In July 2011, Adrianne Palicki was confirmed for the lead female role of Lady Jaye, [25] [26] and Ray Stevenson was confirmed to portray the villain Firefly. [27] [28] Arnold Vosloo also confirmed that he would reprise his role of Zartan. [29] Jonathan Pryce will reprise his role as the President of the United States. Joseph Mazzello was confirmed to play Mouse. [30] In August 2011, Walton Goggins was added as Warden Nigel James, [31] and it was confirmed that Bruce Willis was cast to star in the film as the original G.I. Joe. [32] The character of Joe Colton was a replacement for fan-favorite Joe character Sgt. Slaughter. Sgt. Slaughter stated that he "was originally supposed to be the part of Bruce Willis' [as] Sgt. Slaughter but because we had a conflict in toy companies, Hasbro and Mattel, I wasn't able to do it. It's one of those things, Rock (Dwayne Johnson) doesn't have a contract so he can do what he wants to do and he's been very successful". [33]
In September, a casting call sheet leaked to the Internet revealed that Cobra Commander would appear in the sequel, though it was unknown who would play the character. [34] Chu said that fans would get a glimpse of Destro in the film, but Christopher Eccleston would not reprise his role in the sequel. [35] On May 1, 2012, it was confirmed by Jon Chu that G.I. Joe: Retaliation's Cobra Commander is Rex Lewis, the same character that Joseph Gordon-Levitt played in The Rise of Cobra. [36]
Principal photography began in August 2011 in Louisiana. [14] [37] On November 22, 2011, a crew member died in an accident at a New Orleans warehouse that was serving as a soundstage for the production. The incident happened while crew members were changing out a set. [38] The battle on the Himalayas was shot in the south vertical assembly building at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, that had been fitted with a green screen wall at a very steep angle with a lot of rigging above to swing the stunt people through. [39]
Fort Pike in Louisiana stands in for Fort Sumter in South Carolina as the site of the climactic summit meeting of the leaders of nuclear-armed countries.
Retaliation had 700 visual effects shots, [40] which were mostly handled by three effects companies. [39] Visual effects supervisor Zachary Kinnery declared that while the visuals aimed for the "big and bold" typical of the franchise, Retaliation would be the first to attempt "a bit more of that gritty realism." [41] The major part of the effects was given to Digital Domain, which for 227 effects created digital vehicles and aircraft that had to "look fantastic but which are also plausible", given they had to match practical models, the Zeus satellite and a sequence where Zartan shows his nanomite-related disguise to the president—done with the same head replacement software developed for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Tron: Legacy . Industrial Light & Magic made the London destruction, a digital White House, and the mountain sword fight, which had computer-generated backgrounds and digital augmentation of the stunt people's performance. Method Studios was responsible for the desert attack, Firefly's explosive bugs, and malfunction on underground prison. [39] [40] [42] Saints LA handled minor effects such as compositing and news graphics. [43]
The film's score was composed by Henry Jackman. A soundtrack of the score was released in April 2013. [44]
Previously slated for release on August 10, 2012 [10] and June 29, 2012, [45] Paramount announced in May 2012 that they were delaying the film's release until March 29, 2013 (but was later moved up to March 28, 2013), in order to convert the movie to 3D and boost interest in international markets. [46] [47]
The delay "gobsmacked" the film industry due to Paramount's implementation of a substantial advertising campaign beginning with a Super Bowl commercial, with the "warehouses full of" toys were waiting for the film's launch, and because it was one of only three Paramount-produced films scheduled for summer 2012 (along with The Dictator and Katy Perry: Part of Me ). The studio also wanted to avoid competing with Tatum's Magic Mike , also scheduled for June 29. [48]
The film was banned by the Central Board of Film Censors of Pakistan due to initial scenes at the beginning of the movie which depict the country negatively, according to film censor board officials. A Karachi-based cinema posted on its Facebook page that the film would not be screened due to restrictions by the censor board. The censorship was due to the film's depiction of Pakistan as an unstable state and the fictional portrayal of a "foreign invasion of Pakistan's nuclear installations", which caught the ire of film censor authorities. Consequently, restrictions were imposed on screening the movie countrywide. [49] [50] [51] [52] According to an official at the censor board, the film portrayed Pakistan negatively not only on the issue of the War on Terror but also on the international standing of the country, "There is a scene which shows the assassination of the Pakistani president and the imposition of martial law, which is not a fair representation of the country." [53] Another cinema official said, "There were obviously several objectionable things which would never have passed the censors, but these things are also relevant to the content of the film." [53]
A toyline for the film was confirmed by Hasbro in February 2012. [54] Despite the movie's release being moved from June 2012 to March 2013, the initial assortments of figures, vehicles, and role-play items were shipped to retailers, and appeared on store shelves in May 2012. A Variety article was published stating that the already released figures had been pulled from the shelves and recalled by Hasbro, [55] although the company's official statement indicated that existing product would be sold through. New product shipments were halted by Hasbro, but existing Retaliation figures were available in Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us as late as December 2012. [56] The toyline was re-released in the United States in February 2013. [57] A four-part limited series comic book titled G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Prequel was published by IDW Publishing from February 2012 to April 2012. Written by John Barber, it acts as a prequel to the movie.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on July 30, 2013, by Paramount Home Entertainment. [58] A Blu-ray "Extended Action Cut" added 12 minutes of footage and uncensored violence was also available, with the United States version being a Best Buy exclusive. [59]
The film topped No. 1 on both the Blu-ray and DVD sales charts with at least 54% of both Blu-ray and DVD units sold. [60] The film also topped weekend rentals too. [61]
It was later released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on July 20, 2021, along with the first movie, to coincide with the theatrical release of Snake Eyes .
G.I. Joe: Retaliation grossed $122.5 million in North America, $253.2 million internationally, and $375.7 million worldwide total, [5] to a budget of $130–$155 million. [1] [6]
In North America, the film grossed $10.5 million on its opening day, debuting at the top of the box office. [62] The film retained the No. 1 spot over the three-day weekend and grossed $40.5 million; however, the film's opening weekend fell 14.2% against The Rise of Cobra's $54.7 million debut. [63]
On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 29% based on 180 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though arguably superior to its predecessor, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is overwhelmed by its nonstop action and too nonsensical and vapid to leave a lasting impression." [64] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [65] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [66]
Alan Scherstuhl of The Village Voice wrote in a positive review that "this [movie] pushes right past competent into mostly legitimately enjoyable" but added that "the movie is still dumb as catbutt. It's an honest and accomplished dumbness, however, where the stupidest stuff seems to be there because the movie would be less fun without it." [67] The Hollywood Reporter 's Todd McCarthy was critical about the film's use of 3D and accurate reflection of the franchise's comic book and cartoon origins, but predicted it would still earn better than its predecessor, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra . [68] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade of "B−", calling it "well-executed technocratic action fluff" and commented: "In its dehumanized and trivial way, it's a triumph of razor-sharp, hyper-violent style over formulaic substance ... Hollywood has now evolved to the point that it can deliver these kinds of thrills with maximum brute force and keep the impact so light that the result can still be regarded as a 'harmless' diversion for 14-year-olds." [69] Glen Heath Jr. of Slant Magazine gave it two out of four stars, criticizing the film's "cut-happy style" and plot, but lauding the action sequences and Chu's direction as "poetry in high-speed motion." [70]
In a negative review, Betsey Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times panned the "overwhelmingly complicated, globe-hopping, enemies within, enemies without story line" and 3D but noted that "the humor, when it works, offers 'Retaliation' some redemption." She ended with: "It's convoluted. Frankly no one should have to think that hard to keep up with the Joes." [71] Another negative review came from Variety magazine's Justin Chang, who ridiculed the movie's large-scale destruction of foreign cities, writing: "Audiences who thrilled to the sight of Paris under biochemical attack in Cobra will be pleased to watch London endure an even more horrific fate here, although the sequence is tossed off in quick, almost ho-hum fashion, with no time to dwell on anything so exquisitely crass as the spectacle of the Eiffel Tower collapsing." He summarized the movie as "a more straight-faced brand of idiocy than its cheerfully dumb 2009 predecessor." [72]
Writing for Empire magazine, Olly Richards gave the movie 2 stars out of 5 and compared it unfavorably with its predecessor, writing: "The first film you could at least laugh at. This takes all its silly ingredients and smushes them down flat. 'Retaliation' over-promises and under-delivers." [73] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the movie 1.5 stars out of a possible four, branding it a "ridiculous and overblown debacle" that contained "nothing but well-packaged garbage" and further adding: "To say 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' is a video game for the big screen is to insult a number of video games that are far more creative, challenging and better-looking." [74]
At the 2013 Teen Choice Awards, G.I. Joe: Retaliation received four nominations (including Choice Movie: Action). [75] [76] [77] Johnson was nominated for Favorite Male Buttkicker at the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards. [78] The film was also nominated twice at the Golden Trailer Awards for Best Action. [79] [80] [81]
In April 2013, reports surfaced that there would be a third G.I. Joe film, [82] and it would likely be in 3D. [83] [84] The studio announced that Chu would return to direct the third film. [85]
While at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Chu talked about bringing Scarlett back in the next film. [86] The writers of the second film are also thinking about bringing back the Baroness in the sequel. [87] Johnson is interested in returning as Roadblock for the sequel, [88] and Park has talked about a possible return as Snake Eyes and also including his pet wolf Timber. [89] Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has stated he is open to doing a G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover, [90] which Chu stated that he would be interested in directing. [91] Bonaventura told Beijing News that he hoped that Johnson and Willis would return, the script is still in the writing stage, and that they are considering adding a third important role. [92]
By September of the same year, Chu was confirmed to direct the film, along with Snow White and the Huntsman writer Evan Daugherty to pen the film's script. [93] On December 5, 2013, Daugherty talked about writing the film's script and his feelings about Duke being killed, [94] but Chu told MTV that Tatum may return as Duke in the sequel. [95] In an interview with Collider, Johnson stated that he believes Chu may not return to direct, due to working on the live-action Jem film, but they may find another director for the film. [96] It was revealed that the third film will have a 2016 release date. [97] In June 2014, di Bonaventura told Collider in an interview that they're meeting with new directors and filming may start in early 2015. [98] The following month, Variety reported that Jonathan Lemkin will write the script for the film and will focus on Roadblock with Johnson returning. [99] February of the following year, Film Divider reported that the twins Tomax and Xamot and Matt Trakker from the TV series M.A.S.K. will be appearing. [100] In April, the studio hired Aaron Berg to write the film, and D. J. Caruso to direct the film. [101] [102] November 2015, Deadline reported that Akiva Goldsman will lead a writers room for the next G.I. Joe film. [103] In September 2016, Byung-Hun Lee told LRM Review that the studio doing the third film is waiting on the actors to return, including Johnson. [104]
In January 2017, Caruso stated that the script for the crossover movie is now being written. [105] In May 2017, Dwayne Johnson stated that if the opportunity arises he would appear in any future G.I. Joe film, and that he hopes to be a part of the franchise expansion as well. [106] It was announced in September 2017 that the third film is intended to serve more as a reboot of the franchise. [107] The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Paramount announced the film will be released on March 27, 2020. [108] In May 2018, That Hashtag Show reported that the film will be titled G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant with Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec writing the film's script and that the studio are hoping to have Johnson sign on to reprise the role of Roadblock. The plot will reportedly feature his character assembling a new team of Joes with Dania Janack, Dr. Adele Burkhart, Wild Bill, Barbecue, General Flagg, Doc, and Keel-Haul joining forces to stop Tomax and Xamot Paoli from launching a dark matter WMD. The film is said to feature a cameo role for Cobra Commander. [109] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed that some scripts for the sequel are currently in development. [110]
A reboot of the film series, Snake Eyes , was released on July 23, 2021.
COBRA is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, as well as in related media.
Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and by Luke Bracey with the voice of Robert Baker in the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Snake Eyes is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series, created by Larry Hama. He is one of the original and most popular members of the G.I. Joe Team, and is most known for his relationships with Scarlett and Storm Shadow. Snake Eyes is one of the most prominent characters in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise, having appeared in every series of the franchise since its inception. He is portrayed by Ray Park in the 2009 live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Henry Golding portrays the titular character in the 2021 reboot Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.
Zartan is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV series, and he was portrayed by Arnold Vosloo in the live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is best known as the Cobra Commander's ninja bodyguard, and for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes.
Duke is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's First Sergeant, and debuted in 1983. The character is also featured in both the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 animated series and comic books. Channing Tatum portrays Duke in the 2009 live-action film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Scarlett is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She is one of the original members of the G.I. Joe Team, and debuted in 1982. The character is also featured in both the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 animated series and comic books. Scarlett was portrayed by actress Rachel Nichols in the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Samara Weaving in the 2021 film Snake Eyes.
Baroness is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro, originally appearing in the first issue of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic series by Marvel Comics in June, 1982. The Baroness is a villainess, associated with the G.I. Joe Team's nemesis Cobra.
Firefly is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a mercenary who works for the Cobra Organization as a saboteur. He is portrayed by Ray Stevenson in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Jinx is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She debuted in 1987 as the G.I. Joe Team's female ninja, and since then her code name has been the identity of several other incarnations of the same character, including one of Snake Eyes' apprentices in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Chuckles' undercover contact in G.I. Joe: Cobra, and Storm Shadow's cousin in G.I. Joe: Renegades. She is portrayed by Élodie Yung in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
G.I. Joe is the code name of a fictional elite covert special operations unit operating under the control of the United States Armed Forces in the G.I. Joe universe. In the 1960s and 1970s, a toy military adventure character based on General Joseph Colton was available. From 1982, the name "G.I. Joe" referred to the team, also known as the "Joe team" or the "Joes". The G.I. Joe team was introduced as the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline by Hasbro. Later, the Marvel G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic books and the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero television cartoons were released. The team's battle cry is "Yo Joe!"
Kamakura is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the first character created by Devil's Due Publishing to be made into a G.I. Joe figure, and later brought into the new animated series.
Gung-Ho is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's original Marine and debuted in 1983.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a 2009 American military science fiction action film based on the G.I. Joe toy line. It is the first installment in the G.I. Joe film series. Directed by Stephen Sommers from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, and Paul Lovett, the film features an ensemble cast based on the various characters of the toy line. The story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by Military Armaments Research Syndicate (M.A.R.S.) troops.
G.I. Joe: Resolute is an American anime-influenced adult animated web series based on the G.I. Joe franchise. It was written by Warren Ellis, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, and produced by Sam Register, creator of Cartoon Network's Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and The Looney Tunes Show. It debuted on the web at Adult Swim Video on April 17, 2009, as a series of ten 5-minute episodes and a final 10-minute episode, with a content rating of TV-14-V, and later premiered as a movie on Adult Swim on April 25, 2009. The show has a darker and more realistic tone compared to other installments in the franchise, and also uses elements from both the cartoons and the comics, and is described by Warren Ellis as a "fusion".
Billy Kessler is a fictional character in the comic book series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. He is the son of the main villain of the series, Cobra Commander, but fights against his father and the forces of Cobra Command, learning martial arts under the tutelage of Storm Shadow, who helps him after a botched attempt on Cobra Commander's life. While still a boy, he loses an eye and a leg when a Cobra operative destroys a car in which he is riding, and after recovering he goes on to become a member of his father's greatest enemy, the G.I. Joe Team.
G.I. Joe is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier, Action Sailor, Action Pilot, Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse. The name is derived from the usage of "G.I. Joe" for the generic U.S. soldier, itself derived from the more general term "G.I.". The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term "action figure". G.I. Joe's appeal to children has made it an American icon among toys.
G.I. Joe: Ninja Battles is a 2004 animated military science fiction action short film. The film was released on DVD as part of the Ninja Battles set of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero figures. In it, the history of the Arashikage Clan, as well as the history of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow's rivalry, are examined through a series of trials. Scenes from both G.I. Joe: Spy Troops and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom are used, with a brief period of new animation at the end of the movie.
G.I. Joe is a series of American military science fiction action films based on the toy line of the same name. Development for the first film began in 2003, but when the United States launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers instead. In 2009, the first film was released, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. A second film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, was released in 2013. A third film, centered on Snake Eyes titled Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, also serving as a reboot of the series, was released in 2021, and a fourth film, G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant, is confirmed to be in active development. A crossover film with the Transformers is also being developed.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a 2021 American superhero film loosely based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy line character Snake Eyes. It is the third installment in the G.I. Joe film series. The film is directed by Robert Schwentke from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse. It serves as an origin story for the title character, while also being a reboot of the film series. The film stars Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, with Andrew Koji, Úrsula Corberó, Samara Weaving, and Iko Uwais in supporting roles.