G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a 2013 American military science fiction action film based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe toy, comic, and media franchise. The second film in the G.I. Joe film series, it follows 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the film features an ensemble cast with Lee Byung-hun, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Arnold Vosloo, and Channing Tatum reprising their roles from the first film, while Luke Bracey and Robert Baker take over the role of Cobra Commander, replacing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, D. J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson and Elodie Yung round out the principal cast. In the film, with Cobra operative Zartan still impersonating the President of the United States,RELATED:
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the terrorist organization is able to frame the Joes as traitors, and have them nearly annihilated in an airstrike. Cobra Commander places world leaders under Cobra’s control, and gains access to their advanced warheads. Outnumbered and outgunned, the surviving Joes form a plan with original G.I. Joe, General Joseph Colton, to overthrow Cobra Commander and his allies.
Originally slated for release in June 2012, the film was delayed in order to convert to 3D and boost interest in international markets. It was released in North America on March 28, 2013. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $375 million worldwide against a budget of $130–155 million.
Plot.
Duke leads the G.I. Joe Team to the Korean Demilitarized Zone to find a North Korean defector. Later, Zartan, still impersonating the President of the United States, frames G.I. Joe for stealing nuclear warheads from Pakistan after the death of its President during a civil war, and subsequently eliminates G.I. Joe, which kills Duke and the other Joes, using a military air strike. Heavy machine gunner Roadblock, rookie sniper Flint, and counterintelligence officer Lady Jaye survive the attack by diving into a well, and they return to the US and find original G.I. Joe, General Joseph Colton, who provides them with weapons.
Meanwhile, Storm Shadow, who survived the Arctic base’s destruction,[N 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. Before Storm Shadow was falsely-accused, he and Snake Eyes grew up together and were considered friends, but this relationship deteriorated when his “friends” did not trust him to not be a murderer,
a detail that he never forgot, even after they cleared his name and somewhat uncomfortably called a truce in order to work together.
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. 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.
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Development.
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. The movie was originally thought to be titled G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, which was later denied by Reese. 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. In July 2011, the sequel’s name was revealed to be G.I. Joe: Retaliation. 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.”
Casting.
In January 2011, it was confirmed that Lee Byung-hun would reprise his role as Storm Shadow in the sequel. 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. In March 2011, Sienna Miller stated that she would not be returning for a sequel. 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. In June 2011, Dwayne Johnson was cast as Roadblock, D. J. Cotrona and RZA were cast as Flint and Blind Master, respectively, while Élodie Yung was in talks for the role of Jinx. In July 2011, Adrianne Palicki was confirmed for the lead female role of Lady Jaye, and Ray Stevenson was confirmed to portray the villain Firefly. Arnold Vosloo also confirmed that he would reprise his role of Zartan. Jonathan Pryce will reprise his role as the President of the United States.
Filming.
Principal photography began in August 2011 in Louisiana. 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. 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. 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.
Marketing.
A toyline for the film was confirmed by Hasbro in February 2012. 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, 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. The toyline was re-released in the United States in February 2013. 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.
Home media.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on July 30, 2013 by Paramount Home Entertainment. 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. 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. 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.
Box office.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation grossed $122.5 million in North America, $253.2 million internationally, and $375.7 million worldwide total, to a budget of $130–$155 million. In North America, the film grossed $10.5 million on its opening day, debuting at the top of the box office. 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.RELATED:
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