G.I. Joe 2

G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the sequel to 2009's lackluster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, debuted its trailer earlier this week. With all my excitement for MIB 3, I put this trailer on the back-burner which may have been a mistake on my part. Machinma was given the exclusive for this trailer and posted for the world to see on YouTube.  Check it out...and then read my opinion below.

After watching this, I think the additional cast members (and losing Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, and along with others) and the new direction (more focused on realistic, grittier action and not so special-effects driven) is a great way to breathe new life into this franchise without a complete reboot. They are continuing the same story-arc of Zartan and Cobra in the White House, yet this trailer doesn't have same feel as the Rise of Cobra. The first film wasn't exactly my ideal movie, but I didn't think it was as horrific as every fanboy makes it out to be (I've seen much worse...Street Fighter, Robocop 3, Batman and Robin, Demolition Man, Catwoman, etc.). The trailer gave me more hope for this movie and bumped it up onto my want-to-see movie list (Bruce Willis along with that ninja mountain scene made this decision happen).

Still, I liked Christopher Eccleston as Destro and wanted to see more of his M.A.R.S. nanotech weaponry, but I didn't see those ridiculous accelerator suits in the trailer. So I guess you win some and you lose some. Speaking of winning, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes return...and the losing side of that is Channing Tatum's Duke is back too. Oh well, after Tatum's performance as Zip in "The Dilemma," I've forgiven him for his stiff acting as Duke in the first Joe's movie.  

The Rise of Cobra was directed by Stephen Sommers whose previous work included the Mummy and the Mummy Returns while this new film's director, Jon Chu, has movies like Step Up 2: the Street and Step Up 3D under his belt. Wait. What? I assume that Jon Chu won't be making Roadblock and Snake Eyes go head to head against Storm Shadow and Cobra Commander in a dance off. But how else will Channing Tatum make regionals?  Wait, that's "Bring it On" or "Glee" or something else I don't watch but saw a comedy bit about it on "Community."   Anywho, in the words of the People's Champ, Dwayne "THE ROCK" Johnson, I hope that Jon Chu can "JUST BRING IT!" By the looks of this trailer, he has already brought it...all the way to regionals! What's wrong with me?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!