No American Politics in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

No American Politics in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura talks about the origins of GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA and says the film is apolitical.

By bsprecher - May 03, 2009 12:05 PM EST
Filed Under: G.I. Joe

The term "G.I. Joe" dates back to World War II and is a generic term used for the "grunts" or food-soldiers of the American military. However, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura wants to be clear that his upcoming release, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, has nothing to do with American politics. Di Bonaventura told Entertainment Weekly:

"This G.I. Joe has nothing to do with American foreign policy. It's about a team of skilled operatives fighting an evil organization that's trying to take over the world. There are no politics in it at all."

Di Bonaventura also objected to comparisons to the Transformers movie, saying:

"Actually, we were working on a G.I. Joe movie long before we did Transformers and our Joe isn't based on the animated series--it's based on the comic books that came out in 1982 and 1983."

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is directed by Stephen Sommers and stars Dennis Quaid as Hawk, Channing Tatum as Duke, Sienna Miller as Baroness and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra opens August 7, 2009!




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WisconsinCharm
WisconsinCharm - 5/3/2009, 1:04 PM
We'll thats nice. Movie will be so-so.
Phinehas
Phinehas - 5/3/2009, 1:10 PM
What American politics? Do we still have any? Doesn't that require a spine from the leaders of our country? Oh wait! Do we still have "leaders?"
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 5/3/2009, 1:14 PM
AS LONG AS SNAKE IS IS COOL IM IN
FrankGarret
FrankGarret - 5/3/2009, 1:26 PM
I expected as much, and am relieved.
Scarlett
Scarlett - 5/3/2009, 1:28 PM
I wish this was based on a bit of both movie and cartoon. I think it's a shame to leave the cartoon out since it did have some really great elements.
KingCold420
KingCold420 - 5/3/2009, 1:29 PM
this movie will be tight
Bijous
Bijous - 5/3/2009, 1:34 PM
I haven't heard much about this movie, but the cast looks pretty good! It's going to come down to the FX budget. Good FX will help the performances, while bad FX will relegate it to "premieres on the sci-fi channel" caliber.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 5/3/2009, 1:38 PM
I DIDNT KNOW JOES HAD EXCELLERATOR SUITS IN THE COMIC,,
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/3/2009, 2:09 PM
YO JOE!!! All i can say is, its a origin type movie sooo what we've seen so far and later on might surprise us!!! I wasn't much of a TRANSFORMERS fan but when i saw the movie, i friggin' loved it an was hooked! An im already a JOE fan, infact i was a JOE fan before MARVEL an DC so fingers crossed! An like you guys have said, just seeing SNAKE EYES in it, is worth it alone!!! I know this is a bit early but i can smell a SNAKE EYES spin off from this later on! NINJA POWER!!! ; )
ManThing
ManThing - 5/3/2009, 4:30 PM
... a real AMERICAN hero. Anybody remember that? They are leaving it out because the ruinous plague of liberalism has made pro American sentiment unfashionable.

But on the other hand this movie has Ninjas in it so i can overlook that part lol...

Movies NEED Ninja's. ALL movies need Ninja's. Just think if you had a stinker like Gigli, and just put in one single Ninja, it would have made all the difference in the world!! XD
Killian
Killian - 5/3/2009, 4:43 PM
Where's Sgt Slaughter?
redrum010
redrum010 - 5/3/2009, 5:48 PM
Juggernaut took the words right out of my mouth. There are politics involved folks, that's why it isn't called G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Now it's just some lame World Counter Terrorism B.S. movie. Whatever. Will definitely skip this one.
Betty
Betty - 5/3/2009, 7:43 PM
@Killian--haha slaughter! Take the "s" away and it's Laughter! Sgt. Laughter. Why didnt they go with that instead?

Yeah im glad there's no current politics in the joe movie. If bush were still in office there probably would be. Making fun of that guy was "American".
OptionFour
OptionFour - 5/3/2009, 9:11 PM
Kind of torn on this myself. I don't want the movie to be political, really, since politics aren't fun.

On the other hand, I'm not American but even I know that GI Joe was and (in my mind) always will be an American military story. Nothing wrong with that. If it were a story about the British military, or another country's military, I wouldn't expect them to make it a world-wide Counter-terrorism force, either.
vonstallin
vonstallin - 5/3/2009, 9:56 PM
Hmm based on the early comics....I dont know about that..
Cobra Commander and The Barroness was never brother and sisters.
Oddfellow
Oddfellow - 5/3/2009, 10:23 PM
Gee, Gunsmith, I don't know. I think accelerator suits are very much in line with the spirit of G.I. Joe, what with all the future tech they usually use.

I'm a bit struggling on the concept of "American politics" as it relates to a movie like GI Joe. Does this imply they aren't going to riff on it like Team America did?
Can someone explain this to me?
SlurpeeGuy
SlurpeeGuy - 5/3/2009, 10:43 PM
OK. Now we know! And knowing is half the battle!
MetalHead
MetalHead - 5/3/2009, 10:44 PM
I gotta admit, since hearing of this movie a few years ago I thought it would be a STUPID idea. And I used to have every G.I.Joe growing up (since they literally first came out) along with all the comic books, so it's not like I never liked G.I.Joe before feeling that way about the idea. But having seen a few trailers now and a bunch of pics I'm actually starting to think that this movie might actually be F'ing badass! I think this could honestly end up being the surprisingly awesome movie of this year.
loganaspatch
loganaspatch - 5/3/2009, 11:22 PM
V for Vendetta was politcal and that movie was good

hell some of the music back n the day wA political and its considered legendary stuff politics can be fun

I AM a bit confused of the bashing going on here cobra was just a terroist group or were they funded by some government? idk

i need to sleep on it.
NataliaRomanov
NataliaRomanov - 5/3/2009, 11:36 PM
Is Scarlett going to be in it?

@loganaspatch: Great name, but why don't you have a picture of Patch as your avatar? XP
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 5/4/2009, 5:05 AM
I AGREE ON THE SUITS, IF YOUR FIGHTING A HIGH TECH EVIL ORGINIZATION, EXCELORRATOR SUITS WOULD BE PLAUSABLE. SHOOT LET ME HAVE ONE..WHAT I DONT SEE IS DESTRO'S MASK..DUDE WHERES THE MASK?..I SAW COBRA COMMANDER'S PROPOSED MASK AND IT WAS PRETTY HORRIBLE...BUT THIS MOVIE WILL BE AWSOMENESS,,,WILL THEY SAY"YO JOE!"...?
TheMyth
TheMyth - 5/4/2009, 6:26 AM
@Juggernaut: Ninja's would make every movie better!

Who cares if America sucks or not, Americans are the ones that gotta live in it, so enough already.

NataliaRomanov has a good point, LogansasPatch needs a Patch avatar, can anyone help him out?
Smolo
Smolo - 5/4/2009, 6:27 AM
I think I would rather have a Rainbow Six movie.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/4/2009, 8:05 AM
This movie will surprise alot of people!!! Its gonna be the Dark Horse of 2009!!! ; )
Killian
Killian - 5/4/2009, 8:18 AM
Here ya go Loganspatch

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Pumchavas28
Pumchavas28 - 5/4/2009, 8:39 AM
I'm American & DAMN PROUD OF IT!!!

I'll wait till this movie is shown on TBS in a few years.. Even then, I might not care about it by then.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/4/2009, 8:48 AM
THE HOFF Hehehehehe!!! Man, an ol SNAKE!! Whats happening with SNAKE is he still gonna do another one or not anymore? I hope he does, damn.
Kubrick
Kubrick - 5/4/2009, 9:14 AM
Too bad no dreadnochs,,,, maybe sequel wil be done better - and get cobra commander and destro right, like in GI JOE RESOLUTE
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/4/2009, 10:56 AM
Damn,,, cheers @ SIRPRIZE @ Well if their gonna do one they gotta do one soon if you know what i mean, can't see SNAKE played by another actor, bit like RAMBO! Who could be RAMBO but STALLONE himself!!!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/4/2009, 11:39 AM
Man,,, i like that idea alot!!!! Good one SirPrize!!!
TheJester
TheJester - 5/4/2009, 1:02 PM
Srgnt. Slaughter and Refrigerator Perry better be in this movie, or I'm going to get angry.
ManThing
ManThing - 5/4/2009, 4:16 PM
jester, might as well go ahead and get angry because there just ain't no way lol
NataliaRomanov
NataliaRomanov - 5/4/2009, 5:28 PM
@Killian & @SirPrize: Too funny!!!
NataliaRomanov
NataliaRomanov - 5/4/2009, 5:31 PM
I'm proud to be an American too, but my parents were born in Russia. Does that make me a Communist? I never even lived there, but drunk guys in bars still shout, "Wolverine," whenever they find out I'm Russian (Red Dawn). C'mon!
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