FAN MADE: 20 Minute GI Joe Fan Film - "Operation Red Retrieval"

FAN MADE: 20 Minute GI Joe Fan Film - "Operation Red Retrieval"

Here film maker Mark Cheng gives us a better take on GI Joe with 20 mins and $2500 than Steven Sommers and his millions did with Rise Of Cobra. Check it out..

Feature Opinion
By MarkCassidy - Nov 23, 2011 04:11 PM EST
Filed Under: G.I. Joe
Source: Youtube



I think this is pretty impressive. Some great action sequences and a few decent performances. A few not so decent too but hey, they are still better than the ones in Rise Of Cobra! Have a look and then see what the film maker has to say about capturing that "Joe" feeling when you were a kid..



From Cheng's Youtube channel..

This is NOT the GI Joe movie you're dying to unsee.

This is the GI Joe movie I saw in my head more than 25 years ago. I watched the cartoons, read the comics, and collected the toys when I was a kid. Eventually I moved on from GI Joe but from that franchise came my love for war movies - Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Band of Brothers - and my deep respect for the armed services and the men and women who serve.

Through working on this film - a process that took a year and a half - I realized the significance that GI Joe played in my childhood. Batman works alone, X-men was about strength in diversity, Transformers was pure awesome robots. But GI Joe was about a team of heroes working together, taking care of one another, never giving up, and staying until the fight was won. That's what I saw in my head, kept in my heart, and what I've tried to put into this film. As adults we've lost some of our innocence and, tragically, some of our idealism. We know heroes don't dodge bullets by doing cartwheels. Sometimes they get hurt, sometimes they don't come home. But under layers of dirt, grime, and blood, the hero is still there and he still sacrifices. And it's under those same layers of dirt and blood, that the spirit of GI Joe will always live.

The other thing I wanted to capture is that feeling from when I was 8 years old lying the floor with my action figures. I'd line up my GI Joe figures next to my Star Wars figures next to my He-Man figures and next to my Autobot Transformers. It didn't matter that the toys were of a different scale, possessed inexplicable powers, came from different brands, or lived in different universes. The ONLY things that mattered was that Good was about to defeat Evil, and that it was going to be SOOOO AWESOMEEEE.

So in a way, this is not the GI Joe movie I saw in my head 25 years ago. The film started that way, grew up like I did, got dirty like the world around us, but finds itself once again like the inner kid we all have within us.





By: TwitterButtons.com

By TwitterButtons.com



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soundwave129
soundwave129 - 11/23/2011, 4:58 PM
I hated it. At least Rise of Cobra got that G.I. Joe can't be taken seriously. But this just tries too hard.
BabyGroot
BabyGroot - 11/23/2011, 5:02 PM
lol yeah i didn't like it either XD
krooklyndodger
krooklyndodger - 11/23/2011, 5:11 PM
I love when the a junior editor is biased. I've watched this fan-film and I didn't care for it. All that Mark Cheng did was put the actors in ARAH accurate costumes, add more violence and blood and threw in a cheesy Predator and add some DC and Marvel stuff at the end. I liked how it was filmed, but in the end it was a crappier vision of GI Joe than ROC was.
NeoBaggins
NeoBaggins - 11/23/2011, 5:14 PM
I havent pressed play yet and I'm sure it's better than the movie. Let's see...

Oh, I was wrong. It's the same as the movie.

Ironnick
Ironnick - 11/23/2011, 5:15 PM
I liked it. Not the greatest thing I've seen, but ah not that bad.
NightShade
NightShade - 11/23/2011, 5:15 PM
what the hell does predator have to do with this?..and why is all those other game characters from video games in it? total mess.
NightShade
NightShade - 11/23/2011, 5:16 PM
correction in spelling *are
cham2119
cham2119 - 11/23/2011, 5:22 PM
the guys who made this are friends of mine and i'm so happy it ended up so freaking awesome
imnotahero
imnotahero - 11/23/2011, 5:49 PM
The fck?
grifter
grifter - 11/23/2011, 6:04 PM
Lol Grif. I gotta admit the acting was bad. But the idea is a nerds wet dream.
TheAmazingSpidey63
TheAmazingSpidey63 - 11/23/2011, 6:09 PM
I haven't seen this little video yet, but after reading your guys' comments, I think I just saved 20 minutes of my life. :P
sexfoodcomics
sexfoodcomics - 11/23/2011, 6:21 PM
Oh my god that is unwatchable. I haven't seen one good fan film since the batman vs. predictor one.
Talontd
Talontd - 11/23/2011, 6:22 PM
Took a lil while to get into it, but it's not nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be...

$2,500?...Well done sir!
Saintsinnister
Saintsinnister - 11/23/2011, 6:24 PM
Stay tuned next time for the GI Joe transdimensional justice leage ochestra of america's fight against Joker, Donkey Kong, Doc Oc, Alien, and the gang from that 70's show.
Apacalypse
Apacalypse - 11/23/2011, 6:26 PM
It's ok for what they spent to make it but it's not a triumph by any means..
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/23/2011, 6:39 PM
it was good for a fan made,but that is all.
Markcheng
Markcheng - 11/23/2011, 6:53 PM
Thanks for the coverage on my film guys! I totally respect the reactions of the commenters. We fans are a loyal and passionate group, and we protect those franchises we adore. I love GI Joe and am very satisfied with the results of my work. glad to see that some of the commenters understood where I was going with it! Cham2119, who are you? Ping me on fb!
EpicMan123
EpicMan123 - 11/23/2011, 6:53 PM
wtf...
grifter
grifter - 11/23/2011, 7:52 PM
IS that really Mark Cheng?
EmeraldArachnid
EmeraldArachnid - 11/23/2011, 8:03 PM
IDK what you guys are talking about I thought it was great.
Markcheng
Markcheng - 11/23/2011, 8:07 PM
Yes. I submited it myself to comicbookmovie. See my fb comment to this on cbm's share of this page. We filmmakers got to promote our own stuff! Lmk if you have any questions about the film. Seems like most on this site have already made up their minds though! Interesting how diff sites' members react differently.
Destroyer14
Destroyer14 - 11/23/2011, 8:34 PM
Whoa, where did Predator come in? I'm liking the crossover at the end, excellent fan-film.
GLprime2814
GLprime2814 - 11/23/2011, 8:38 PM
Weeeeell.
HeadlessJensen
HeadlessJensen - 11/23/2011, 11:44 PM
Had me until the Predator showed up, and then Zartan killed Flint. Other than the bad acting and dialogue, it was alright. Very well made costumes as well. You guys are alright in my book.
Iphro78
Iphro78 - 11/24/2011, 12:48 AM
Garbage.
Jolt17
Jolt17 - 11/24/2011, 3:45 AM
That's a pretty well made fan-film, well it could surely use better actors (though not all are THAT bad), but for a fan-film, it's nice overall. Nice costumes, and it's always good to see Snake Eyes as a badass. I don't really like the idea of the crossover though, but it played out well so I think I'm okay with that. :)
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