Inspired by Hasbro's 1980s sci-fi soldier toy line, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra had aspirations of a Transformers-style big-screen resurrection. But after the first trailer premiered in February during the Super Bowl, many fans ready to cheer the heroes' trademark battle cry of "Yo, Joe!" instead found themselves uttering only "Yo …!"
Later trailers and clips failed to make a better impression for the film, which opens Aug. 7 and is directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy).
Complaints were brutal: The green weaponized fungus dissolving the Eiffel Tower looked cartoonish, the suits that send the good guys cartwheeling away from explosions were an Iron Man rip-off, and the early footage lacked the fantasy villains that made the G.I. Joe cartoon so memorable — the silver-skulled arms dealer Destro, and the terrorist Cobra Commander.
The film is designed to set up future films and delivers those unique villains only at the end, so the filmmakers have been reluctant to preview them. But a weak box office could mean the origin story of Cobra also is its unintended finale.
Paramount Pictures has kept the film under wraps for others and will preview it widely only next week, just days before its debut — never a good sign.
If they do have the goods, "the decision to not screen a movie is never a smart move, especially something like this that is very fan-oriented and could get them talking and supporting it," says Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net.
But he acknowledges that the hostile fan talk may have forced the filmmakers into a bunker mentality: "Every time I would write about it, the comments would fill up with people already saying 'This looks like the worst movie of the year.' "
