Critics not Allowd to Preview GI Joe

[Savonarola]

G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring, highly trained, special mission force.
Its purpose: To defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless, terrorist organization determined to rule the world.

Bad Sign? Critics Not Allowed 'G.I. Joe' PreviewLOS ANGELES (AP)

It's the biggest movie of the summer that practically no one has seen.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens Friday, but Paramount Pictures isn't screening the blockbuster for critics beforehand. Only a select few writers from blogs and movie Web sites have seen it for review — such as Harry Knowles, the self-professed "Head Geek" from Ain't It Cool News — and their opinions have been mostly positive.

Instead, the studio says it's intentionally aiming the movie at the heartland, at cities and audiences outside the entertainment vortexes of New York and Los Angeles. Paramount held a screening Friday for 1,000 military service members and their families at Andrews Air Force Base; it's also focusing marketing efforts in places like Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

While appealing to a sense of patriotism nationwide, the plan also is inspired by the disparity that existed between the critical trashing "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" received and the massive crowds it drew at the box office.

"`G.I. Joe' is a big, fun, summer event movie — one that we've seen audiences enjoy everywhere from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Phoenix, Ariz.," said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures. "After the chasm we experienced with `Transformers 2' between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote `G.I. Joe.' We want audiences to define this film."

With a reported production budget of $175 million and a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "G.I. Joe" follows the adventures of an elite team using high-tech spy and military equipment to take down a corrupt arms dealer. It comes from director Stephen Sommers, whose previous films include "The Mummy" and "Van Helsing."

Long before anyone saw the completed product, though, "G.I. Joe" drew mixed buzz at best for its trailer, which premiered during the Super Bowl. Now it's the final action picture of the summer — and it has a lot in common with the highest-grossing film so far this year, the "Transformers" sequel. Both are effects-laden spectacles based on Hasbro toys and both are Paramount releases from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

"Transformers" has gone on to gross more than $388 million in the United States alone since its opening six weeks ago, despite receiving just 20 percent positive reviews on the Web site Rotten Tomatoes, a critical aggregator. The withholding of "G.I. Joe" from mainstream critics suggests that the studios believe they can succeed at the box office without them.

It's a tactic normally reserved for horror movies or other genre pictures with built-in fans who don't necessarily care about reviews — ones based on video games, for example — not summer blockbusters. Still, "G.I. Joe" has been tracking well because it represents the last big bang of the season, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

"They don't need (to screen) it and there's no upside to negative reviews. The film is going to open well no matter what," Dergarabedian said. "They're being very strategic in who they show the movie to. If they can win over their core audience from these reviews, that's good for the movie."

Devin Faraci from the film Web site CHUD.com is one of the few writers who have seen it for review purposes, and not just for junket interviews. He's among the critics who've contributed to the movie's 88-percent positive rating as tabulated by Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "If I was 10 years old, `G.I. Joe' would be one of the best movies I had ever seen."

Faraci said he was in Toronto recently when he received a phone call at 8:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, asking if he could come to the Paramount lot that day for a "G.I. Joe" screening. He flew back, got off the plane and headed right over.

"It's silly. It's a film that plays on its own terms," he said. "I don't think reviews will kill it but I think it'll get a more positive response than they expect. It's a big, silly, pulpy, cartoony action film and it makes no apologies for being that way."

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

They're not previewing the film for critics and it stars Marlon Wayans; this sounds like a great movie.  I only wish my friends Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot were here to see it.

[Caliga]

What are you talking about?  The inclusion of Marlon Wayans in Dungeons & Dragons really made the movie. 

[Darth Wagtaros]

Yeah.  Without him it would have just have been Tom Baker in a sad, sad, finale to his long career.

[Caliga]

Yeah.  Without him it would have just have been Tom Baker in a sad, sad, finale to his long career.

I really enjoyed watching Thora Birch destroy her career as well.

What annoys me is that chick who played the wizard hasn't done anything else that I've seen.  She was HOTT.

[jimmy olsen]

Is anyone surprised, the previews looked terrible.

[Caliga]

You mean casting that gay kid from Third Rock from the Sun as COBRA COMMANDER didn't work out too well!?

[Eddie Teach]

Yeah.  Without him it would have just have been Tom Baker in a sad, sad, finale to his long career.

I really enjoyed watching Thora Birch destroy her career as well.

What annoys me is that chick who played the wizard hasn't done anything else that I've seen.  She was HOTT.

Thora Birch is just another in a long line of child actresses not gorgeous enough to make it as an adult.

[DisturbedPervert]

You mean casting that gay kid from Third Rock from the Sun as COBRA COMMANDER didn't work out too well!?

WTF 

[Caliga]

I actually always thought she was ugly.  I wasn't even remotely turned on when she went topless in American Beauty.

Part of it is she has alot of moles and I hate moley chicks.

[Neil]

You mean casting that gay kid from Third Rock from the Sun as COBRA COMMANDER didn't work out too well!?

They fucked up Cobra Commander.  That's the worst part of this debacle.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

LOL. maybe they can't preview it because if anyone sees this they'll learn state secrets and have to be killed. It'd be a nice way to thin out the chaff. Electrify the seats. anyone who pays hgets executed. You could just show it in FLA and TX. (and other less famous death penalty states)

[Eddie Teach]

I actually always thought she was ugly.  I wasn't even remotely turned on when she went topless in American Beauty.

I don't even remember that part. Too distracted. Mena

[Caliga]

I don't even remember that part. Too distracted. Mena

[Cerr]

I saw it yesterday (I won free tickets to an advance screening).

It's a pretty silly summer action flick. Some of the action scenes are quite entertaining though. It's fast moving but it goes on for a bit too long. The CGI stuff in it, for the most part are very bad (particularly the vehicles, they look like they're from a PS2 game). There's also quite a lot of cheesy dialogue.
I certainly wouldn't pay to see it but if you keep your expectations low you might enjoy it for what it is.
Boys would definitely get the most out of the movie.

[Caliga]

Was the Baroness HOTT?