‘G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra’ In Plastic – Intro

No one knows G.I. Joe toys like CJ Stunkard of Stunk’s Stage. Luckily, CJ has taken an in-depth look at the new line of toys based on G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and you can read the articles right here at Pop Culture Zoo. Starting today, check back each day for the next week to read about what you’ll want to pick up and avoid in order to re-create the movie in your own home. Thank you, CJ!

Hasbro is having a very big year. Two of their most popular action-figure brands are getting the blockbuster treatment this summer, and the toy giant’s design and marketing teams have flooded toy shelves with product to accompany the respective films. The first half of the season was dedicated to Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to Michael Bay’s 2007 hit, which made alien-robots-who-transform-into-vehicles a staple of not only geek subculture but American culture for the last two years. Along with the film, Hasbro released a wide line of product, from basic, small-scale non-articulated figures through large, complex transforming toys with lights and sounds. The product onslaught was accompanied by huge buzz surrounding the film’s scope and visual grandeur, further establishing the movie universe of the Transformers and giving Hasbro the greenlight to develop and release more film-based goods through at least next spring (as they did with the first film).

This July, not even a full month following the release date of Transformers 2, Hasbro has begun the second tsunami of branded goods for their next summer blockbuster, G.I. Joe:The Rise of Cobra. Unlike Transformers, which has proven marketable to not only a new generation of children but filmgoers at large, G.I. Joe is a bit of a wild card and arguably, a real gamble. Selling the masses a mythos about giant alien robots that transform into vehicles and refuse to hurt humans is one thing; selling them the terrestrial tale of an elite military unit versus an organized terrorist threat is something else. This contrast becomes more problematic when the movie-going public does not represent a consistent ideology but rather an intellectual civil war, wherein one segment embraces the United States’ use of military power to protect the world and another views America’s policing the globe as imperialistic and tyrannical. Furthermore, given the current state of international tension–with the real military’s aggressive pursuit of terrorist networks as well as the U.S. and her allies enduring the habitual antagonism of various world leaders—how can a story like G.I. Joe be acceptable to the public as entertainment? How much more difficult does the matter become when the story is clearly being designed and developed for children?

It is unclear to what degree Hasbro and Paramount engaged these dilemmas prior to moving forward with the film, but certain hints from the trailers and toy line show that it was at least on their mind. One will note that the G.I. Joes of the film universe seem to bear the unit’s logo much more than the American flag herself. Additionally, it appears that the villains of the plot are not associated with antagonistic nuclear powers nor an underground terrorist network; but rather, like Bond’s Spectre (or Quantum as it is known in the most recent film), Cobra seems to be a self-contained but sill extensive army. Of equal importance, the film’s military tech seems far different than that of our current armed services, and the uniforms and armor suits of the film’s Joe team resemble the look of the X-Men and Iron Man as opposed to Uncle Sam’s boys on the battlefield. For all intents and purposes, the film is getting as far from the real conflicts as possible to create an alternate one that will not bear the complexities of current events. From what has been revealed thus far, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is hoping to make the ideas of war, terrorism, and the military simpler. There is good, and there is evil; and they fight. Each side has a ninja, a vixen, and hi-tech gear the other side has not encountered. The world of Rise of Cobra is not the one we inhabit, it’s the one they inhabit, and that world is much easier to understand and navigate.

This development has been problematic for fanboys, those ever-loyal but never-satisfied brand supporters who adore the G.I. Joe mythos at certain points while denouncing it at others. Perhaps more than any other fan subculture, the G.I. Joe fanboys are at war not only with Cobra but each other over the brand’s various experimental iterations, as the community debates which versions of the myth are “really G.I. Joe”. More than one online forum member has expressed that one version of the cartoon is superior to the others, and the argument over the comic universe, which may or may not be consistent with the cartoon universe, can become equally volatile. Oddly enough, the cartoons and comics are just the beginning.

Arguably, the mainstay of the Joe brand is neither the comic nor cartoon interpretations. G.I. Joe’s popularity seems to hinge on something else—the action figures, primarily those at 3 3/4” scale. Frankly, some have felt that the other iterations of the brand, including the new film, have been nothing more than extended advertisements for the toy products, particularly those at the popular 4”-and-under size. This outlook becomes further evident in that many fans reject certain cartoons from Joe-lore simply due to their lack of accompanying 3 3/4” figures–Sgt. Savage, G.I. Joe Extreme, and the recent Sigma Six all attest to this.

If this is the case, then G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the biggest and most important iteration of the brand yet; and given this focus, one could assume that the real success of the film will have nothing to do with critical response nor its box-office reception. No, the true success of the Rise of Cobra will be dependant on the sales of the toys and the desire of buyers to get more. Most people realize this when looking at the movie’s overall treatment. It is fairly obvious that all involved had little confidence in the brand’s blockbuster capabilities. The movie second-rate production team, B-list actors, and placement at the tail end of summer rather than the thick of it are a testament of this. That the marketing blitz has focused primarily on well-known pop-culture characters and cool action sequences rather than any semblance of story should not surprise us. The film is designed to sell Snake Eyes figures and Storm Shadow costumes, not win Oscars or rally support for militaristic action on a global sacle. If G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra has any message, it’s the same one all iterations of the brand have always had, “This is a cool adventure, recreate your own adventures at home.“ If that isn’t consistent with the history of the brand (at least since the mid-80s), then this writer doesn’t know what it is. Perhaps The Rise of Cobra is the most true form of G.I. Joe fans could ever hope for, but will it work?

Likely, yes–which brings us back to the issue of comparison with Transformers 2. Despite the aforementioned differences in marketing issues and overall appeal, one thing that the G.I. Joe and Transformers brands have in common is that both film enterprises are truly glorified toy commercials in the most true sense. They are, after all, both based on toy lines more than anything else. Frankly, the Transformers fans came out in droves to support the film regardless of its shortcomings; and the Joe community will likely do the same. Of course, it’s not merely box office support to which I am referring but BRAND support. A lot of adult fans (myself included) picked up one or two of those cool new movie Transformers long before seeing the film; and chances are that a loyal base like the Joe fanboys will do the same. Any dislike of the film for whatever reason will likely have little to no impact on their true support of the film—which is, of course, the purchase of the toys.

Why? Well, as far as action figures go, the toys are good. They are highly detailed, new versions of classic characters that are moderately affordable and present the best hope of keeping the brand alive on toy shelves for the next year or two. If you’re a Joe fan, and you want your brand to continue, then picking these figures up by the shelf-load is how to do it. Luckily, it’ll be worth the investment.