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Toy Fair 2009: G.I. Joe - The Rise Of Cobra Figures And More


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Uh ohhhhhh........I'm sensing less and less movie hate.

 

It would be shocking if Joe fans turned into the Transformers fans of a couple years ago. Just shocking...

Ya, I don't see any more "Top 10 reasons the Joe movie is going to suck" threads. @smilepunch@

 

Mmmmm Hmmmm...We're 22 posts into a thread about the movie and no gripes about black Rip Cords or murdered childhoods. Interesting...

 

Why beat a dead horse? ;)

y'know that you mention it... Really i think it's because this thread is about the toys not just the movie, i'm judging those seperately honestly. Some movie toys are cool, i still think the movie was poorly conceived and will sadly fail.

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Feel as if I am reliving GI JOE EXTREME and SGT. SAVAGE all over again. Why bother. As for the comment about the Wyanes brother playing RIP CORD? I guess all the bithcing he did because he did not get the part of "ROBIN" in the BATMAN movies payed off. As for the toys???? Great for customizing. It just shows again that Habro as a tendency to drop the ball on What the fans want when it comes to figures. PPl say tht they market to a new era of toy collectors and childrean but at the same time they will never get rid of the same old "WHITE STORM SHADOW" and "BLACK VR2 (timber SNAKE EYES" The avarage person pays 8 dollars for figures but yet here we go again with...... the 36th? snakes figure that does not look any diffrent then the last 35. Why not a red Snake Eyes? and as forl Storm Shadow.... he should be renamed ZARTAn because he has been every color under the sun. Will the Movie flop? I hope so. I do not get why they would have DESTRO put his mask on in the end of the movie? (sign) @smilepunch@

 

Crimson Fist

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Uh ohhhhhh........I'm sensing less and less movie hate.

 

It would be shocking if Joe fans turned into the Transformers fans of a couple years ago. Just shocking...

Ya, I don't see any more "Top 10 reasons the Joe movie is going to suck" threads. @smilepunch@

 

Mmmmm Hmmmm...We're 22 posts into a thread about the movie and no gripes about black Rip Cords or murdered childhoods. Interesting...

 

Why beat a dead horse? ;)

y'know that you mention it... Really i think it's because this thread is about the toys not just the movie, i'm judging those seperately honestly. Some movie toys are cool, i still think the movie was poorly conceived and will sadly fail.

 

If you're looking for controversy, I can sure provide!

 

I kept my mouth shut earlier when asking about 'Spc Altitude', but if you really want to open that can o' worms, I'd be only too happy to oblige!

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Uh ohhhhhh........I'm sensing less and less movie hate.

 

It would be shocking if Joe fans turned into the Transformers fans of a couple years ago. Just shocking...

Ya, I don't see any more "Top 10 reasons the Joe movie is going to suck" threads. @smilepunch@

 

Mmmmm Hmmmm...We're 22 posts into a thread about the movie and no gripes about black Rip Cords or murdered childhoods. Interesting...

 

Why beat a dead horse? ;)

y'know that you mention it... Really i think it's because this thread is about the toys not just the movie, i'm judging those seperately honestly. Some movie toys are cool, i still think the movie was poorly conceived and will sadly fail.

 

If you're looking for controversy, I can sure provide!

 

I kept my mouth shut earlier when asking about 'Spc Altitude', but if you really want to open that can o' worms, I'd be only too happy to oblige!

 

Well... Now you've piqued my curiosity so please. Let 'er rip!

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Why not a red Snake Eyes?

 

For the same reason they don't make a purple Darth Vader (except for weird one-offs). There are certain traits that most people associate with the "iconic" look of Snake-Eyes. The black outfit is one of them, and for many the v2 Visor is too. For one reason or another, that's the version that's "stuck" with most people.

 

I love how Hasbro can't win for losing. They change people's outfits up, and people b***h that they aren't the same. Then other people b***h that they didn't change them enough.

 

It rapidly becomes clear why Hasbro feels the need to try to snare in other markets besides the contradictory, self-defeating "collector market."

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I personally like most of the figures though the Viper SUCKS! I'm especially impressed with Covergirl even though she uses alot of parts from the new Lady Jaye. I'm really digging that urban camo look too, it's nice to see a more uniform look for the characters and getting multiple versions of them doesn't hurt either.

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Uh ohhhhhh........I'm sensing less and less movie hate.

 

It would be shocking if Joe fans turned into the Transformers fans of a couple years ago. Just shocking...

Ya, I don't see any more "Top 10 reasons the Joe movie is going to suck" threads. @smilepunch@

 

Mmmmm Hmmmm...We're 22 posts into a thread about the movie and no gripes about black Rip Cords or murdered childhoods. Interesting...

 

Why beat a dead horse? ;)

y'know that you mention it... Really i think it's because this thread is about the toys not just the movie, i'm judging those seperately honestly. Some movie toys are cool, i still think the movie was poorly conceived and will sadly fail.

 

If you're looking for controversy, I can sure provide!

 

I kept my mouth shut earlier when asking about 'Spc Altitude', but if you really want to open that can o' worms, I'd be only too happy to oblige!

 

Well... Now you've piqued my curiosity so please. Let 'er rip!

 

It's just the eternal argument over what we grew up with versus what they've decided to change. Why not just give the 'new' Ripcord a different name? It's the same controversy as with Daredevil's Kingpin, Halle Berry's Catwoman, and Beyonce's take on Wonder Woman. I know that will get mistaken for racism, but it's not that, really - I just want them to stop effing with the beloved characters I grew up with! (Hell, I don't remember Ripcord as comedy-reflief, so really, that excuse is irrelevant!)

 

The thing is, it's all been said, so this is redundant. Really no gain in bringing it up again. That's why I kept it to myself the first time around up above.

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I dunno, I could kinda see the guy that's dating "Bongo the Balloon Bear" as comic relief of a sort....

 

That having been said, it is my firm belief that the writers and/or director intended Wayans' character to be Stalker, but the Hollywood execs balked at using that name due to the "negative connotations." So they picked another name that sounded cool. Outside of Stalker, Roadblock, and (later) Heavy Duty, it isn't as if the remainder of the African-American Joes are particularly prominent. Though oddly enough, given that there's apparently a significant Arctic portion of the film, maybe "Iceberg" would have been appropriate....

 

My only shred of evidence for this theory, however, is a vague recollection of an interview with the Producer (or Director, I don't quite remember which) where they mentioned Stalker by name as a character they'd be interested in depicting on-screen, but it was early in pre-production. Again, if I'm remembering correctly...which I might not.

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It's just the eternal argument over what we grew up with versus what they've decided to change. Why not just give the 'new' Ripcord a different name? It's the same controversy as with Daredevil's Kingpin, Halle Berry's Catwoman, and Beyonce's take on Wonder Woman. I know that will get mistaken for racism, but it's not that, really - I just want them to stop effing with the beloved characters I grew up with! (Hell, I don't remember Ripcord as comedy-reflief, so really, that excuse is irrelevant!)

 

As you mentioned, fans that are upset about a black Ripcord are justified in feeling that way, and it has nothing to do with racism.

 

I'm sure most of us would be just as irritated if Roadblock was in the movie, and some big white guy were playing him. :(

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I know that will get mistaken for racism, but it's not that, really - I just want them to stop effing with the beloved characters I grew up with!

 

This character in the movie is NOT the character you "grew up with". The film is BASED upon GIJOE: A Real American Hero--hence an adaptation. The character in question is quite simply different from the character you remember, and is NOT intended to be THAT character, otherwise the character would be white.

Here's the question the fanboys need to ask themselves: for such a minor character in the GIJOE franchise, why does a secondary character like Ripcord need to be a specific race? He's a minor character in the original material, so expanding the character's role in the movie and giving him a different race means they are doing more with the character than was ever done before.

The change here does NOTHING to the original version of the character, because this is NOT that character--its someone "different" and being used differently in the movie.

Its why pretty much all the characters look different from how we have seen them before.

 

Of course this begs the question of why call them the same names etc--of which the answer is......."why not?"

They are not those characters you remember anyway and the movie is a different interpretation of what has gone on before, so why not give them the same names?

 

I mean, if one demands that things always be as they were, then roles like James Bond should never change actors, that Adam West should always be Batman, and innumerable other TV SHOWS and movies should not/cannot be remade or re-imagined.

It would mean the stories would have to be as stupid and campy as they were---otherwise it'd not be the stuff you remember, right?

If you want a mature/sexed up story with more sophisticated themes, you've just asked for fundamental changes to what GIJOE has been before, so why not change the characters too?

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I love how Hasbro can't win for losing. They change people's outfits up, and people b***h that they aren't the same. Then other people b***h that they didn't change them enough.

 

It rapidly becomes clear why Hasbro feels the need to try to snare in other markets besides the contradictory, self-defeating "collector market."

 

 

Yeah poor Hasbro. :rolleyes: I bet they cry themselves to sleep about it?

 

Now as far as snaring other markets go.....they've got this little thing called an imagination they could utilize, instead of trying to milk the ever lovin' LAST drop of profitability out of good ol' G.I.Joe and just come up with something entirely NEW and improved all on it's own, and start fresh with absolutely ZERO expectations from any "fanboys" to hurt their feelings over, with all their incessant complaining and whining, that all you self appointed Hasbro apologists feel the need to run around crying about and trying to rationalize the irrationality of it... ad nauseam.

 

I hope you're earning something besides just brownie points for all this effort you put into to being the superior intellect of all that is PC in the toy collecting world? If you don't like what others have to say about your choice hobbies and interests, here's an idea....STOP GOING TO PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE TO READ THEM!

 

We were all collecting these toys LONG before the Internet was around, and did just fine with it in a vacuum.

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I know that will get mistaken for racism, but it's not that, really - I just want them to stop effing with the beloved characters I grew up with!

 

This character in the movie is NOT the character you "grew up with". The film is BASED upon GIJOE: A Real American Hero--hence an adaptation. The character in question is quite simply different from the character you remember, and is NOT intended to be THAT character, otherwise the character would be white.

 

That's all good...BUT...why did they name him "Ripcord" then? Why not some other new name? Why take an established character and change what he is? Going by this same train of thought, they could've had a character dressed up in a coast guard outfit and named him "Snake Eyes" because it's not the same character that we remember...

 

Here's the question the fanboys need to ask themselves: for such a minor character in the GIJOE franchise, why does a secondary character like Ripcord need to be a specific race?

 

The thing is, he's not that minor. He actually played a pretty significant role in the early run of the comics. I'm sure for many of us, who have read the comics, he's not insignificant.

 

The change here does NOTHING to the original version of the character, because this is NOT that character--its someone "different" and being used differently in the movie.

 

So if they had cast Michael Clark Duncan in this film, dressed him up in a ninja outfit, and called him "Spirit," it wouldn't matter right?

 

Of course this begs the question of why call them the same names etc--of which the answer is......."why not?"

They are not those characters you remember anyway and the movie is a different interpretation of what has gone on before, so why not give them the same names?

 

Will Farrell, in a SWAT uniform...let's call him "Alpine."

 

I mean, if one demands that things always be as they were, then roles like James Bond should never change actors, that Adam West should always be Batman, and innumerable other TV SHOWS and movies should not/cannot be remade or re-imagined.

 

That's apples to oranges though. Batman and James Bond were never black (at least as far as I remember), just like Blade should never be white.

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The thing is, he's not that minor. He actually played a pretty significant role in the early run of the comics. I'm sure for many of us, who have read the comics, he's not insignificant.

 

 

99% of the people that will see the movie will have NOT read the comics, nor will they really care much of the character's history therein. I mean, his contribution in the comics was dating "Bongo the Balloon Bear" ( oooh yeeaaaa, put that in the movie and defy.......dare anyone not to giggle at how stupid that is, LOL!) and outside of that................uh....................um...................what else did Ripcord do that was pivitol, or even memorable?

More people would have seen the cartoons, where the character played a very minor role, so he actually is quite insignificant.

 

That's apples to oranges though. Batman and James Bond were never black (at least as far as I remember), just like Blade should never be white.

 

Blade has been white: in the Spiderman cartoons.

And Nick Fury has been both black and white in comics and movies.

 

The question here is, does the race of the character affect the functioning of the character in the story?

In the case of many examples like Michael Clark Duncan as the Kingpin, or Nick Fury, no it does not affect the character. Casting Duncan as Spirit though WOULD affect the character because Spirit is a native American tracker--by definition, his ethnicity is integral to who the character is. Ripcord is NOT defined specifically as a caucasian ARMY HALO specialist........he's just defined as a "HALO specialist".

Will Ferrell as a SWAT guy named "Alpine" makes no sense, because the code name does not jibe with the MOS--but Will Ferrell cast as a mountain trooper codenamed "Alpine" would work. The fact that he's not black means nothing.

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"Hey....there seems to be an interest in popular 80's toylines, in particular G.I.Joe, so let's exploit that interest and make a MOVIE about them, but let's not make it like the fans remember it, or would want it, but instead...let's make it DIFFERENT so people who DON"T collect the toys or follow the characters from the cartoons or comics, can enjoy it as well?"

 

 

Is that the line of thought on something like this? I thought they'd at least wait until a true to detail version of the G.I.Joe ARAH story was created for the big screen before jumping in with the Tim Burton crap of re imagining a popular story line?

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That's apples to oranges though. Batman and James Bond were never black (at least as far as I remember), just like Blade should never be white

 

Blade WAS white, in the comics--before the movie came out--and he was also a very minor character all told.

So if that change was okay, why not the ones in GIJOE?

 

Uh...when?

 

EDIT - Good trick changing your post when you realized you were wrong. ;)

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The thing is, he's not that minor. He actually played a pretty significant role in the early run of the comics. I'm sure for many of us, who have read the comics, he's not insignificant.

 

 

99% of the people that will see the movie will have NOT read the comics, nor will they really care much of the character's history therein. I mean, his contribution in the comics was dating "Bongo the Balloon Bear" ( oooh yeeaaaa, put that in the movie and defy.......dare anyone not to giggle at how stupid that is, LOL!) and outside of that................uh....................um...................what else did Ripcord do that was pivitol, or even memorable?

 

Well, there was the whole Zartan/Ripcord switch-a-roo bit, in the issues where they reveal that Zartan was the Hard Master's real killer, but those issues are pretty pointless and not very memorable in the Joe comics. ;)

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That's apples to oranges though. Batman and James Bond were never black (at least as far as I remember), just like Blade should never be white

 

Blade WAS white, in the comics--before the movie came out--and he was also a very minor character all told.

So if that change was okay, why not the ones in GIJOE?

 

Uh...when?

 

EDIT - Good trick changing your post when you realized you were wrong. ;)

 

I had to change it after I did a quick check.......and found out he was not white in the comics, but was indeed white in the Spiderman animated seires--hence my distorted memory.

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"Hey....there seems to be an interest in popular 80's toylines, in particular G.I.Joe, so let's exploit that interest and make a MOVIE about them, but let's not make it like the fans remember it, or would want it, but instead...let's make it DIFFERENT so people who DON"T collect the toys or follow the characters from the cartoons or comics, can enjoy it as well?"

 

 

Is that the line of thought on something like this? I thought they'd at least wait until a true to detail version of the G.I.Joe ARAH story was created for the big screen before jumping in with the Tim Burton crap of re imagining a popular story line?

 

Take a look at all of the major 80's toy properties that became movies: He-man, Transformers, GIJOE, or for that matter movies like the Flintstones, Super Mario Bros, Popeye, Superman, Batman etc.........have any of them ever been true to detail? Nope, all of them have endured changes.

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@lol@ Heck, I didn't even know Blade was a comic book character, I just liked the movie. I'd be willing to bet MORE people have at least SOME knowledge of G.I.Joe though, so while there will definitely be some people who just heard of G.I.Joe for the first time ever, and end up really liking the movie based on zero pry knowledge and no expectations out of it except whetehrs it's action packed or not, I don't think it's going to be in the 99% range?

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Well, there was the whole Zartan/Ripcord switch-a-roo bit, in the issues where they reveal that Zartan was the Hard Master's real killer, but those issues are pretty pointless and not very memorable in the Joe comics. wink.gif

 

No, they are not. I have read the comics, and frankly.......all I remember is that Zartan was responsible for the Hard Master's death. I do not remember Ripcord playing a part in any of that--and in all the subsequent revisitations of that plot-point, I do not see Ripcord being a pivotal part of that, while Zartan undeniably is.

 

See, that is what people seem to get locked up in.....they treat fiction as this sacrosanct thing, as if its etched in stone......and its not. Its not fact or history.......its made up. So, if someone wants to retell the story a slightly different way.......why not? Its still more of the same fiction.

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