G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Sweeps The DVD Charts

The theatrical live-action version of a popular cartoon series ran roughshod over the competition on the DVD charts this week. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” swept all of the home video charts, for the week ending November 8.

The title sold a whopping 3.8 million units in its first week, with 500,000 units sold in the Blu-ray format. Those numbers make G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra the third highest-selling disc of the year, behind “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and Twilight.

The film’s closest competition was fellow new release The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, which took second place in all three charts. All of last week’s winners slipped to third place this week, with top seller and rental Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs dipping to third in both charts and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen dropping to third in the BD sales charts.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra DVD and Blu-ray

You can bring one of the summer’s biggest action films home in three separate editions on DVD and Blu-ray this November. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 3. The film will be released in a barebones single-disc edition with no special features ($19.99 SRP) a two-disc special edition with Digital Copy ($24.99 SRP) and a two-disc Blu-ray with Digital Copy ($29.99 SRP). The two-disc and BD packages will also include an “augmented reality” feature on the packaging, where you can hold the packaging up to any standard webcam and participate in a new 3D enviornment with games and other materials. The film stars Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ray Park and Dennis Quaid.

The G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra team travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps and the streets of Paris in a high stakes pursuit of COBRA, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees. Armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, including jaw-dropping accelerator and camouflage suits, G.I. JOE is the last line of defense against those intent on world domination

Special Features: (Two-disc and Blu-ray only)

- Feature commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay
- Digital Copy
- The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE- Join the G.I. JOE team as they set out to “Sommer-size” the summer action epic and bring G.I. JOE to the big screen.
- Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE- With over 1,650 visual effect shots, G.I. JOE was a truly massive endeavor. Showcasing the hard work and creativity of the film’s effects and design team, this piece looks at the unique challenges of bringing the world of G.I. JOE and COBRA to life, while immersing viewers in the incredible thrills and various FX challenges of the film’s major action sequences.

The Final Destination Makes a Killing with $28.3 M

Weekend Box Office

1) The Final Destination – $28.3 million
2) Inglourious Basterds – $20 million
3) Halloween II – $17.4 million
4) District 9 – $10.7 million
5) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $8 million
6) Julie & Julia – $7.4 million
7) The Time Traveler’s Wife – $6.7 million
Shorts – $4.8 million
9) Taking Woodstock – $3.7 million
10) G-Force – $2.8 million

It was a classic horror showdown this weekend, with two successful horror franchises squaring off, and death coming out on top… in 3-D. “The Final Destination” came out on top at the box office with an estimated $28.3 million. The opening weekend take is the highest in the franchise’s history, besting the $19.1 million that Final Destination 3 grossed in 2006. Screening in 3,121 theaters, The Final Destination snagged a healthy $9,079 per-screen average and should easily have made back its $40 million budget in the next couple of days.

H2: Halloween 2 came in third place with $17.4 million, behind last week’s box office champ, Inglourious Basterds, which took in an impressive $20 million, down just 47% from last week. Halloween II, director Rob Zombie’s follow-up to his 2007 remake Halloween, fell quite short of the 2007 remake’s $26.3 million opening weekend, but the sequel is already profitable, since the film cost just $15 million to make. The film was released in 3,025 theaters and took in a decent $5,754 per-screen average, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this drops quite a bit next weekend, perhaps more than 60%…

The only other film in a semi-wide release this weekend was Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock, which came in ninth place with an estimated $3.7 million. The film was shown in 1,393 theaters but could only muster a paltry per-screen average of $2,691. It was a fairly good weekend for films in limited release, though, as several films had great debut weekends. The September Issue took in a highly-impressive $240,000 from just six theaters, good for a massive $40,000 per-screen average, Patton Oswalt’s Big Fan took in $26,000 from just two theaters, for a $13,000 per-screen average and the cult comedy Mystery Team opened in just one theater and took in $7,900, although I’m sure plans are in the works for expansion.

Next weekend is Labor Day weekend and three films will be competing for the box office crown in this summer-ending weekend. Lionsgate’s Gamer will get the widest release with a theater count over 2,300, the Fox comedy All About Steve will roll out in approximately 2,000 theaters and the Mike Judge comedy Extract will bow in 1,600 theaters. Who will come out on top? Check back right here next weekend for your answer.

Review Movie: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I have a colleague who is offended by the idea that one should have to watch movies or perceive entertainment through the eyes of “their inner nine-year-old.”

This of course is the suggestion, or more often, the defense many mount against movies that grown-ups would potentially want to see, but probably not enjoy, because, quite frankly, they’re stupid, or poorly done, or quickly undone if any sense of logic or thought is applied to them. And while I agree with the notion that entertainment needn’t be only for kids, or intelligence exist in the exclusive province of adulthood, there is something to be said for abandoning one’s usual barriers of cynicism – or, to be fair, even just familiarity with storytelling conventions – in the service of enjoying something unabashedly, and against all common sense. This brings me to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

It’s entirely possible that if I were nine or ten, the age that I first discovered the animated series, then G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra would be my favorite movie of all time. It features colorful, iconic characters, huge action scenes, and a plot that I’d feel smart for having figured out. As an adult, however, its shortcomings are obvious: thin, one-dimensional characters, death and destruction on an irresponsibly epic scale, and a nonsensical plot that I’d be depressed to have to try and “figure out.” ButG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was made for my nine-year-old self, and the nine-year-old in all of our selves; and while it certainly doesn’t hold up to the scrutiny of a more mature or sophisticated perspective, it’s a surprisingly fun time at the movies that reminds us we needn’t be children in order to enjoy something the same way as when we were.

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TV Spot: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Critical Acclaim

Watch TV Spot: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Critical Acclaim

TV spot for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra offering critical acclaim from Harry Knowles of AICN.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura Speak Transformers 3, Jack Ryan, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a premiere for the upcoming G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

While I didn’t get to talk to any of the actors, except when I yelled a question at Channing Tatum, I did however get to talk to the two men I was most eager to interview, director Stephen Sommers and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is undoubtedly one of the most successful producers working today and I had the opportunity to talk to him about Transformers 3, Jack Ryan, Constantine, and what characters he would like to see appear in the inevitable G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra sequel.

Hey Lorenzo nice to meet you, you’ve produced a lot of good films.

Lorenzo: Hey man, thank you. How you doing?

Good, so how excited are you to have another another big hit on your hands with Transformers 2 and this?

Lorenzo: (laughs) Transformers has been a total ball, you know? Its been great how embraced we’ve been, but this isn’t a hit yet.

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Film Clip

We have been provided with yet another clip from movie “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra“, which will hit theaters with guns blazing on August 7. Click below to catch a video glimpse of Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Rachel Nichols before it hits theaters.

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New G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Behind-the-Scenes Clip!

Watch G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Behind-the-Scenes Clip!

Paramount Pictures just released another new behind-the-scenes video has surfaced of director “Stephen Sommers” explaining the Accelerator Suit chase scene through Paris. Check the out below!

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Trailer

Paramount Pictures has unleashed a brand new trailer for director Stephen Sommer’s “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra“. This exciting clip is full of never-before seen footage featuring stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid. To watch the breathtaking action sequences, click on the video clip below:

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