SNAKE EYES

I wish I cared more about the big-budget GI JOE movie that's coming out next summer. Directed by Stephen Sommers (THE MUMMY, VAN HELSING), the film has a script that's been credited to Stuart Beattie (COLLATERAL) and Skip Woods (SWORDFISH). God only knows how many uncredited re-writes have been taking place. The ensemble cast includes Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienne Miller, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Arnold Vosloo, Christopher Eccleston, Marlon Wayans, and Jonathan Price. Based on the 80's cartoon, the film is being produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, who last summer teamed up with Michael Bay on the mega-blockbuster TRANSFORMERS. If Bay were directing GI JOE, I'd already have my ticket purchased. I want this film to be fun and action packed but with Sommers at the helm, I am not holding my breath; I fear a heavy reliance on CGI. I'm really hoping that they stay practical and blow real shit up. The first MUMMY was a lot of fun; an old school action-adventure romp. The sequel was beyond bloated. And VAN HELSING was pretty pitiful except for a few moments of inspired lunacy. The picture above is of one of the baddies, Snake Eyes, played by Ray Park. The costume looks slick and it looks like they might be keeping faithful to the cartoon/comics. From what I have read, the film will be more in line with the comics than the cartoon. Of course I will be seeing it when it hits theaters; I just wish I was primed for it's release, much like I was for last summers TRANSFORMERS, which if you haven't seen it yet (are you living under a rock?), is the greatest special effects movie ever created. We'll have to wait and see when GI JOE comes out...it could be cool...or it could be a stool sample...