Brandon Inada's Blog

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming G. I. Joe film in theaters August 7th:

If it weren’t for the new “accelerator suits” the Joes are sporting and Cobra Commander’s radically different appearance, I’d probably be pretty satisfied with the results. 

(And don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything; Cobra Commander isn’t shown in the newest trailer.  You can check out the new look of the Joe team’s archnemesis in my previous post).

It seems as though Stephen Sommers and company aren’t taking things too, too seriously, and I love the insanely over-the-top plot to destroy the world’s greatest landmarks - a classic Cobra scheme that could have come straight from the old 80s cartoon.

I’m still undecided about seeing this one in theaters.  What do you folks think?

In February, I posted pics of a kiddie-fied Cobra Commander from this summer’s upcoming G. I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra - our first look at the villain’s live-action counterpart.  (Click here for the original post.)

Now, pics of the new Cobra Commander movie tie-in action figure have shown up online providing confirmation that what we saw earlier is in fact the real deal:

I can’t say that I’m particularly fond of Cobra Commander’s new look.  What do you think?

A movie based on the popular video game franchise Prince Of Persia is in the works, titled Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the title character, Gemma Arterton (I’ve never heard of her, but according to The Internet Movie Database, she has a role in this fall’s Quantum Of Solace, the followup to Casino Royale), Alfred Molina, and Ben Kingsley.

Excellent casting!

The movie, a “Jerry Bruckheimer production,” is being directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, Four Weddings And A Funeral) and is scheduled for a 2009 release…

I’ve played through a bit of the first game, (Sands Of Time was hugely successful and led to two sequels, Warrior Within and The Two Thrones.), and I’ve seen the others in action.  

Seems promising.

For those who haven’t heard, a new Street Fighter movie is currently filming on location in Thailand. 

Like Batman Begins, the new movie is a reboot and has nothing whatsoever to do with the original Street Fighter movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme.

And, yes, the title really is Street Fighter – The Legend Of Chun Li. 

Sigh.

Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak (Doom, Romeo Must Die) and written by Justin Marks, the new film centers around fan favorite Chun Li and takes place prior to the events depicted in the video game Street Fighter II.

The movie stars Kristin Kreuk, of Smallville fame, in the title role:

Chris Klein (American Pie) as Charlie/Nash:

Robin Shou (Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat) as Gen:

 Neal McDonough (Walking Tall) as M. Bison:

Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog:

Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas as Vega:

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with their casting decisions.  What do you think?

For more on the movie, there’s a production blog over at streetfightermovie.net where you can read up on all the latest developments.

(A recent post confirms that Ken and Ryu won’t be making an appearance in this film…)

Let’s start with the most promising pics, shall we?

Ah, Baroness.  Looking good.  Glad they had her pose with the glasses this time around.  (Here’s a link to the previous pic sans glasses.)  Really completes the look, don’t you think?

Here’s a comparison pic:

Here’s Storm Shadow again, only this time with his mask on:

Also pretty good, all things considered.  I guess they’re going to go with a more realistic approach (“realistic” – HA!) and do away with the Cobra insignia?

Heavy Duty:

To be perfectly honest, I barely remember this character from either the Marvel comics or the popular 80s cartoon.  This picture reminds me of fan favorite Roadblock.  Still don’t know about these X-Men-esque superhero-like costumes…

Breaker:

Yeah.  Not so sure about this one.  Here’s Breaker’s traditional look:

Last one.  Here’s Destro:

Sure looks sinister, doesn’t he?

So like most fans of the old 80s cartoon, I’m left wondering, “Where’s Destro’s shiny metal face mask?”

Too difficult to pull off in a live-action film?  Maybe he’ll don the mask later on…

Here’s hoping they get Cobra Commander right…