G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a 2009 American military science fiction film based on characters from Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy line. It is the first installment in the G.I. Joe film series. Directed by Stephen Sommers from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, and Paul Lovett, the film features an ensemble cast based on the various characters of the toy line. The story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by Military Armaments Research Syndicate (M.A.R.S.) troops. Development for the first film began in 2003, but when the United States launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers instead. After leaked drafts of the script were criticized by fans, Larry Hama, writer of the comic book series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, was hired as creative consultant, and rewrites were made. Filming took place in Downey, California and Prague's Barrandov Studios, while six companies handled the visual effects with Digital Domain as the main visual effects company. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra premiered at the Andrews Air Force Base on July 31, 2009, and was released in the United States on August 7, by Paramount Pictures, following an extensive marketing campaign focused on the Mid-American public. Despite mostly negative reviews from critics, the film grossed $302.5 million worldwide against a $175 million budget. A sequel, titled G.I. Joe: Retaliation, was released in 2013.
Plot Weapons master James McCullen has created a nanotech-based weapon—nanobots that can rapidly devour any non-organic materials. His company M.A.R.S. sells four warheads to NATO, and American soldiers Duke and Ripcord are tasked to deliver them. En route, their convoy is ambushed by the Baroness, whom Duke recognizes as his ex-fiancée Ana Lewis, before they are rescued by G.I. Joe operatives: Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Breaker, and Heavy Duty. They take the warheads to The Pit, G.I. Joe's command center in Egypt. G.I. Joe leader General Hawk lets Duke and Ripcord join the Joes after Duke reveals that he knows the Baroness. McCullen is revealed to be using the same nanotechnology to build an army of soldiers with the aid of the mysterious masked Doctor, planning on using the warheads to cause worldwide panic and bring about a new world order. Storm Shadow and the Baroness, with help from Zartan, infiltrate the G.I. Joe base and steal the warheads. They take the warheads to Baron DeCobray, the Baroness's husband, to weaponize in his particle accelerator; after which, DeCobray is killed. The Joes pursue the Baroness and Storm Shadow in Paris as they launch one of the nanobot missiles. The missile hits the Eiffel Tower, destroying it, before Duke hits the kill switch, in the process being captured and taken to McCullen's base under the Arctic. The Joes pursue them as McCullen loads the three remaining warheads onto missiles aimed for Beijing, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.. Snake Eyes takes out one missile and Ripcord destroys the remaining two. Snake Eyes duels and defeats Storm Shadow, his childhood nemesis. Duke learns that the Doctor is actually Rex Lewis, Ana's brother, believed to have been killed by a mistimed airstrike during a mission led by Duke. Duke's guilt over Rex's death caused his breakup with Ana. Rex had encountered Dr. Mindbender and was fascinated by the nanomite technology, but was caught in the bombing, which disfigured him. Rex had implanted his sister with nanomites, putting her under his control as The Baroness. Attempting to kill Duke, McCullen ends up burned, and Rex and McCullen flee to an escape vessel. The Joes fall back after Rex activates the base's self-destruct sequence, causing the ice cap to explode. Rex assumes the identity of the Commander, having healed McCullen's burned face with nanomites, which places McCullen under Rex's control. They are captured by the Joes. On the supercarrier USS Flagg, the Baroness is placed in custody until they can remove the nanomites from her body. Meanwhile, Zartan, having had his physical appearance altered by nanomites, infiltrates the White House and assumes the identity of the President of the United States, thus completing part of McCullen's plan to rule the world.
Cast
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