ROTTEN TOMATOES: Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Transformers 2 Comments

Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Transformers 2

by Jeff Giles | January 09, 2008

Summary

You think G.I. Joe and Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura doesn't hear your grousing, film fans? Well, he does -- and fortunately for you, he isn't the type of unimaginably wealthy mogul to hold a grudge. Back to Article

(1-17 of 17 posts) | Reply

Astr0creep writes:
on Jan 09 2008 06:52 AM

Out of all these GIJoe movie interviews and rumors I still haven't heard anything about Cobra Commander...

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TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Jan 09 2008 06:52 AM

"our hope and our practice is to give the fans an experience that resembles the one they grew up with, but also moves it forward into the filmmaking styles and concepts and creative abilities that we can do today."

translated: "We're going to bait you as much as humanly possible with everything our focus groups tell us you'll want in this movie based upon your childhood, and then we're going to pander to the lowest common denominator to get a broader audience and set up a franchise."

For those who think I'm being unnecessarily cynical, stop for a second: Do you REALLY think creative minds were sitting around, giving a rabid batsh#t about GI-JOE *before* Transformers busted the box office? And while that doesn't mean this movie HAS to suck, transparent, bullsh#t justification for bad casting does tend to make this movie a long shot.

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Astr0creep writes:
on Jan 09 2008 07:24 AM

I agree with Tomb.

Also, although Transformers was pretty good overall if not simply surprising, it was a nanoinch away from total crappyness. Imagine it without Peter Cullen for one second...

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nogard46 writes:
on Jan 09 2008 10:00 AM

TF 2 will be fine as long as Bay is involved, as long as ILM is involved, and of course Megan Fox. I think she alone made believers out of the the TF haters.

Now is the part I write out my TF triliogy in the most logical way. (pretty much disregard the movie(s))

TF 1- Should have been called More than Meets the Eye.

TF 2- (Return to Cybertron) Obviously they want to get back home, and being on earth they would have to fight for power and energy, I don't think a 5-10 ton robot living being can live on solar power alone. Sam and Makayla will need more plot devices to stay relevent to the film. So obviously contact has to be made to get more robots and more new spectacular fights on earth. The climax could be constructicons VS Dino Bots and of course Pirime VS Megatron fight 2, thats a given. But in the end a way back to cyberton is made.

TF 3- (The darkest Hour)The war wages on now on 2 fronts Earth and Cybertron, but a bigger menace looms on the horizon, Unicron, The Decepticons allign themselves with Unicron as the Autobots searches for a way to stop it. This time Primes death should be optional. Climax will be all out assult on Cybertron with Unicron ripping it to shreds (like the 86 movie) A final battle in Unicron will be between Prime and Galvatron, prime unable to defeat Galvatron, dies but fuses his life force into the matrix and just as he is dying passes it on to Hot Rod, Hot Rod uses the charged up and energized Matrix to defeat Galv and the destroying Unicron.

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Eldorado writes:
on Jan 09 2008 10:49 AM

Umm... so basically you want the 86 cartoon movie remade to live action?

Yet so many people b!tch and whine about original ideas, then some tool comes along and asks for them to basically remake a movie

How about something new, something original for the rest of the Transformers trilogy? Just because it's source material, doesn't mean you have to retell the exact same story lines.. make new ones out of the characters you are given!

Does Galvatron HAVE to be used?
Does Unicron HAVE to come and eat Cybertron?
Does Prime HAVE to die?
Does Prime HAVE to give the Matrix to Hot Rod?

No! Think of something different to do with these characters..

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Poncho_E writes:
on Jan 09 2008 11:04 AM

NO DINOBOTS DAMNIT!!!! AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
If they just want to make money, let them do it just like the first one. BUT! If they really want to make a very good story that pleases the people who were Transformers fans way before the movie came out, they should limit human presence on-screen. Focus less on Even Stevens love life with Ms. Fox. No Anthony Anderson. No Sector 7. Robots fighting robots. It's called Transformers, not humans! If Hollywood really cared about the fans, they would show more of the Decepticons. Rivalry and bickering between Starscream and Megatron would be great.

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Astr0creep writes:
on Jan 09 2008 11:10 AM

Eldorado is 100% right.

Although little references and/or cameos from the original movie and TV series is a must in my opinion.

But we can't forget the use of the military and the fact that TF is set in present times. The TV series had some pretty futuristic ideas about how humans lived and we can't have that with TF2 and TF3, unless they decide to jump to the future for the story.
And the '86 movie barely used the Earth's military forces.

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Astr0creep writes:
on Jan 09 2008 11:15 AM

And if Prime dies it should only be in the climax of TF3.

They barely touched his awesomeness in TF1 and TF2 should explore this to the fullest.
Hollywood can't get rid of humans in their movies. Dark Crystal proved it. But I also wish they would occupy a more retracted role next time in favor of exploring the Transformers.

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Fondude Sixer writes:
on Jan 09 2008 12:00 PM

I am excited for the GI Joe movie. Nothing that has been announced thus far has changed my opinion. If they get the overall look and feel right, I won't complain too much about casting. I'll even give the benefit of the doubt in some dubious calls, like Marlon Wayans. Can't wait to hear further announcements, like Destro. And I am curious as to how they'll handle Cobra Commander. Is he in this thing or what? Does he overthrow Destro later on down the line and usurp command? What's up?!

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nogard46 writes:
on Jan 09 2008 12:21 PM

Im just thinking logical, your critisim is like asking does Spiderman have to climb walls? Does Batman have to fight the joker?

It would be nice to come up with something completely original but there are rules of logic. Rules of reason. They have to go cyberton because that is their home. Prime must die because that is his true heroic nature, hes always sacrificed himself for the greater good. Does Unicron have to show up? Well TF3 should have the biggest most grand climax in all of cinematic history, and what could be bigger than a transforming planet destroying another planet? I cant think of anything bigger than a planet fighting another planet. Can you?

And you make it sound as if remaking the 86 movie into live action is silly and obsurd? Um its the FREAKING TRANSFORMERS! the whole idea is to make live action from a cartoon!
Than why not do it with one of the most underrater cartoon movie ever?

"til all are one"

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DON OF THE D.E.D writes:
on Jan 09 2008 12:25 PM

Laurence Fishbourne as Destro, and Tim Roth as Cobra Commander.

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Astr0creep writes:
on Jan 09 2008 12:29 PM

Hmmm...

Gerard Butler as Destro.

Random actor in mask with Frank Welker as voice for Cobra Commander.

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Fondude Sixer writes:
on Jan 09 2008 12:30 PM

In reply to this comment (#1447423)
I'm thinking a Scottish dude for Destro, like Gerard Butler or Dougray Scott.

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damvbat writes:
on Jan 09 2008 03:12 PM

god I hope this movie is good

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Eldorado writes:
on Jan 09 2008 07:04 PM

nogard46, it is a ridiculous idea to remake the original

Because people will come along and complain about using original ideas.. how often do you read this complaint on this site? Enough people complain about these movies being made in the first place because they are not 'original'.. (sure don't hear that about Batman though do we? hmmm...)

I like how you go to the extreme with 'spiderman walking on walls' crap.. that does not compare to the story being told, that is a definition of the character.. your example would compare to something like the autobots being aircraft instead of vehicles

Or 'batman fighting the joker'.. sure it can be done again as it is, but do you really want to watch the exact same story line of a comic you read? Or an episode straight out of the 60's show? Are the writers not capable of taking given established characters and coming up with a unique storyline? aka what they did in the first Transformers?

If you haven't realized it yet, I'm talking about the STORYLINE!!! Using the characters in a new way which hasn't been done yet!!

You want all that crap, go pop in the 86 cartoon... I on the other hand, want something new and unique with the characters we all know

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acton acton writes:
on Jan 09 2008 09:50 PM

In reply to this comment (#1446545)
cobra commander will just be a voice you never see his face if they decide to show it he's a snake looking being, in the cartoon he was actually an alien in which they show in the cartoon movie. So just a raspy voice like the lead singer of ACDC.. thats a joke but along those lines of raspiness. its been a while since i have watched any gi joe so what was the chicks name that was always with cobra commander That would best fit catherine zita jones or if jennifer tilly was a little better of an actor and skinnier. As for destro hes chrome just need a shapely face lots of structure like viggo.

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Fondude Sixer writes:
on Jan 10 2008 07:17 AM

In reply to this comment (#1449091)
Baroness is being played by Sienna Miller.

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