Entertainment, Movies - Air Force Times

‘G.I. Joe’ fans report for duty

Real American heroes met realer American heroes July 31 when the cast of “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” dropped by Andrews Air Force Base, Md., for a screening of the movie and a special meet-and-greet with patients of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The actors have been on a whirlwind world tour promoting the film in Tokyo; Seoul, South Korea; Berlin and London, and director Stephen Sommers says they’ve been well-received everywhere.

They arrived at Andrews to about 300 screaming fans who stood in line almost two hours to see them, while another 400 people sat inside the theater anxious to view the potential summer blockbuster. The actors made up for the delay with a grand entrance worthy of a military audience: riding atop Humvees in a convoy.

From behind the machine gun — unloaded, of course — of the first Humvee popped up a dapper Channing Tatum (who plays Duke) in a pinstripe suit and dolled-up Sienna Miller (who plays Ana, the Baroness) in a snakeskin print dress. Miller did most of the waving while Tatum enjoyed the view of a machine gunner, spinning around and taking photos of the crowd. Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Rachel Nichols (Shana “Scarlett” O’Hara), Sommers and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura followed in more Humvees.

Miller teetered on her studded Chloe booties as a little boy ran up to hug her. The actress, who surprised many with her turn in the action movie, says she’s glad to be branching out.

Putting his spin on a beloved franchise did leave Tatum a little shaken, however. He recalled playing with his Snake Eyes action figure as a child — “I still want to be a ninja,” he says — and knows that fans will have plenty to say about how their favorite characters are portrayed on the big screen.

“I think that it’s real important that they came here today,” said Maj. Gen. Ralph Jodice, commander of Air Force District of Washington. “It’s great for [Walter Reed patients] to meet some of the actors and, again, for us to give something back to our wounded warriors.”

Sporting USO stickers, the patients from the Washington, D.C., hospital and their families and friends arrived at the red carpet before the cast.

“It’s just a great time to get out of the hospital,” said Army 1st Lt. Matthew Levine, a soldier who deployed to Iraq in September. “I’m so pumped I’m out here to meet celebrities.

“The president of the USO personally invited me out here tonight and I could not say no to them. They do so much for the soldiers at Walter Reed,” he said.

Hopeful moviegoers, including service members in uniform, lined up at the theater with their tickets hours before the showing scheduled at 7 p.m.

Following the blockbuster success of “Transformers,” Paramount Pictures and Hasbro teamed up with Spyglass Entertainment to bring the action figure and comic book hero to life in “G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra.” Using the latest in military and spy gadgetry, the elite G.I. Joe unit battles the notoriously corrupt arms dealer Destro and the mysterious Cobra organization’s increasing threat to throw the world into chaos.

The movie opens nationwide Friday.