New G.I. Joe: Retaliation Trailer (SPOILER ALERT)

It’s very rare for a universally-panned film to get a second chance, and even more rare when the sequel, to all appearances, is better than the first by leaps and bounds. Paramount has just released the new trailer for G.I Joe: Retaliation, opening June 29, and it looks to inject some integrity into the franchise after it stumbled out of the gate back in 2009. See for yourself:

If you did not notice, there is a potential heavy spoiler in the trailer.

STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW A POTENTIAL SPOILER IN THIS TRAILER.

So let’s get the obvious, and most awesome revelation out of the way: Duke (Channing Tatum) dies at the beginning of the movie. This has been a rumor for a while, but it seems pretty clear now that it’s true, or that he at least gets kidnapped or otherwise incapacitated for most of the film. Duke’s there in the beginning, then the base is attacked, then not a single shot of him throughout the rest of the trailer. Good job, John Chu. It really seems like he has removed the worst parts of the original (Mumbly Wigger Duke, American Baroness, and Wayans brother # 7) replacing them with bad-ass Cobra Commander, The Rock, and Bruce Willis. Not to mention, NO MOUTH ON SNAKE EYES, as it should be. Mountainside ninja battle and motorcycle that becomes several projectile weapons are just added bonuses. Also, Bruce Frakkin’ Willis.

Now you know…
(If you completed that sentence, chances are you want to see this movie.)

RETALIATION will feature the G.I. Joe Team coming into a conflict with Zartan, Storm Shadow and Firefly, all serving under the newly released Cobra Commander. Zartan (who is last seen in disguise as the President of the United States) manipulates the U.S. Government and frames all G.I. Joe operatives as traitors, wiping most of them out in a sneak attack. Zartan and the Commander now have all the world leaders under Cobra’s control, with warheads headed towards innocent populaces. Badly beaten, outnumbered and outgunned, the Joes make a desperate plan to expose the truth and take back the world from Cobra, with their secret black operation called the “Second American Revolution”, which involves the original G.I. Joe General Joseph Colton.