Bonaventura talks Cobra Commander!!

Cobra Commander is a huge part of G.I. Joe and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura knows just how much impact he can make on the new film based on the comics and famed 80's cartoon. Bonaventura talked with MTV recently about how Cobra Commander will be included in the new film and what we can expect from the iconic figure.

“As we see it, he’s a very twisted character, as the backstory evolves, you discover why his personality [is like that],” Lorenzo di Bonaventura said. He continued to ellaborate, "[In our film] you get to see it, and you get to understand what’s happened to this guy.” Sounds like the producer has done his homework on the character and wants to make sure that he doesn't disappoint the fans. Honestly Cobra Commander could make or break the film and hopefully we dont see comical version of him. Cobra Commander was very wimsical in the cartoon's. However in the comics he was a far darker character which G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra intends to take the most from.

One aspect of the cartoon that will stick around is the voice of Cobra Commander. Di Bonaventura talks a bit about Joseph Gordon Levitt and the voice he will use in the film, “He has an interesting voice. He definitely has a take-off on that [cartoon voice]. I actually found the voice a little weak in the show…I’m sure I’ll get killed for saying that. I don’t know, it always seemed kind of silly. Hopefully we’re going to be a little more menacing.” Now why I loved Cobra Commander on the cartoons as a kid, I feel that in a film version, a more menacing voice is what they need. Lorenzo di Bonaventura said finally that Gordon Levitt, "will leave his own vocal stamp on Cobra Commander."

No images of Joseph Gordon Levitt as Cobra Commander have been revealed, but di Bonaventura gives us a few ideas of what it might include. “We’ll see Cobra Commander in the Cobra mask [but] it will not be like the show,” said Bonaventura. He continued to say, “I found some of the [mask] aspects a little KKK for me,” he said, “so we tried to steer away from that image. We thought that might be a little much.” Hold the phone, is he referencing the Hood or the Helmet? I will be terribly disappointed not to see the hood! I always felt the Helmet was a tad bit ridiculous, and perferred the hood far more. The hood always made Cobra Commander look so much more menacing then that shiny helmet.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is directed by Stephen Sommers and releases August 7th 2009. The film stars Channing Tatum (Duke), Brendan Fraser (Gung Ho), Sienna Miller (The Baroness), Joseph Gordon Levitt (Cobra Commander), Dennis Quaid (General Hawk), Rachel Nichols (Shana 'Scarlett' O'Hara), Christopher Eccleston (Destro), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Ray Parks (Snake Eyes), Saïd Taghmaoui (Breaker), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Heavy Duty), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Arnold Vosloo (Zartan) and Karolina Kurkova (Courtney A. Kreiger/Cover girl).


What are your thoughts on G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra? How interested in the film are you? Does the fact the Mummy director Stephen Sommers is directing take away from your anticipation?