G.I. JOE BANS CRITICS

Paramount Pictures has decided that the biggest movie of the summer, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, won’t be screened for critics before it's release this coming Friday.

The Washington Times reported that only a select few writers from globs and movie Web sites have seen it for review.

The studio said that its intention is to promote the movie at the heartland, at cities and audiences outside the entertainment vortexes of New York and Los Angeles.

Last week, Paramount organized a special screening of the movie for 1,000 military service members and their families at the Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs. They are also targeting to focus on markets like Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

“G.I. Joe’ is a big, fun, summer event movie - one that we’ve seen audiences enjoy everywhere from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Phoenix, Arizona” says Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

“After the chasm we experienced with ‘Transformers 2′ between the responses of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote ‘G.I. Joe.’ We want audiences to define this film,” he added.

The film’s has been made with an estimated budget of $175 million and a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The story is based on the famous comic series, G.I. Joe, which” follows the adventures of an elite team using high-tech spy and military equipment to take down a corrupt arms dealer.

It has been directed by Stephen Sommers, whose previous films include The Mummy and Van Helsing.

I think that was smart of them to do this after all of the backlash that "Transformers 2" received. I know I'm looking forward to seeing Marlon Wayans in his first action blockbuster.