G.I. Joe 2: Byung-Hun Lee Makes Storm Shadow Hot!

Yep, I'm a girl, but growing up, I preferred watching action-packed boy's cartoons than My Little Pony or Rainbow Brite any given day.

So, I could hardly contain my excitement when I first found out that there was going to be a G.I. Joe movie. While there were girls like Scarlett and Lady Jaye in the series, I found myself more fascinated with the male characters and their storylines, and two of my favorites were Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. I liked the fact  that, unlike the other Joes and Cobra operatives, with their fast-talking mouths and bravado, these two had the Asian characteristics of being respectful and disciplined.   

Any G.I. Joe cartoon fan will definitely count Storm Shadow as one of the coolest characters in the show. His deadly ninja skills are awesome, and he puts these to good use as a Cobra operative. While there was never any big scenes between him and his Joe ninja counterpart Snake Eyes, he was constantly pitted against Quick Kick, who displayed another discipline of the Asian martial arts, more like Bruce Lee's Kung Fu. And for you Westerners out there, here's a special note: They are not the same thing.  

Anyway, flash forward to the movie franchise, where Korean actor Byung-Hun Lee portrays Storm Shadow, and the role fits him to a T.

While one would assume that a Japanese actor would be best to portray a ninja, I had no qualms about it, and there is no doubt that this guy is HOT! Need proof? Here you go:

Intense, huh? Before going on to Hollywood, Lee's actually made a name for himself in Korea, with top-rated TV shows and box-office movies in diverse roles ranging from villain to good guy who falls in love with the girl-next-door. He's actually one of the first Koreans to put his hand and foot prints on the forecourt of Grauman's Theater in LA.

He reprises his Storm Shadow role in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which I and the rest of the Joe fandom are really excited about.  He gives a sneak peek in the development of his character in the movie franchise:


“If I had just a lot of sword fights and kicks in the first movie, this time my character is seen more up close. It has a dramatic aspect that shows his history, inner conflicts."        

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is showing March 2013 in Philippine theaters, released and distributed by United International Pictures, through Solar Entertainment Corp.