Studio 'wants audiences to define GI Joe'

Paramount Pictures will not screen GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra for the majority of critics prior to its release, it has emerged.

The movie, starring Channing Tatum, has reportedly only been previewed for select bloggers and movie-related websites in the hope that it will avoid the critical response that Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen received earlier this summer.

"GI Joe is a big, fun, summer event movie," Rob Moore, Paramount's vice chairman, told The AP. "After the chasm we experienced with Transformers 2 between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote GI Joe.

"We want audiences to define this film."

The Transformers sequel has grossed more than $388m (£229m) in the US alone since its release six weeks ago, despite the critical panning it received.

GI Joe opens in cinemas this Friday.