G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a 2009 American military science fiction action film based on the G.I. Joe toy line. It is the first installment in the G.I. Joe film series. Directed by Stephen Sommers from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, and Paul Lovett, the film features an ensemble cast based on the various characters of the toy line. The story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by Military Armaments Research Syndicate (M.A.R.S.) troops.

G.I. Joe is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier, Action Sailor, Action Pilot, Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse. The name is derived from the usage of "G.I. Joe" for the generic U.S. soldier, itself derived from the more general term "G.I.". The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term "action figure". G.I. Joe's appeal to children has made it an American icon among toys.