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Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: July 14, 2009
Director: Various
Cast: Various
Year: Various
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The Movie:
Running for more than a few years in the eighties, G. I. Joe remains one of the more beloved cartoons from that decade. Sure, characters were able to run through thousands of laser blasts without ever getting a scratch on them. And sure, Cobra was always coming up with the most ridiculous schemes imaginable. Regardless, the show accomplished what it set out to do, which was entertain its target audience and get us to spend money on toys and comic books! As such, it holds a special place in the heart of many a child of the eighties, and that nostalgia should not and, realistically, cannot be taken out of the equation when revisiting the series today.
For those not already in the loop, “G.I. Joe is the code name for America's daring, highly trained special mission force. It's purpose, to defend human freedom against COBRA, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.†And if that don't explain it to you right, well, you're hopeless, cause this show has a very basic premise - good guys vs. bad guys. That's about it. Wrapping it up in a military guise and throwing in all manner of interesting, quirky characters and fun, interesting weapons and vehicles is what made the series work.
Heading up the good guys were Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Gung Ho, Road Block, Deep Six and a bunch of other well meaning soldiers. Cobra was comprised primarily of the perpetually snarling Cobra Commander, Destro, The Baroness, Major Bludd, and Zartan and his three Dreadnoughts alongside about a zillion completely disposable Cobra soldiers. These soldiers couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with their laser rifles if their lives depended on it. Thankfully, their lives didn't really depend on it as you almost always saw people make it out of whatever explosions for firefights would break out each week, which may not have been realistic and may have desensitized kids to the actual effects of war, but whatever, this was the eighties.
The show holds up well today and while it's certainly dated in style and its uber-patriotism there's always a decent moral to the series that manages to portray a positive image without cramming it down your throat. The episodes are full of twists and turns and plenty of action meaning that the series is never dull and almost always moving along at a very quick pace but what really makes the series fun is the variety of characters. The whole back story between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and their ninja abilities and the inferred sexual innuendos that always went back and forth between The Baroness and Destro spiced things up but this is a kids show, it doesn't really get too complicated.
The episodes contained in this collection are as follows:
Disc One: The Cobra Strikes / Slaves of the Cobra Master / The Worms Of Death / Duel In The Devil's Cauldron / A Stake In The Serpent's Heart
Disc Two: In The Cobra's Pit / The Vines Of Evil / The Palace Of Doom / Battle On The Roof Of The World / Amusement Park Of Terror
Disc Three: The Further Adventures of G.I. Joe / Rendezvous In The City Of The Dead / Three Cubes To Darkness / Chaos In The Sea Of Lost Souls / Knotting Cobra's Coils
Disc Four: Countdown For Zartan / Red Rocket's Glare / Satellite Down / Cobra Stops The World / Jungle Trap / Cobra's Creatures / The Funhouse
Each of the first three discs in the set is basically a five part mini series so early on in the show the writers manage to actually establish some decent continuity that carries on throughout the show's lifespan. It works now like it worked in the eighties and while as adults, some of us can resist the urge to bother our parents for the toys, the hooks do keep you entertained and in enough suspense that you want to see how it's all going to play out. As the series progresses more and more characters are introduced and things get increasingly odd and at times even more ridiculous but it all adds to the fun. The series, while played straight, is tough to take seriously as a grown up but that doesn't make it any less entertaining.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Each and every episode is presented as it should be - fullframe. There is some minor print damage in the form of tiny specks and the occasional scratch but for the most part these cartoons have survived the last two decades quite nicely. Colors look great and while there is some mild edge enhancement in a few spots, compression artifacts aren't ever a problem. The episodes look as good here as they ever did on TV and I was pretty impressed with this presentation. Black levels remain pretty stable and the image is consistently clean and clear from start to finish.
Audio options are supplied in English and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo tracks for each of the episodes in this collection. While a 5.1 mix would have made the action scenes a little more fun, it wouldn't have made it sound like the series we all know and love. The stereo tracks get the job done nicely even if they obviously don't have as much depth. Dialogue stays clean and clear and there aren't any problems at all with hiss or distortion. Sound effects and the musical score are mixed in with the dialogue nicely and never overpower anything they shouldn't. This isn't reference quality material, but again, the show sounds just as good or slightly better here on DVD than it did on television.
The first disc in this four disc set contains a seven minute featurette entitled Looking Back: An Interview With Ron Friedman, Part One which is, as you could probably ascertain, an interview with series' writer Ron Friedman in which he discusses the origins of the show, it's famous opening sequence, and what it was like having to write a show geared specifically to kids. Disc Two contains the second part of the interview, also about seven minutes in length, where Ron covers working with Hasbro on the series, character development, and how they tried to tie in the various toys and products into the cartoon. Disc three contains the third part of the interview, this time just under five minutes in length, and here Ron covers his teaching and screenwriting career and his thoughts on the G.I. Joe fans that exist to this day and which were spawned by this cartoon in the eighties.
Those who like to print things will be keen on checking out the printable PDF script which has also been included in this set. Rounding out the extras on the fourth disc are a collection of seven super cool vintage Public Service Announcements featuring the G.I. Joe characters (knowing is half the battle!), even better, a nice assortment of archival Hasbro toy commercials advertising the toy line. Tying into that is a great video from 1963 that was made as a promotional spot to advertise the original G.I. Joe toy line's debut at the toy fair held that year.
It should also be noted that inside the shiny metallic cardboard slipcase is a limited edition temporary tattoo as well as a booklet (containing credits and synopsis information for each episode in this collection), and some inserts advertising some G.I. Joe related merchandise.
The Final Word:
The hardcore fans will get the 'complete series' super-ass fancy schmancy edition that came out but for those who don't need the collector's edition, this is a good way to reacquainted with the classic eighties TV show with some cool extras and for a fair price.