G.I. Joe: Season 1 Part 1

-Rhino Home Video (2004)

Summary

He'll never give up, he'll stay 'till the fight's won, G.I. Joe is there! G.I. Joe, a real American hero!

My Thoughts

If you were a boy in the 1980s there were two kings of kid’s afternoon cartoons, Transformers and G.I. Joe. As a kid you couldn’t escape either one of them, and it’s a little surprising to consider this in the light that both of these cartoons were based off of Hasbro toy lines. Transformers always seemed to be the bigger dog between the two ‘toons and I loved both series, but I’ve always been a G.I. Joe fan foremost in my heart. Transformers got a head start onto DVD, but the Joes have their due now. This first collection is a lot like the Transformers previous DVD foray, since you get only half the season at a time. That's fine by me though, considering there are 27 episodes in this set.

Watching the episodes while eating cereal in the morning was one hell of a trip. It was a total flashback to when I was a kid, except for the lack of the beatings and the dead hookers. Um, anyway, the episodes aren't the works of art that I remember, but are a campy ride into the past. Many of the plot lines are simply ludicrous, like Cobra’s plan to eliminate the Joes by luring them into a deadly funhouse, but they never take themselves too seriously. Aside from the lighter moments that are meant to be funny, there is a ton of unintentional humor to be found, like the Furby-like animals that turn into fire breathing, pistol and whip wielding monsters found in the Pyramid of Darkness episodes. I have to note that this set also includes my nomination for worst G.I. Joe episode of all time, "The Phantom Brigade", an episode in which Cobra Commander has a Gypsy woman conjure up three ghosts in order to destroy G.I. Joe. He should have known he’d have a problem with this plan when the American WWI pilot ghost comes in the room saying in the most naive and friendly voice ever heard, “Hey guys, what’s going on?” I mean, come on. You know your not getting your revenge filled ghost money’s worth when the spirit greets you like a pansy.

The picture is a hundred times better than watching it in its broadcast form with the magic of higher DVD resolution and crystal clear colors. The film still looks good for a kid's show, but has some grain appearing here and there. The 5.1 surround mix is where the set shines, though. Its better sounding than you’d ever think you’d have heard the show, though it is a little over the top at times.

Extras

This edition is strikingly similar to the G.I. Joe mini-series. Both have the same motion menus and similar extras. Oh well, at least I have the cartoons on DVD. The packaging of this edition is more or less utilitarian and okay, but not great like the G.I. Joe mini-series that comes with Snake-Eyes. But, as an added bonus there's a collectable film cel to enjoy.

As for content, there are two interviews. The first is with Christy Marx a writer for the series. The interview is rather dry, but interesting and is a good watch for anyone interested in writing for animation. The other interview is with voice director Wally Burr. Wally is a little more animated (pardon the pun) than Christy, and about as interesting.

There’s also a really low budget trailer for this edition, but the best special feature is the collection of G.I. Joe P.S.A.s that cover everything from wearing a helmet to fire safety. These things are hilarious to watch, and it brings back a lot of memories. You know, I’ve always wondered why the Joes just happened to be hanging around these kids in order them to tell them the message of the day.

Score:

Episode Average: 7.5

Extras: 7.0

Edition: 8.0

-Paul

You like G.I. Joe? Check out the arcade game review here, and the G.I. Joe the Complete Miniseries review here.