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G.I. Joe: The Original Miniseries (2003) -Rhino Home Video
Summary: There are two epic Joe stories in this set. The first one has the Joes battling Cobra and their new super weapon, and the second has the Joes battling Cobra and their…new super weapon. My Thoughts: Nostalgia is a funny thing. One day you're remembering old cartoon classics from your youth as if they rivaled biblical stories or Shakespearian sonnets, then 20 years later you're watching them and wondering what the hell was wrong with you as a kid. Don't get me wrong, G.I. Joe isn't the worst series on Earth, but it's not the best either. Nothing can really compare to the memories I had watching it as a child. With that said, it's still a great trip back and nice to see these mini-series saved for posterity. The coolest thing about this edition is the packaging. It's a two disc set that comes in a larger than average case. The outside of the case is a plastic slipcover. The interior is made of cardboard, and while neat looking, it looks as if it can be easily torn if not handled carefully. The prize inside is the awesomely cool Snake Eyes figure. That's right, SNAKE EYES! He also comes with his trusty companion Timber, along with his backpack and gun. Note: There are two versions of this DVD, one with Snake Eyes and one without. The one without is visually unimpressive and didn't appeal to me. I guess I'm a sucker for a toy. Once you put the disc in your player you'll be treated to a longer than necessary wait for the title screen. While done in a cute way, I hate the wait. When the classic G.I. Joe theme song finally began pouring out of my system in glorious 5.1, I got a little misty eyed. My patriotic feelings and pride in a non-existent military unit hit a fevered pitch. Great stuff, really. The first mini-series, A Real American Hero, is pretty okay. All your favorite characters are here doing their fantastically over-the-top feats of both good and evil. The episodes themselves are about what I expected. The animation is cheap, events are unbelievable if not completely implausible and the dialogue is laughable, yet there's still a big soft spot in my heart for the series. G.I. Joe tried hard to be better than most other kids' shows of the time. Despite its flaws there's plenty of good stuff to like. Some of my favorite moments include Destro and Cobra Commander bickering like an old gay couple, and Timber jumping from a helicopter into Snake eyes' arms in a truly beautiful moment. I think this mini-series is for the hard core fan, or for the entertainment of the drunken person wanting a nostalgic 80s trip. The second mini-series, The Revenge of Cobra, is the jewel in the set. It was done at a time when a lot more characters were introduced who were a lot more interesting than most of the crew from the early days. Flint, Lady Jaye, Zartan, and Storm Shadow are but a few of these characters. The animation is improved greatly from that of A Real American Hero episodes. The writing is a bit more realistic and shines in a few moments, and the dialogue is greatly improved. You can really tell that everyone was really hitting their stride by the time that these episodes were aired. The use of stolen sound effects from Star Wars is notable in The Revenge of Cobra. I wonder who was lazy enough to just rip off tons of sounds and start using them in the series. A great example of a totally noticeable effect is when Zartan is fighting off the creeper vines. It’s obviously ripped off from a lightsaber battle! The surround sound mix is awesome considering that the show was never even meant to be heard this way. The picture is fairly good and is colorful in the way a cartoon of this type should be. There's a good amount of wear on the film, but it's nothing that's too distracting. This edition might have been a little disappointing if it hadn’t of been for The Revenge of Cobra mini-series. Although it’s not the best thing I’ve ever seen, it’s a lot more enjoyable and well worth the purchase of the DVD. Extras: Aside from the aforementioned inclusion of one of the coolest Joes ever, you don't get much for extras. On each disc there's an interview with a writer for the series. Marv Wolfman is on A Real American Hero disc and Ron Friedman is on The Revenge of Cobra disc. The interviews are ultra long and in-depth. There’s plenty of facts of interest for G.I. Joe fans, and even some stuff of interest for those interested in television or film writing. There's also a pretty nifty booklet that traces the history of the Joe toy from its 12 inch beginnings, to its scale down to 3.5 inches, to its eventual comic book and cartoon incarnations to the present day. Other than that there’s nothing, but just having the episodes preserved on disc with 5.1. Dolby is almost enough. Score: Mini Series Score: A Real American Hero: 6.5 The Revenge of Cobra: 7.5 Extras: 6.5 Edition: 8.0 -Paul
You like G.I. Joe? Check out this review. You can also find the Season 1 Part 1 DVD review here. |
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