G.I. Joe - Real American Hero/Revenge of the Cobra

G.I. Joe - Real American Hero/Revenge of the Cobra
by Dan Thompson, Dave Brain, Jeff Hale, John Walker, Kent Butterworth

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DVD Reviews of G.I. Joe - Real American Hero/Revenge of the Cobra

DVD Review: Hello Joe!!!
Summary: 4 Stars

I remember being in the first grade and promising myself I would always buy toys, even when I got older. I could envision bookshelves proudly displaying, specifically, my G.I. Joe action figures. This double DVD set of the first two animated Joe miniseries brought me back to those wonder years and reminded me exactly why I made such a promise. It wasn't simply that toys just look cool and I'll always be a big kid at heart. It's also about the story and characterization (as complex as both may or may not be) of the likes of G.I. Joe. Lincoln Logs and Legos are a hoot, but they don't exactly have histories and personalities behind each and every piece, do they? The cartoons on this DVD re-introduce us to those glorious icons of Joe lore. Duke, Scarlett, Destro, Zartan and his Dreadnoks, Flint, Baroness, Roadblock, Cobra Commander, Spirit, Storm Shadow, and the perennially popular Snake-Eyes, among others, are all present and accounted for. While not much time is spent on in-depth characterization (which was to be found later in the ongoing animated series), every hero and villain of note gets off at least a couple of lines to establish their role and identify them seperately from other characters. In the 1980's, this worked well to help sell action figures. Today, it's a great re-primer. For example, I didn't recall Shipwreck being such an interesting character. In "The Revenge Of Cobra", Shipwreck comes into the story first as an outsider, a bit of a wild card/rogue, and alligns himself with G.I. Joe. At the age of 27 today, I previously only recalled him as just another face in the crowd dressed up like a member of the Village People. Now, 'wreck is one of my personal favorites. It's just one of the benefits of strolling down memory lane with this set.

As for the actual material on "G.I. Joe: Real American Hero/The Revenge Of Cobra", you get the two miniseries broken down into each individual chapter just as they aired on weekday afternoon television, complete with the opening/closing credits and commercial breaks (minus actual commercials, of course). The first miniseries stars the earliest Joe and Cobra characters (Duke, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Stalker, Cobra Commander, Destro, Major Blood, etc..), as the baddies craft something called the MASS device to wreak havoc on the world. The heroes scramble around the world to counteract Cobra, culminating in the first of many "final" battles at Cobra HQ. Significant sub-plots include Duke's romance with a female Cobra slave and Snake-Eyes being contamined by radiation, leading to his first encounter with his pet wolf, Timber. The second miniseries brings in more of the classic names (Flint, Lady Jaye, Roadblock, Spirit, the aforementioned Shipwreck, Storm Shadow), with Cobra returning to similiar methods as in the first mini, this time brandishing the "Weather Dominator". G.I. Joe once again chases them around the Earth to a new Cobra snake-hole. Sub-plots of note include Shipwreck's introduction, Roadblock teaming up with a truck-driving Southern belle while the prisoners of Cobra, and Spirit and Storm Shadow doing battle and earning each other's respect as warriors. From the first chapter of "Real American Hero" to the last of "The Revenge Of Cobra", this is a ride of purely guilty pleasure, heavily influenced by super-hero comics, classic sci-fi and adventure serials, and of course, military intrigue. Hokey, unrealistic military intrigue, but still a blast, nonetheless.

While it may be a tad disappointing for DVD's to be released minus any extras, considering extras are one of the main selling points of DVD's and helped to push them ahead of VHS, this is one instance where it's nearly completely forgivable. The cartoons are remastered, looking and sounding like brand new. The fact that they are presented in their original format, with the credits and breaks, further helps to complete the trip back in time. I'm sure not everyone will have the same experience as I did with G.I. Joe: Real American Hero/The Revenge Of Cobra. You really need to be a child of the 80's to have a true understanding and appreciation of it. However, it can still be entertaining for anyone, old and new fans alike. If the current Joe toys and comics don't do it for you (which, honestly, are starting to shape up a bit, after their first re-launch), this DVD set should most assuredly do the trick.