Customer Reviews

G.I. Joe: The Movie

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Another mainstay of 80's children's cartoons I bought this DVD is my attempts to "recapture my childhood" and I AIN'T disappointed!!! The movie itself was okay but the DVD extras are what make this a "must-keep" for me. For the uninitiated, here's a rundown:

Plot synopses: GI Joe (America's top military force) battles against Cobra (evil terrorist organization trying to take over the world). It this particular movie, the Joes try to stop Cobra from devolving the world through these organic spores. In this movie the true ancient origins of Cobra(la) are FINALLY revealed.

The movie marked a landmark in GI Joe storylines. (Personally, I thought it was sorta the beginning of the end...) Most the old-time favorite Joes and Cobras appeared. Many new characters also made their debut (Lt. Falcon, the Renegades, Nemesis Enforcer, etc). However, the movie itself, in my opinion is NOT the best feature of this DVD. The exclusive DVD features are!!!

Exclusive DVD features: TWENTY-FIVE (25) ORIGINAL G.I. JOE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (you know, those "knowing is half the battle" things they aired at the end of each episode for the kids!!!) Two (2) movie trailers. Two (2) vintage action figure commercials (too waaay back even for me. Can't believe how cheesy those back in the day commercials were). A shameless plug for VHS tapes of G.I. Joe and Transformer cartoons.

The DVD extras truly make this a "Collector's edition." DEFINITELY a piece of 80's nostalgia. Those PSA's RULED!!!

Here's my rundown:

GREAT: The DVD features especially those PSA's. "Knowing is half the battle!!!"

Good: The action, soundtrack and animation. They sure don't make kids cartoons like this anymore!!!!

So-so: The movie trailers.

Bad: Those cheesy vintage action figure commercials. The shameless plug.

DEFINITELY a collector's item for any G.I. Joe or 80's cartoon fan. Recommended viewing for anyone who never grew up watching these but who are indeed fans of good animation.

Highly recommended.

As excited as I am to see _any_ part of the legendary G.I. JOE series on DVD, I can't help but wish that the original and best JOE movie (the one about the MASS Device) had been chosen for the honor before this one. Although this particular film (which ran at or near the end of the TV series) is beautifully animated and action-packed, its plot is fantastically far-fetched, and way too much time is spent introducing - and then featuring - nearly a dozen new JOEs. Consequently, old favorites like Flint, Scarlet, Snake Eyes, and Lady Jaye (just to name a few) are given little or no screen time. I also dislike the way the script treats my favorite cartoon villain, Cobra Commander. Here we learn the reason the Commander wears a mask, but then he's dismissed as a useless buffoon. Nevertheless, this disc is a must-buy for any fan of the great toons of the mid 1980s. The picture and sound quality are tremendous (though all those flashing explosions may give you a headache), and the special features include no less than 25 of those unforgettable public service announcements that used to close every G.I. JOE episode. You'll also find two vintage toy commercials, and two trailers - which, ironically, pertain to the aforementioned MASS Device movie. I applaud Rhino for this DVD release, and remain hopeful that many more are on the way. YO JOE!

If you're like most people my age, you most likely will smile at the mention of G.I. Joe. Along with TransFormers (whose movie is due out on DVD in October), this was my favorite cartoon. The opening of the movie is excellent! The movie itself, is good. However, it doesn't focus much on older characters, so if you're looking for such favorites as SnakeEyes or StormShadow, keep your eyes peeled, they appear only in fleeting moments. The new characters are pretty cool, and the revelation that Cobra was created by Cobra-La brings a whole new dimension to the whole G.I. Joe vs. Cobra theme. With a voice cast that includes Don Johnson and Burgess Meredith (who, ironically, starred in the 1945 movie THE STORY OF G.I.JOE), and extras such as the old G.I.Joe commercials and all the public service announcements that played at the end of daily episodes, this DVD is a great way to relive one's younger days.

Bashing G.I. Joe: The Movie has become something of a cottage industry for fans of the toys-so much so that Devil's Due (publishers of the current comic book series) is contemplating it's own "tribute" to the notorious finale of the Sunbow run of G.I. Joe. The question before buying the DVD is whether or not you think it's terrible or a classic.

Simply put, the film is neither. The plot, which in keeping with the fantastic nature of the series (wherein the Joes have met the ancient Egyptian gods and allied themselves with ghosts, to name just two episodes) reveals that Cobra Commander is a member of an ancient race of snake-people known as Cobra-La. Problem is, Golobulus (ruler of Cobra-La) has become fed up with Cobra's repeated losses to the Joes, and has now decided to take a more active role in Cobra's quest to rule the world.

Cobra Commander's real identity is the main problem people have with the movie, even if it fits in with what little we know about the Commander (except for his interview with Hector Ramirez in the episode "Twenty Questions", but should we really expect the Commander to tell the truth?). His de-evolution into a snake upsets people even further, even if Sunbow's intention all the time was to bring him back in the series third season (which was never produced).

But that isn't the real flaw of this movie. The flaw is that, at Hasbro's behest, most of the existing characters (even those that had been introduced during the second season) are ignored in favor of the Rawhides, Renegades, and Cobra-La. Of the original cast, only Duke (who was originally intended to die) and Cobra Commander get significant screen time, and the other existing characters with major screen time (Hawk, Beachhead, Sgt. Slaughter, Roadblock, and Serpentor) were mostly newer characters. Like Transformers: The Movie, Hasbro decided to overexert their influence over Sunbow, at the expense of the story.

This DVD edition includes all of the "....And Knowing is Half the Battle" PSAs produced for the 1985-86 season (the first season); two ads for the original "A Real American Hero" miniseries (known popularly as The MASS Device), which are quite odd without the station IDs that each station syndicating the miniseries added at the end; and an ancient ad for the 12" G.I. Joe dolls; the last feature meaning absolutely nothing to about 95% of the people who watched the cartoon in the 1980s.

If you want realism in G.I. Joe, don't buy this movie. In fact, don't even bother with the cartoon-just go and buy Larry Hama's comic (which has a completely different storyline than the cartoon). For everyone else, be prepared to enjoy a decent movie, but remember that the story wasn't finished with G.I. Joe: The Movie-it just never got produced by Sunbow Productions.

G.I. Joe and the Transformers were of course, rival shows in a way. They were both by Hasbro, and they both appealed to the same audience. "Joe" was a bit more conventional in my opinion. G.I. Joe was the ultimate 'Cold War' cartoon, with the U.S. being the "Joes" and Cobra representing whatever stood in opposition to the U.S. - and in the 80s, that was the U.S.S.R. Although my heart lay (and still lies) with the Transformers, I consider this movie to be a priceless gem. This was the last segment of G.I. Joe worthy of watching. In the early 90s, the franchise was thoroughly ruined when they introduced "G.I. Joe Extreme". Perhaps the same thing is happening with the Transformers (Beast Wars) - not really a fan at all.

In "G.I. Joe: The Movie" things get serious, and the action/plot is more intense than it ever was in the regular series. The animation is noticeably better (because they brought in Japanese animators to do the 'anime' thing) and the plot is way more mysterious thanks to the introduction of Cobra's creators, the Cobra-La. The Cobra-La (an underground race) are led a floating nemesis named Golobulus (played by Burgess Meredith). They come back, banish Cobra Commander for losing so many battles to G.I. Joe (poor guy - his position had already been severely compromised by Emperor Serpentor's presence). There is some GREAT drama here. (You'll love this...it teaches a good lesson to the kids - it just doesn't pay to be a bad guy...)

On the "Joe" side, Duke takes a backseat to his crazy younger brother, Falcon (played by Don Johnson). With the exception of a few memorable original characters, we focus more on the new "Joes" in this movie - just like we focused on Hot Rod and the new Transformers in the 1986 theatrical release. That's okay though, because Falcon is very likeable.

The BEST SCENE is near the end when Duke and Serpentor square off. The results are a bit shocking, and once again, you're reminded - this ain't the regular cartoon...THIS IS THE MOVIE, which means things get more serious. (Weren't you shocked when Prime died in Transformers the Movie? )Well, things do get more serious - some folks even tell me that certain characters weren't supposed to make it to the end of the movie. (Why don't we see a certain favorite "Joe" onscreen when the characters insist that he's recovering...c'mom it was censored for American audiences - that certain character DID NOT make it.)

The opening sequence (Statue Of Liberty Battle) is incredible. Suggestion: See some of the original "Joe" videos (they're selling them here - or rent them at your local video store) before watching this movie. Then you'll understand just how important characters like Duke, Roadblock and Cobra Commander are. You'll need to understand just how 'old school' they are by the time this movie came out - then you realize the significance of the plot twists.

Thanks for reading this - I loved this movie. Transformers the Movie it is not, however, if G.I. Joe had ended with this movie (which I consider it did), it went out with a bang. Yo Joe!

Knyte.

GI Joe the Movie is kinda like Transformers the Movie was....you end up with mixed feelings about it.

Luckily, unlike Transformers, GI Joe the Movie doesn't kill off main characters. Duke was originally killed, but they redubbed it to just have him badly hurt after the backlash from killing off Optimus Prime in the Transformers movie.

I dislike the plot, as this was the period of time that saw GI Joe start to abandon the military style plotlines and pick up on some really weird stuff. Cobra-La is a total waste, and simply doesn't fit into the GI Joe series well at all. I also totally hate how Cobra Commander turns out to be some sort of mutant under that mask, as I always liked the idea that he was just another faceless terrorist that could have been anyone. I think GI Joe really screwed up here.

A lot of new characters are introduced, though, and many classic ones are shown frequently. Just about every one created by this point appears somewhere in the film.

Interesting note: GI Joe the Movie was originally slated for theatrical release, but never made it out. It was released straight to video in 1987 and shown on TV as a mini series.

The quality of the picture and sound is excellent.

As for the special features, for once, Rhino gets it right. 25 of the original Public Service Announcements that aired at the end of the daily cartoon series are included. Everyone remembers the "Now I know....and knowing is half the battle" line. These are super cheesy, and hilarious to watch in rapid fire succession like this. Worth the purchase just to see these, honestly.

The special features also include movie trailers, though they are not for this movie, but rather for the mini-series that aired in 1984 and 1984 before the cartoon went into a regular daily series. Still neat to see, though. There are also toy commercials, but they are for the original toy from decades ago, and seem very, very out of place here. They needed to include commercials for the generation of GI Joe toys that appear in the rest of the DVD.

Overall, the price is right for this one, and it's worth owning if you are a GI Joe fan. Yeah, you have to put up with Cobra-La and Serpentor, but that's a small price to pay.

Those who can well recall their endless youthful fascination with G. I. Joe, much as I can, will find much to remember from those good old days of 80's animation in this movie. G.I. Joe was great action oriented entertainment with some patriotic flair for good measure... no doubt, the best part though was the awesome battle scenes, fascinating machines, and cool heroes to cheer and evil bad guys to jeer. This movie captures it all! My only complaint is that, unlike the Transformers movie, G.I. Joe didn't take this opportunity to better adapt itself for the big screen. The new characters seem to be only filling in or supplementing where the old ones left off without the added drama of having to deal with the PERMANENT departure of the old heroes. There's no real 'punch' or sense of transition from generation to generation. Nevertheless, this is still one hell of a movie, so I give it high marks for effort and pulling off a pretty exciting story to match.

This movie is what growing up in the eighties is all about. After just watching the opening sequence, you will believe that GI Joe IS the real American hero! Just watch as the Joes go against unbeatable odds, and cheer when Sgt. Slaughter gives Cobra a punch for the U.S. of A! Be a true American: BUY THIS MOVIE!

G.I. Joe - The Movie is awesome. The whole story line and the secrets revealed about the history of Cobra Commander and Cobra-La are breath-taking. Even if you haven't watched the cartoons, the movie is worth watching! While your at it, take a look at Transformers: The Movie!

Superb GI Joe movie that represents the pinnacle of Joe storytelling (outside the original comics) that is the perfect blend of Sci Fi and earth based
military. Joe, Cobra, and beyond are represented and a good amount of screen time to bunches of characters makes for a perfect movie.

Writing like in this movie, and Transformers The Movie (the original one with Unicron and Galvatron, you know the good one) SIMPLY JUST DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THIS DAY AND AGE ANYMORE!!! The writing proved that you could do a huge epic story with SCOPE (something writers cannot do anymore) and still make a movie that made sense and most of all.... ENTERTAINED!!!

Simply one of the best movies of all time, with great voice talent (Burgess Meredith, anyone?) and an epic tale.... make this movie a must see.....

too bad it's NOT AVAILABLE ANY LONGER ON DVD!!! I got my copy when it was first released on DVD.... too bad the morons in charge can't see that THIS is the real Joe movie, and not that 2009 Rise of Cobra bullcrap.....

5 stars, Simply perfect.... my highest recommendation....