G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

I remember seeing this cartoon mini series as a kid and it has really held up over the years, better than any other cartoon version of GI Joe, although Resolute is pretty good, albeit too short! This mini series really captured the feel of the comic like no other cartoon outing, which I was a big fan of…and it is for that reason that it stands above the other cartoons in the series or the horrible 1987 movie. Destro is just amazing in this…he kicks serious butt. He is a very strong antagonist and the storyline benefits a great deal from this. The animation is top notch, I Iove the fact they took the time to animate the characters blinking. Excellent voice work across the board. I do wish that he original GI joe leader, Hawk, had a role in this, but Duke works as the leader of the team. It would have also been nice if Stalker had more of a commanding presence befitting of his character. Overall this is not to be missed by any Gi Joe fan new or old and is a great introduction into the brand.

G.I. Joe was an above-average cartoon from the 1980's. The series walked the line between military action & science fiction. There were many fascinating characters, including the silent Snake-Eyes, the jolly chef Roadblock, metallic-headed arms dealer Destro, & ninja Storm Shadow. A TV series was the perfect format for G.I. Joe, due to the huge amount of characters. The show had a few strengths. First, the opening. The way the show comes on, with all-out action & the theme song are now 80's classics. The animation is rather good, as well as the sound effects & voices. I found it interesting that the creators chose to use laser guns over bullets, I suppose it keeps it in a realm of fantasy. This leads me to the few drawbacks. It seems that nobody could ever hit each other. Even as a child, I found it to be a little far fetched that nobody ever hit anyone with all that blasting. (Cobra officers always escape their exploding vehicles, too) I understand it was done to tone down the violence. The only other negative to me was the "Yooo-Joe!" & "COOOBRAAAA" battle cries were a little corny, even for my 10 year old self back then. Those are my only complaints other than the sci-fi turn of the later episodes (Serpentor, etc.)

G.I. Joe, what would my childhood have been like without you? A lot less awesome, that's what! This is the initial mini-series that launched the classic '80s G.I. Joe cartoon series. As we're told from the narration during the iconic theme song, G.I. Joe is the code name for America's daring highly-trained special mission force whose purpose is to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. In this mini-series, the Joes battle with Cobra over the MASS device while Duke is kidnapped and Snake Eyes suffers radiation poisoning. In addition to Duke and Snake Eyes, some of the Joes introduced in this first series include Scarlett, Stalker, Breaker, Snow Job, and Cover Girl. Snake Eyes also meets his pet wolf Timber in the third episode. Cobra here is Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Major Bludd, and assorted nameless Cobra soldiers. The animation is nice for the '80s, which is a backhanded compliment I guess. I love '80s cartoons but freely admit the assembly line animation was not the best. But it gets the job done for TV and that's what matters. The exciting music is perfectly suited for an action adventure show. The voice work is exceptional with greats like Chris Latta, Michael Bell, Morgan Lofting, and Arthur Burghardt providing their talents to bring these characters to life. Any child of the '80s will instantly recognize their voices from this and other cartoons.

As with the rest of the G.I. Joe series, this first batch of episodes is action-packed with healthy doses of humor. G.I. Joe is one of the many '80s cartoons that's often dismissed as just "a commercial to sell toys" but, for those who actually watch the cartoons with an open mind, it's far more than that. The characters and concepts are interesting and unique. The writing is a cut above most TV cartoons from the time or before. Compare this to something like Super Friends and you'll see it's superior in every way. But, yeah, the toys were very cool also. It's an entertaining series that holds up very well today and plays well for young and old alike.

This five-part mini-series introduced the world to what would become (at least in my opinion) the best cartoon ever put on TV. All the ingredients which would become the hallmarks of the series were in place: superb animation, a wide array of complex heroes and villains, fervent patriotism and, most importantly, non-stop action.

In their first of countless conflicts with the terrorist organization Cobra, the G.I. Joe force--Duke, Scarlet, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes, et al--face arms dealer Destro's nefarious MASS device. Their battle takes them around the world in a desperate race to retrieve the three elements which power MASS, from the frigid Arctic to the ocean floor. The showdowns are awesome and incessant, right up to the final assault on Cobra Commander's hidden temple.

I watched this show religiously as a kid, and now, in my mid-twenties, I find it just as stimulating as ever. For Cold War propaganda at its best, nothing tops G.I. Joe.

This show was really biased towards the GI JOES. They don't give COBRA the respect it deserves. The totally sweet tanks, bitchin jet planes, those cobra pods, all the Cobra army was ridiculously sweet. The intimidation of COBRA stands strong in peoples minds. All the characters of GIJOE were like-able on both sides. It was always sweet watching each guy do his special thing, whippin out grappling hooks, skis, alligators, missle launchers, big machine guns, ninja weapons, flame throwers, chainsaw guns, crossbows, you name it.. its probably someones weapon of choice. Of course, the Cobra Commander only needs his trusty sidearm. That's how many people you gotta go through to get to me!