There are multiple ways one could be familiar with the team of heroic soldiers known as G.I. Joe. Originally introduced as action figures in 1964, they became popular enough to spawn multiple other forms of revenue for Hasbro, including a plethora of comic books and that ridiculous movie from 2009 starring Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller (which is actually getting a sequel soon). However, it seems as though the majority of people nowadays get their familiarity of G.I. Joe from the animated series, made infamous by video clips on YouTube that overdub scenes from the program with other, even more hilarious dialogue.
That isn’t to say that “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” isn’t already hilariously entertaining. Believe it or not, it’s loads of fun—more fun than that aforementioned live-action movie. It was already the second G.I. Joe animated series when it debuted on television in 1989; the original began in 1985 but was taken off in the advent of the direct-to-video G.I. Joe: The Movie in 1987. The new series began with a five-part miniseries titled ‘Operation Dragonfire,” which is as outlandish as it sounds. Cobra Commander, the evil leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, has somehow been reduced from a human to an actual saint. The comically Russian Baroness and her equally stereotypically Australian henchman, Major Bludd, want to use the ancient power of Dragonfire to resurrect Cobra Commander as human once again, as well as to construct the most powerful weapons in the world. After all, that’s what evil organizations do best.
Naturally, this is a job for the heroes of G.I. Joe. This includes Scoop, a Cobra spy recruited by the bad guys after being told that a team of G.I. Joes was responsible for his parents’ death. Naturally, our friend Scoop learns the truth by the end, and while it’s exactly what you know it will be—after all, G.I. Joes don’t kill families! —the moment of revelation is still pretty great. My favorite piece of dialogue in “Operation Dragonfire,” which I think sums up the entire tone of the series, was when Scoop exclaims, “That guy’s awesome!” in reaction to one of the Joe’s exploits. Another soldier replies, “Of course he is. He’s a G.I. Joe.” Every part of this series was designed to be as totally “awesome” as an animated series based on a line of toys in 1989 could possibly be, and I mean that in the best way. It’s cheeky and funny and full of great, colorful character design. The animation isn’t the highest quality when compared to modern-day animated programs, but it doesn’t keep you from noticing the creativity and effort put into it. After all, anything goes in G.I. Joe, as long as it is “awesome.” Indeed, the absurdly over-the-top heroism and bravura of G.I. Joe is so cartoonish that the only medium that could truly embody it would be animation; hence why the attempt at a moody live-action film fell so flat and barely captured an iota of this series’ fun.
After the five parts of “Operation Dragonfire” begin all nineteen episodes of season one of the actual series “A Real American Hero.” Those are entertaining too, though it’s hard to follow what amounts to a movie-length adventure as complicatedly silly as the Dragonfire escapade. Nonetheless, there are plenty of comic book-style gunfights, soldier bravado, and evil Cobra plots to keep one occupied for hours. It’s no surprise that the series has taken on such a cult following, leading to multiple new G.I. Joe programs currently still airing. Yet I doubt any of them can embody what I imagine are Chuck Norris’s wildest fantasies as well as “A Real American Hero.” In an era where shadowy cinematography and angst-ridden back-stories are considered the only way to retell the stories of our favorite childhood heroes, it’s nice to see something that still captures the more innocent impulses of being young, where kicking the bad guys butts is less of a dramatic handwringer and more of a wild ride.
There are no DVD SPECIAL FEATURES, but with nine hours of G.I. Joe action spread out over four discs, do you really need any? The show doesn’t need further delving into or explanation—it’s G.I. Joe. And therefore, awesome.
"G.I. Joe: Series 2, Season 1" is on sale January 10, 2012 and is rated G. Animation. Directed by John Grusd, Jim Duffy, Chuck Patton. Written by Phil Harnage, David Carren, J. Larry Carroll et. al.. Starring Chris Latta, Maurice LaMarche, Ted Harrison.
