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.
