G.I. JOE: SEASON 2, PART 1 - DVD review

The war cry of "Yo, Joe" should be familiar to any child of the 80's. However, G.I. Joe took a long journey before that famous catchphrase was born. In 1963, Hasbro created a line of 12inch poseable soldiers widely considered to be the first "action figure." Even though the idea was born as a boy's version of Barbie, don't ever call them dolls. The original Joes came with various outfits, accessories, and vehicles. The martial arts craze of the 1970's gave Joe his infamous "kung fu grip." Time passed and the toy industry (along with the rest of the world) was forever changed by a motion picture phenomenon called, "Star Wars."

Kenner made their Star Wars figures at 3 3/4 inches, a smaller size than their competitors. Supply couldn't meet demand and the toys flew off the shelves. Kenner's success forced other toy companies to follow suit. While this was happening, the FCC under the Reagan Administration made several policy changes to the television industry. They lowered the maximum amount of educational programs that networks were required to provide and opened the way for a slew of toy-based cartoons.

Hasbro created a brand new version of G.I. Joe to go along with its smaller size. G.I. Joe was now a specialized branch of the military dedicated to defending the world against a terrorist organization known as Cobra. Along with the cartoon, Marvel published a comic book series which was far more grittier and realistic. The entire run of the comic was written by Larry Hama, who also wrote all the filecards on the back of the action figure packages. In fact, comic book fans should pay attention to the writers' credits as they will find many recognizable names such as: Gerry Conway (wrote "Amazing Spider-Man" and created The Punisher) and Steve Gerber (wrote "Man-Thing" and created Howard the Duck).

Make no mistake "G.I. Joe" wasn't just a commercial for the toys, there's a slew of interesting characters and the shows are packed with action and humor. This three-disc set contains the first half of the second season. With the new season comes a slew of new characters including the Joes' new commanding officer General Hawk, drill instructor/professional wrestler Sgt. Slaughter, and Cobra's mad scientist Dr. Mindbender. The episodes are as follows:

-Disc 1-

"Arise Serpentor Arise!, Parts 1-5"
Probably the most memorable storyline of the series and my personal favorite. Everything I know about world history comes from these episodes. Tired of Cobra Commander's bungling, Cobra's lieutenants conspire with Dr. Mindbender to create a new leader using the DNA of history's greatest conquerors and leaders (Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Alexander, Sun-Tzu, etc.)

-Disc 2-

"Last Hour to Doomsday"
Cobra builds a vortex machine that can create massive tidal waves. Flint and Lady Jaye (disguised as Baroness) infiltrate Cobra and steal a floppy disk containing essential schematics. The Joes must stop Cobra, but only if they can get past a giant octopus and an army of Battle Android Troopers.

"Computer Complications"
G.I. Joe uses new robotic submarines to salvage a downed space probe containing anti-matter material. In order to gain access to them Zartan's sister, Zarana, goes undercover as a computer expert for the government. Despite falling for Mainframe, she reprograms the subs and places them under Cobra's control.

"Sink the Montana"
The USS Montana is prepared for decommissioning, a fact that doesn't sit well with its commanding officer, Admiral George Lattimer. Extremely desperate to keep his ship, Lattimer makes a deal with Cobra to make it their flagship. Destro outfits the Montana with an electromagnetic generator that disrupts all technology that gets near it, making it nearly unstoppable.

"Let's Play Soldier"
In the Thailand, Cobra mines a rare tree sap with mind control properties. Leatherneck befriends a group of "dust children," the illegitimate offspring of American soldiers, helping them find a home after they assist in stopping Cobra.

"Once Upon a Joe"
Cobra steals an experimental device known as the McGuffin (get it?). An orphanage is burned down in the crossfire and the McGuffin Device is lost. While trying to rebuild it, Shipwreck shirks his duties by telling a story to the kids. A really goofy episode, the highlight of which is seeing the Dreadnoks in a deep philosophical debate ("Breath mint...candy mint").

"The Million Dollar Medic"
Lifeline, the Joes' pacifist medic, rescues Bree Van Mark, the daughter of a wealthy business tycoon. She falls for Lifeline and showers him with gifts including a solid gold helicopter. However, Cobra wants to takeover Van Mark Industries and try to kidnap Bree to use for leverage.

-Disc 3-

"Cobrathon"
Dr. Mindbender creates a virus that will destroy every law-enforcement computer in the world. But, to do so will require $5 billion dollars and to raise the money Cobra stages a telethon for criminals with a captured Lifeline and Sci-Fi as entertainment.

"The Rotten Egg"
Leatherneck gets an invitation to be a guest of honor at the graduation of a military academy. When he gets there, he discovers the academy belongs to Cobra and the drill instructor is an old enemy. Leatherneck must escape, before Cobra's cadets attack Parris Island.

"Glamour Girls"
Madame Veil, an aging cosmetics tycoon, helps Cobra develop a machine that can transfer youth. In exchange for the machine, Cobra kidnaps some of the world's most famous supermodels. One of them happens to be Lowlight's sister and he must lead a rescue mission to save the girls.

"Iceberg Goes South"
While on a survival exercise in Antarctica, Iceberg runs into an old flame that's collecting DNA samples of local animal life. Turns out Mindbender has taken over her uncle's laboratory and is making like Dr. Moreau. Mindbender decides to use Iceberg for his experiments and turns him into a mutant killer whale.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in nonanamorphic fullscreen with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This is the best "G.I. Joe" has looked in years. The colors are really sharp, but specks pop up throughout which detracts from the quality.

AUDIO:
Here's where the DVDs really shine. The audio is presented in three tracks: Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0, and mono. The 5.1 and 2.0 tracks feature newly remixed sound effects. The explosions are louder and the roars of jet engines put them right into your living room. If this fancy stuff doesn't suit you, switch to the original broadcast mono.

There is a problem on the 5.1 and 2.0 tracks on the final episode of "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" Instead of G.I. Joe and "Yo Joe," the lines of re-dubbed as Action Force and "Full Force." I believe "G.I. Joe" was released in Europe as "Action Force" and this might have something to do with it.

EXTRAS:

The extras are found on the third disc and they include:

Interviews: One with Hank Garrett (the voice of Dial-Tone) and one with producer/storyboard artist Larry Houston.

Secret Message from "Sins of the Fathers": An episode that is a continuation of "Skeletons in the Closet" and is not included on this set. Destro performs a mystical chant, which is played backwards for a funny secret message.

Scene from "Into Your Tent I Will Silently Creep" censored & uncensored. Not as blue as you'd think.

Animation Mistakes: a clip reel of various flubs.

PSA's: the same public service announcements that were available in the first set.

FILM VALUE:
I don't know any red blooded guy that grew up in the eighties who didn't like "G.I. Joe." I still have boxes and boxes of the toys hidden away in my parents' garage. Fans of this show probably don't need my recommendation to buy these sets. Today, G.I. Joes still sell strong in toy stores and can be found in both the big and small sizes. If you're buying these for your kids (or yourself) make sure to get these DVDs too.