G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983)
A Real American Hero is the first G.I. Joe miniseries, in it the G.I. Joe Special Missions Force must contend with COBRA who, after the successful theft of a special broadcast satellite now threaten the world with a teleportation machine called the M.A.S.S. Device. G.I. Joe tracks down the original designer who advises that the only way to counter the weapon is to build a M.A.S.S. Device of their own. However to power the device properly three rare catalytic elements are needed. Now it's a race around the world and against the clock as G.I. Joe and COBRA go M.A.S.S. to M.A.S.S.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
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!
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 was my favourite cartoon of all time. Although the female roles are few and far between I always loved G.I. Joe for more than just that.I guess Sargent Conrad S "Duke" Hauser was the first fictional character that I ever had a crush on.I am also a purist when it comes to cartoons like this and that the version of G.I. Joe that DIC came up with can never measure up to the Marvel/Sunbow version of G.I. Joe.
The first, and one of the best, adventures in the long saga of G.I. Joe. The first fully-animated cartoon in quite some time, and one of the best looking. If you need a quick primer on G.I. Joe, Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Gung-Ho, Cobra Commander, Destro, the Baroness, or any of the other great elements of this show, start here first!