G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero /
The Revenge of Cobra

(Limited Collector's Edition)

DVD Information:
Genre:	Animation, Action
Video:	•	Original Full-frame
•		Region 1 NTSC
•		300+ Minutes
•		Color
•		1983 / 1984 Production
•		2 Disks
•		Rated G for animated violence
Audio:	•	English 5.1 Surround
Subtitle:	•	None
Interface:	•	Animated Menus
•		Chapter division by act breaks
Episodes:	•	2 Mini-series, 5 episodes each
Released:	11. Feb. 2003 (Regular Ed.) 13. May 2003 (Limited Ed.)
Publisher:	Rhino Home Video
Packaging:	Space-wasting cardboard/pastic box with action figure
List Price:	US$29.95 (Regular Edition) US$39.95 (Limited Edition)
I Paid:	US$24.99 + sales tax

Special Features:
•	Interview with writer Marv Wolfman
•	Interview with writer Ron Friedman
•	A reproduction of the original Snake Eyes action figure with Timber Wolf accessory

Original Description:

Witness the evil of Cobra Commander as he unveils two vicious schemes to conquer the world! Thrill to the daring early exploits of the nation's top secret special mission force!

It's all here in the first two epic G.I. Joe mini-series, “A Real American Hero,” and “The Revenge of Cobra.” Ten action-packed episodes on two disks.

Snake Eyes, a special operations expert on the G.I. Joe team, is fiercely dedicated to the preservation of freedom and the derailment of the evil Cobra. This replication of the orginal edition sculpture comes complete with classic accessories -- including the tiber wolf which has not been produced since 1985. Snake Eyes was released as one of the premier characters in conjuction with [the] G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon series, which is contained in this boxed set.

Comments:

In A Real American Hero (1983), Cobra uses a teleportation device, powered by rare elements such as “heavy water,” to transplant soldiers and tanks, and to abduct monuments and enemie armies. In The Revenge of Cobra (1984), Destro has invented a weather control device that wrecks havoc on the world's climates.

I always thought G.I. Joe was one of the best animated cartoon series from my childhood (up until the '90s episodes with that crappy “Got to get tough!” theme song). After buying this DVD set, however, was the first time I ever saw the original two mini series, and I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed. The plots weren't all that great, and the anti-physics were far too abundant. I mean, sure, you have to ignore physics to some extent to enjoy some great science fictions, such as the light saber concept in Star Wars (a beam of light with a disctinct endpoint?), but the anti-physics of these cartoons were just too much for my scientific mind. Today's kids might love it though, since most children don't give a hoot about the laws of physics.

I look forward to the release of the mid-80s series on DVD, though. Those episodes were great.

The difference between this Limited Collector's Edition and the regular edition, is that this edition contains the two interviews and includes an action figure (and wastes twice as much shelf space since the case is designed to hold the disks and the figure).

FYI: The included action figure is labeled as a “replication of the orginal edition sculpture,” but technically it isn't; the original 1982 action figures (including Snake Eyes) didn't have pivoting elbows, but (I believe) they were all re-released in 1983 with pivoting elbows, which this figure exhibits. (But who cares; the pivoting-elbows version is better!)

So, should you buy the original G.I. Joe mini series set? Maybe only if you're a die-hard G.I. Joe fan. Otherwise, wait for the next series.

Should you buy the regular or limited edition? The interviews with the writers were quite interesting, but that's the kind of thing you only watch once. And the action figure is really cool, but I don't play with G.I. Joes any more. If you've got a kid (or are one) go for the Limited Edition (just look for the cover with the choking-hazard warning). For me, I think it boiled down to being cheaper to buy the Limited Edition at Fred Meyer than to buy either version on-line.

My Score: 8/10

Where to buy **G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero / The Revenge of Cobra**:
Regular Edition:
Limited Edition:

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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero / The Revenge of Cobra

(Limited Collector's Edition)

Legal Stuff: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero / The Revenge of Cobra ©1983 Sunbow Productions | This page ©2003-2004 Wally Waffles 2004 年 8 月 19 日

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero /
The Revenge of Cobra

Legal Stuff:
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero / The Revenge of Cobra ©1983 Sunbow Productions | This page ©2003-2004 Wally Waffles 2004 年 8 月 19 日