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.
Reviews
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.
I remember seeing this cartoon mini series as a kid and it has really held up over the years, better than any other cartoon version of GI Joe, although Resolute is pretty good, albeit too short! This mini series really captured the feel of the comic like no other cartoon outing, which I was a big fan of and it is for that reason that it stands above the other cartoons in the series or the horrible 1987 movie. Destro is just amazing in this he kicks serious butt. He is a very strong antagonist and the storyline benefits a great deal from this. The animation is top notch, I Iove the fact they took the time to animate the characters blinking. Excellent voice work across the board. I do wish that he original GI joe leader, Hawk, had a role in this, but Duke works as the leader of the team. It would have also been nice if Stalker had more of a commanding presence befitting of his character. Overall this is not to be missed by any Gi Joe fan new or old and is a great introduction into the brand.
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 is one of the greatest shows ever made and I say it deserves to be put back on tv. Then all the young kids can see something that their parents once watched when they were young. I also feel since the actors who were the voices of General Hawk and Cobra Commander have died the show should be put back on for their memory and to show respect to the actors who are still alive. This show should be back on because of the advice at the end of each episode that was endorsed by the National Child Safety Council. I say if a government group has endorsed a show it is good enough to have on tv!
