G.I.Joe has been around since I was a kid. While I didn’t watch the show back then, my little brother had a bunch of the action figures. They made good boyfriends for Barbie when she got sick of Ken! Hey, there had to be some benefit in having a little brother, right? Besides, she couldn’t very well date a car, half-cat, or any of the other action figures that he had. G.I. Joe was the only human line that he really played with! Over the years, the team of Army men has evolved many times, and G. I. Joe Renegades is the most recent incarnation. The complete first season of the cartoon releases tomorrow (9/25) on Blu-Ray/DVD.
The Great American Heroes are on the run!
In G.I. Joe Renegades, the team of heroes are on the run, fugitives from the law after a mission goes very awry. Of course, their old enemy, the Cobra, had something to do with that! The team must avoid capture and take down their old enemy. Sound a little familiar? Children of the 80s will recognize the parallels to the hit TV show of our day, The A-Team. Of course, since this show is meant for children (albeit older children, like 7 and up) and that show was meant more for a grown-up audience, the language and action is toned down quite a bit. Still, G.I.Joe Renegades does still seem to acknowledge its inspiration and even pays homage in subtle ways.
26 Episodes of Action and Adventure
G.I. Joe Renegades: The Complete First Season features all 26 episodes of the show, starting with how the Joes ended up becoming fugitives, and ending with them clearing their names. I like that the show goes full-circle. I’m not a big fan of dragging out a plot line, even in children’s cartoons. I haven’t seen many cartoons where an entire season is devoted to a particular mission. Usually they are very “stand alone” in nature. Technically, you could watch the first 2-parter and the final 2-parter, and still get the gist, as the episodes in the middle can be watched without any real understanding of the overall mission behind the show. I think this makes it easier for the younger crowd to keep up, while the fluidity of the overall season will hold the interest of older audiences.
Bonus features on G.I. Joe Renegades: The Complete First Season include commentaries and a look behind the scenes. The show will be available on 9/25 at your favorite online and offline retailers. You can also get it on Amazon for $36.99.
