I can't tell you how much fun this review was. Even more so because I missed out on G.I. Joe (my cartoon intake was restricted to Bugs Bunny and friends every weekday from 3:30 to 4 pm. My mom did not like anything else, particularly those new-fangled modern cartoons, so they were not watched.) But this review of this ep totally makes me want to watch it. And you had to mention Netflix has it streaming... LOL!
The weird thing about G.I. Joe (okay, there are many weird things) is that it's got really great characters. As I mention in my review, the female characters are especially great, and they're shown to be every bit as rugged and combat-ready as their male counterparts. And it has a wide assortment of fun villains, and the plots are always pretty much bonkers. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of dud episodes, and it often demonstrates a certain, ah, insensitivity to other cultures, but overall? It's oddly delightful.
Hee! "the plots are always pretty much bonkers" -- as a writer, this totally makes me want to watch this show even more. Just because. And the strong female characters is really as selling point. That is really cool.
Yeah, I'm willing to forgive a TV show for a lot as long as it treats its male and female characters equivalently. G.I. Joe managed to pull that off with a minimum of fuss, which is especially noteworthy in a cartoon from the eighties that would appear on the surface to be geared primarily toward boys (it seems very likely the creative staff went to some effort to make sure the show was also appealing to girl viewers. Small touches, like making sure to depict a healthy percentage of high-powered background characters like scientists, doctors and top military brass as women, really made a difference).
Also: Campy villains! So help me, I love campy villains.
I don't remember seeing this one but damn after your reading your funny review I'm going to have to track it down and watch it now.
Ahh the good ol' days of 80's cartoons, ammirite? ;)
Also, I distinctly remember the "Phantom Brigade" episode and how it stood out to me due to the plot and tragic story of the 3 ghosts. Definitely not your standard kiddie cartoon stuff.
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Also: Campy villains! So help me, I love campy villains.
Ahh the good ol' days of 80's cartoons, ammirite? ;)
Also, I distinctly remember the "Phantom Brigade" episode and how it stood out to me due to the plot and tragic story of the 3 ghosts. Definitely not your standard kiddie cartoon stuff.