I just saw G.I.Joe Spytroops....

[terry the lone wolf]

I really enjoyed the Joe CGI movie and most of the characters were identical to their 1980's counterparts. The Snake-Eyes/Stormshadow fights reminded me of those Joe silent stories from the comic books. The story was vintage Larry Hama. For those who weren't around in 1982, Larry Hama wrote the G.I.Joe comics and created most of the Joe Team mythology. He also helped create Joe characters for the toyline like the Dreadnocks. Eventhough, I could've done without the "punk" interpretation of Beach Head. In both the comics and cartoon, B.H. was a tough as nails drill sgt. that took no guff from anyone. Here they made him into a wise cracking jokester. Hopefully, CN will pick it up as a series.

Edited September 28, 2003 by terry the lone wolf

[Hurricane29]

ONe question, I don't remeber mcuh ofthe series, hell I was a really little kid. Was Cobra Commander all ways a whiny b!tch?

[Roy Focker]

I thought it was pure 60 minutes of toy commerial trash. Every character and vehicle was something that you could buy. In the old cartoon they would have characters and vehicles that were not avaliable for sale but were in the story because called for it. The locations were pretty lame, a Joe Base, Cobra Base & a desert. You don't need to add details like trees, cars, houses or building in a desert. Character designs and animation was modeled more after the new figures then humans. It look more like Toy Story. The story was there one? It was pretty simple. Mind you the old cartoon had some silly plots but there was also some hints of character development.

[Hikuro]

0_o It gave me a headache like you wouldn't believe, I just watched it cause Kenshin was on after that.

[BYG-DAMN]

Roy, I agree 100%. Duke reminded me of the commander from that toy movie, you know the one where figure come to life and attack those figures that look like creatures. Commandos something.... Well he looked just like the leader.

The whole thing was crap. The cartoon was better. Voice acting was pretty crappy. Most of the original voice actors are still alive, I mean that wasn't shipwreck man.

In the original cartoon cobra had tons of insane snake looking vehicles that never made it to toys. It was a big piece of crap. Bad CGI, I mean something didn't look right.

[Ladic]

I tought that Gi Joe CGI thing on cartoon network was total crap, with horrible animation.

[BoBe-Patt]

This movie was pretty cool in my opinion. I liked snake eyes alot in this one. He actually looked original with a little modifications. Storm shadow on the other hand I didn't like the way he looked much. Another thing about this movie is that looked to much like toy story and small soldiers put together. I can't believe that they turned beachead into a surfer dood. Anyway, I was watching this movie at a friend's party so I couldn't hear it much so did snake eyes talk in this movie? The reason I'm asking is at the end during the credits, they had somebody's name next to snake eyes. So I was like what?!?!? Either snake eyes spoke in the movie or he just made noises. Can anyone explain this?

[JsARCLIGHT]

I saw parts of it last night. It was tollerable. By far the quality of the animation was typical toy commercial budget stuff. I found it interesting that when I originally saw the toy commercials I thought the animation was so intertesting and detailed... but it was all in the editing, rapid cuts to make it look like it was more detailed than it really was. The animation was also all hand key, no mocap. That's what gave it that lanky jerky look, the characters where just snapping between poses.

[BoBe-Patt]

yeah, I agree. It felt like the movie was too quick. Everything was all fast paced. It was like they tried to cram everything in less than an hour. Is there a chance we'll be seeing a series for this?

[Captain of the SDF-1 Macross]

Roy, I agree 100%. Duke reminded me of the commander from that toy movie, you know the one where figure come to life and attack those figures that look like creatures. Commandos something.... Well he looked just like the leader.

The CGI movie you are talking about is "Small Soldiers", done by Dreamworks Studios.

[Captain of the SDF-1 Macross]

Voice acting was pretty crappy. Most of the original voice actors are still alive, I mean that wasn't Shipwreck man.

The reason why the original voice actors didn't return is the same reason why other 1980s voice actors didn't reprise their roles in today's remakes. All of them just gone greedy.

All of the current TV series that are sequels to 1980s animated shows (Transformers, MOTU, TMNT, etc.) today have none of the original VAs reprising their roles, according to the credits. As much as all of them wanted to play their characters again, they stated that they can only come back if the studios give them a huge salary. In addition, some of them are no longer struggling voice actors but now movie-quality level that only big studios can hire them.

When Beast Wars was in production, the producers wanted Frank Welker to reprise his role as Megatron but unable to get him in due to the high cost of hiring him.

Producers of Robots in Disguise and Armada also failed to get the original voice actors back but failed when they demand high salaries. This is proven in TF conventions when fans asked why they can't come back.

Mike Young Productions, who produced the 2002 version of Masters of the Universe, failed to get Allen Oppenhiemer to reprise his role as Skelator.

As an example, Frank Welker, who had done lots of VA work on 1970s and 1980s TV shows, have 385 roles in his resume and that only movie studios can hire him:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919798/

[CAG]

Snake Eyes didn't make a sound during the movie, I assumed that was just an in-joke.

What have they done to Beach-head? He was one of my favorite Joes, and I picked up his new figure because it looked pretty bad-ass, and they turn him into a surfer?

Overall, I liked it. I was expecting it to be pretty commercial since its being marketed with a 2 pack of 12inch action figures, so taking it for what it was, I thought it was pretty decent, and could get used to the animation style (though I thought Duke looked an awful lot like the hero from Small Soldiers too.....but then that movie was inspired from GI Joe figs, so its an endless circle....). Hopefully, if it is picked up as a series, the eps will have some more depth.

And that scene with Snake Eyes, Stormshadow, and the grenade pin was sweet.

[terry the lone wolf]

I thought it was pure 60 minutes of toy commerial trash. Every character and vehicle was something that you could buy. In the old cartoon they would have characters and vehicles that were not avaliable for sale but were in the story because called for it. The locations were pretty lame, a Joe Base, Cobra Base & a desert. You don't need to add details like trees, cars, houses or building in a desert. Character designs and animation was modeled more after the new figures then humans. It look more like Toy Story. The story was there one? It was pretty simple. Mind you the old cartoon had some silly plots but there was also some hints of character development.

Yes it was one big commercial but wasn't Transformers the Movie. Also all the G.I.Joe movie, mini series, and regular series. They always introduced the new toys in big events. Yes Hurricane 29, Cobra Commander was always a whiny bitch but that's his appeal.

[Mechafan]

The move was crappy. Yep Beachhead they totaly ruined. The animation was jerky. There was a series lack of Cobra vehicles. I only counted two in the movie. Normally Cobra has all kinds of suff. The Storm Shawdow and Snake Eyes fight scenes were the best part. I am glad I did not buy this one. The could have done a better job with Zartan.

[Anubis]

The CGI screamed low-budget. Tho whole thing was built as a 4PM slot kid show amd that's about it. Cobra Commander was annoying as hell, the original was whiny, this one was just annoying. I also thought it was kind of funny how Duke walked around with all those grenades and stuff. All the time. And yes, beachhead was ruined. At least they didn't make Snake Eyes talk. He was as silent as ever. That's it for me for this show.

[David Hingtgen]

Yep, it sucked. Specific complaints:

Beach Head. (Of course).

It *really* reminded me of small soldiers. Not for one sec did I think it was supposed to be "real", I constantly thought "r/c tank in a sandbox driven by a Wild Bill figure".

And since when was Wild Bill THAT good, in EVERY VEHICLE? He's a chopper pilot, period.

Animators have obviously never ever seen a helicopter, and certainly don't know how they fly. They had a jet that could hover (and it didn't even move like a Harrier, either).

Destro was like, huge with funky legs.

Am I the only one who got the impression that Cobra Commander was REALLY short? (and walked funny, even more than the others)

Flint was way ugly in close-ups.

The good:

Duke didn't suck. Baroness' voice (and outfit).

[Effect]

I have to say I liked. Thought its been a while since I've watched any type of Joe but watching made all of these memories come back. I honestly went into it not expecting much but enjoyed myself. The fight scenes between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were pretty nice. It appeared to be low budget but that didn't bother me to much. I don't remember much about Beachhead but Duke, Scarlet, and Shipwreak were my favorite Joes among a few others when I was young. I can't forget Snake Eyes. The voice actings was off that times and I didn't like the lack of vehicles or the dull landscapes but overall I liked it as I've said. A sereis would be nice or better yet another short movie like this.

[Roy Focker]

Yes it was one big commercial but wasn't Transformers the Movie. Also all the G.I.Joe movie, mini series, and regular series. They always introduced the new toys in big events.

There was a lot more that wasn't for sale in the older cartoons. You guys should see the Gijoe boards they have tons of fights between the 1980's psycho military pursuits and the Hasbro prison bitches. Some people are really praising it.

[BYG-DAMN]

I think a lot of those people suffer from the same syndrome as the transformer fans. The majority is so eger and desperate for new adventures or continuation of the characters that they will blindly accept a big steaming turd through their own ignorance. Its like going against the church on those boards.

A shame too, because this CGI thing was crap city. Too bad the good voice actors are so expensive, but I'm sure something could have been tried to entice them. I under stnad the money issue, but they could have gotten somebody that sounded like the original shipwreck more, like a sailor.

I bet the credit for snake-eye was the guy who's body movements they scanned in, it all looked like bad motion scans to me.

I'm hoping RHino releases the orignal episodes on DVD soon. Nothing like seeing airtight fly a giant hyperdermic needle into a glowing blob then killing it with apples for a 30 min TV show. Thats an adventure...in insanity.

[CAG]

Amen, BYG, amen. But that ep wasn't all bad- it featured the Crimson Guard!

I don't know if they're gonna release the old epps...they released a bunch on VHS. The movie and two mini-series are out on DVD....maybe they'll do the Dragonfire mini-series next?

[Roy Focker]

The Crimson Guard with the wrong helmet you mean.

[muswp1]

Does anyone know if it will be shown again?? I missed a lot of it due to family committments. What I saw was pretty decent, although I did miss about 40 minutes of it.

[myk]

yeah, I agree. It felt like the movie was too quick. Everything was all fast paced. It was like they tried to cram everything in less than an hour. Is there a chance we'll be seeing a series for this?

You tagged it....What we've got here is a classic example of the 60 minute commercial......

[Khyron]

One thing I noticed that was a nice homage to the origonal. Cobra Commander once again has Starscream's voice. Of course it is Armada Starscream but I thought it was a cool connection to the old show.

[Mr.Sci-Fi]

I like Gi joe but this was just horrid.

[Gaijin]

I'll still have to see it to know how good or bad it possibly could be.

[CoryHolmes]

Any ideas when/how this'll be released in Canada?

[JsARCLIGHT]

It's packaged as a DVD with the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow 12" doll set... do you guys get that toy in Canada? If you do it might be your only way to see it would be to buy that set. It's not like Blockbuster Video carries pack-in toy commercials for rent.

[Chuey]

Oh brother, when I saw this, I wanted an hour of my life back . For me, this made GI Joe. the Movie, seem like Masterpiece Theater. I will admit that it was nice to see a new GI Joe storyline in CGI, however story wise there were just too many problems. As many of you mentioned, it seemed one big commerical for their toys. There were a few nice touches like actually watching Stormshadow and Snake-eyes fight along with showing how Heavy-Duty is Roadblock's nephew. Personally, I wish this movie had the same feel of the Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles series. Descent CG and a nice ongoing plot. Sadly, I am sure Hasbro will never approach such complex character development for a children's television show and it would probably be considered to violent for their marketing tastes. If this proves successful, we may see more GI Joe stuff.