G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
By Will Wade,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Popular 1980s cartoon fun, but glorifies battle, toys.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
First of all, G.I. Joe isn't an individual; the name refers to an elite squad of highly trained commandos -- the best of the best. Their mission: to preserve freedom and protect democracy from the nefarious Cobra organization, which is bent on world domination. The classic 1980s animated series G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO follows the adventures of the Joes, including team leader Duke (voiced by Michael Bell), weapons expert Scarlett (B.J. Ward), and machine gunner Roadblock (Kene Holliday), as they take on the wily Cobra Commander (Chris Latta). The villain will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and only the G.I. Joe team can stop him.
Is It Any Good?
The series' plot line is pretty straightforward. Cobra attacks, the Joes defend, then the Joes attack, and Cobra defends. Combat sequences make up the vast majority of each episode, and the only real variation comes in the locations of the fights and the types of weapons they use -- a truly amazing variety of blasters, jet fighters, machine guns, tanks, battle robots, and other high-tech death-dealing devices. The stories have enough variation that the fights can jump from Cobra's secret base, to the Arctic, to the bottom of the ocean, and then into the heart of the G.I. Joe compound.
The show isn't very complex, but the nonstop explosions are exciting -- which means it will still have plenty of appeal for young viewers who've been raised with quick-cut action movies, super-slo-mo martial arts brawls, and other action-packed films and TV shows. Just don't be surprised if they start clamoring for the tie-in toys, too. ...
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fighting. Is violence the only way to settle a dispute? What can you do when someone refuses to negotiate? Is it OK to fight back when attacked? What about a pre-emptive strike to head off a planned attack?
This series is based on the classic G.I Joe toys; what do you think its main goal/purpose is? Is there a significant difference between creating a TV series based on a line of pre-existing toys and developing new toys and other tie-ins based on a hit show or movie? Does one seem more commercial than the other?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 12, 1983
- Cast: B.J. Ward, Chris Latta, Michael Bell
- Networks: Syndicated, Discovery Family Channel
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Adventures
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: September 25, 2022
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