DVD Review: ShoutFactory’s G.I. Joe The Movie

First off I would like to thank Dana and ShoutFactory for their generous contribution of this DVD. Now secondly I would like to say as a kid despite not seeing any of the classic G.I. Joe series I had owned a highly used VHS of the classic 1987 animated film. This movie even to this day is one of my most highly regarded films of the ’80′s.

I first obtained the 2000 re-release of the film by Rhino in late 2009, glad to at least see it was on DVD. However since seeing the classic Transformers and G.I. Joe series re-released by ShoutFactory made me wish this would get a remastering as well.

In July of 2010 my prayers were answered in the form of the newly remastered version of G.I. Joe The Movie (1987). ShoutFactory’s version of the movie does feature much greater quality overall. The visuals, the audio, the menus and even the special features were something to be in awe of.

THE MENU:

The menu setup was in a much better format by far in comparison to the original DVD release. It makes use of some dynamic animations in similar fashion to their G.I. Joe Season Sets and the Transformers G1 Season Sets. The quality on that alone makes you gear up to watch the film. Another feature I like is the ability for the movie to be played in either full screen or wide screen. I personally am glad to see the wide screen as I have a wide screen tv and it looks much better not seeing the black outlines. See the image below for details on the classic menu and the new menu system.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Special Features are very similar in each edition of the film. However in the newer ShoutFactory version it also includes the ability to download the original movie script to your desktop computer. This key element I think adds more value in itself to the Special Features.

Now granted in the Special Features area, I do like Cobra Commander’s mug shot there, I do think ShoutFactory adds a nice touch as if accessing the Joes computer system.

AUDIO:

The audio was several steps up and a lot clearer than that of the older edition. I could hear more of the crisp background music, sound effects and vocals. I would much rather listen to this than I would the original. With that in mind I move on to the visuals.

VISUALS:

By the time I got to watching the film after first watching the original 2000 Rhino release, I noticed several differences in picture. Some of these were subtle and others were blatantly obvious. See the examples below:

Now look at B.E.T. (Broadcast Energy Transmitter) which granted is slightly higher in seconds on one of the scenes but regardless you get the idea. The colors on the one on the left (Rhino) are more cartoon-ish whereas the one on the right (Shout) have a more real tone to them. To further detail this I have some more side by sides with the actual same scenes.

Here we have an image of Serpentor from the first 10 minutes of the movie. Rhino has the colors more vibrant on the lighter colors. However their details to the darker images makes it so it is hard to see the details. ShoutFactory despite missing some of the brighter colors did manage to show more accurate skin tones. The colors on the darker objects such as the snakes on Serpentor’s shoulders are much brighter leaving me seeing actual detail in that area. Finally on to one final image comparison.

Here we have Roadblock with Cobra Commander only here he is holding Cobra’s battle mask. What I like about the image on the right are the accuracy to real life colors. Rhino did a good job but Roadblock looks reddish instead of the brown that is in Shout’s. Another thing is the mask. It has a red tint to it there as well whereas Shout again outdoes it with the chrome coloring. It makes in these instances a no brainer which copy I would rather have.

OVERVIEW:

All in all I like the version ShoutFactory has released and am glad to finally have a great quality of this movie. Although the menu could have used a little more imagery of the characters included, I still loved this re-release.  This is a film I will watch for years to come.

OVERALL SCORES:

• MENU: 4.0 out of 5
• AUDIO: 4.5 out of 5
• VISUAL: 4.5 out of 5
• SPECIAL FEATURES: 5 out of 5
• OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5

ToonCast – Episode 25 – Sunbow G.I. Joe

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In the 25th episode Kevin makes a triumphant return and there are tons of Geeks talking about a classic franchise Yo Joe! There will be a follow up later on for the DiC Series.

Geeks:
Mike “TFG1″ Blanchard

Steve “Megatron” Phillips

Kevin “Bosskdawg” Thompson

Michael “PecanCtMichael” Wilson

Subscribe to us using iTunes or use any other podcatching client by using:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GeekCastRadioTooncast

Download TC_EP25.mp3

G.I. Joe Season 1.1 Review

 

 

Reviewed By: Steve “Megatron” Phillips

Title: Shout! Factory DVD Boxsets

First up I would like to thank Dayna from Shout! Factory who so generously provided these DVD’s for review. The DVD’s to be covered are as follows: Transformers – More Than Meets the Eye, G.I. Joe The M.A.S.S. Device, and G.I. Joe Season 1.1

Now, the 1^st two DVD’s listed are already included within the 1^st Season Boxsets and Complete Series Boxsets. So I am not going in depth into those two as I will be doing TFG1 and G.I. Joe Season 1 Boxset reviews. This review will not only be in written form but in podcast form as well. Although the images included may not be the best quality, it is only due to my crappy Kodak camera not the boxsets themselves. The DVD covers are superbly done. I love the attention to detail in the characters which are presented in the front as well as the small screen shots on the back of the discs.

 

 

This first shot is of what was sent to us at GeekCastRadio.com prior to my opening them. The awesomeness of G.I. Joe Season 1.1 and the other two are Promo Prizes for our listeners provided by the great folks at Shout! Factory.

 

    

To start I will be starting with the Transformers Box Design. The Transformers disc contains very nice imaging. It shows very detailed art with Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream on the cover. The box is beautifully designed as is the image on the disc.

The Menu upon starting shows a grid with the faction symbols in a 3D environment and then turns into the Transformers logo which is also in a 3D environment. Very cool intro to the menu nonetheless. And then when the words appear to watch it will say “Play All” or “Episodes”. All while this is going on there is the original theme music in the background with various Autobot and Decepticon transformers running, shooting and transforming around the screen. Upon selecting the episodes it says “Autobots, Transform and Roll”. Another nice touch for all of us TF fans.

This Disc Includes the Following Episodes: More Than Meets the Eye, Parts 1-3 which is the 1^st three episodes of Season One as well as the BONUS episodes Transport to Oblivion and Roll For It. All of which are included on the Season One Boxset and the Matrix of Leadership Complete Series Boxset.

The image quality is much better than what I have seen either by TV, VHS tapes or YouTube. The imaging still seems a little grainy especially when viewed on a 42” HD Plasma TV. But still it is what it appeared like to start out with so it’s fine in my opinion. The original errors are still in place from the original productions. I can tell Shout! Factory has done quite a bit though in the restorations. The colors seem to be still bright but overly so.

The audio quality in itself is pretty crisp. It sounds like it could have been a modern show in how well the audio is placed. The original audio errors of the character voices are still in place but that is due to the voices being placed wrong. But the other errors such as the Rhino added sounds and some other various audio clips have been restored to the original broadcast and are pretty clear sounding.

The long and short of it is, in the last 25 years it couldn’t have been done much better.

NOTE: This item will be a giveaway provided by Shout! Factory in a future contest.

The G.I. Joe Season 1.1 is a special 4 Disc DVD set. In this set includes 22 episodes. The first fifteen are the three 5-Part Mini-Series of The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge of Cobra and The Pyramid of Darkness finishing it off with the last seven episodes. Also present with this season comes the booklet with show titles, writers, original broadcast date and a small episode synopsis. Other includes are 3  G.I. Joe related tattoos, one being the symbols of Cobra, G.I. Joe and the Arashikage ninja clan worn by Snake-Eyes and Stormshadow.

The box presents Cobra Commander and the main Joes on the cover. It has a cool split showcase of their respective factions. On the back it shows a red background with some show details and special features as well as a few shots from the show. On the interior sleeves it showcases similar image shots with some small descriptions.

Having not been able to watch G.I. Joe other than by this DVD or from cable TV years ago, it was a great watch.

The menu interface displays a computer screen in 3D with the buttons blinking. In the center of the screen it shows clips from the show. Also of note is that the background music is some found within the show itself. The menu displays Play All, Episodes, and Bonus Features as your options.

The image quality is similar to that of the Transformers in that it is the highest quality it can be for the age of the cartoon. It even still is a pretty decent toon. The colors are crisp, bright and colorful as well. I like that that it is also true to it’s original.

The audio quality like the Transformers Discs is just as good sounding. The original music and voicing is great. It was heard crystal clear as well.

More details on these such items will be done in the CobraCast Show which will be the reviews of each and every G.I. Joe episode. And a note this will only go up to the end of this series and not the future ones such as G.I. Joe Extreme. Unless in the future I decide to. G.I. Joe Resolute was partially covered in  GCR Episode 01 but may have a larger role in the series later on.

Bonus Features Include:

“Knowing is Half the Battle” PSAs

“Looking Back” with writer Ron Friedman

Archival Hasbro toy commercials

G.I. JOE’s original 1963 Toy Fair presentation

Printable script for “Jungle Trap”

 

 

Although this DVD is also included in the main Season 1.1 set, the box art is awesome on this one. I love the look of Cobra Commander and the attention to detail in this DVD short.

The rest of the details are pretty much the same.

NOTE: This item will be a giveaway provided by Shout! Factory in a future contest.