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GI JOE Mass Device (1983)

GI JOE-Real American Hero


Voice Cast:

Michael Bell is Clutch, Duke, Major Bludd, Dr. Vandermeer
Jackson Beck is Announcer
Arthur Burghardt is Destro, Stalker
Peter "I AM 'OPTIMUS PRIME'" Cullen is Airborne, Ramar
Buster Jones is Cobra Officer, Doc, Zap
Chris "I AM STARSCREAM!!!!!" Latta is Breaker, Cobra Commander, Gung-Ho, Steeler


What the IMDB says:

Cobra has stolen a device ("The Mass Device") that can automatically transport anything, anywhere. Can the Joes stop Cobra and the Mass Device from destroying the world?


Plot:

Several skystrikers land right before Cobra attacks. Returning to the air, the Joes drive the fiendish reptile group away.

In Cobra’s secret base, Destro is getting chewed out by Cobra Commander. They plan to test the mass device which is powered by 3 elements.

General Flagg meets with Duke and Major Juanita Hooper, the penny pincher.

I see my double-chinectomy is in 5 minutes.
"I see my double-chinectomy is in 5 minutes."
The Joes are to insure that a new satellite is secure until it’s launched. Immediately, the Joes quickly break through the security and into the room with the satellite. Hooper places a homing device on the satellite.

Destro beams in an army of Cobra soldiers to seize the satellite. Hooper is actually the Baroness. The Joes are driven out of the room. Before Destro beams out, Duke is caught and beamed off with them, too.

In the Cobra base, Duke is quickly overpowered. The satellite is sent into orbit. Now they can use their mass device with the satellite without using homing devices. Cobra Commander has the Eiffel Tower beamed away.

Cobra Commander broadcasts on all the TV stations his demands. Surrender or else.

In the slave pits, Duke awakens. Everyone wears headbands and wander around aimlessly. Baroness explains the slaves are mindless but Duke will have to fight in the ARENA.

The Joes try to find Dr. Vandermeer who created the mass device. It is a trap by Cobra which the Joes manage to evade. They find Vandermeer. Only another mass device can counter Cobra’s one. However, it is powered by 3 extremely rare elements.

In the arena, Destro controls Duke and has him fight a giant.

By CROM, THUNDARR shall fall at my feet.
"By CROM, THUNDARR shall fall at my feet..."

Back at Joes base, Vandermeer explains the first element is a radio active crystal found only in the Arctic Circle.

Cobra Commander learns that the world has refused to surrender and the Joes are going after the elements.

In the slave pit, Selena, a slave girl, offers to help let Duke escape and show him how to block the headband controls.

Arctic Circle, snowmobile fu ensues. The Joes reach the mine first unaware of the Cobra robots.

The megalomaniacal Cobra Commander decides to show the power of the Cobra by teleporting a Soviet battalion. The scheme has the mass device running low on fuel. Cobra Commander heads back to the Arena.

At the Arctic mine, the Joes are fighting the giant Cobra robots.

Back at the Arena, Cobra Commander and Destro start arguing. Duke uses the time to jam his headband before escaping. Selena helps him but stays behind.

In the mine, Major Bludd detonates a charge that launches a radioactive cloud. Snake Eyes stays behind a blast-shield so the other Joes can escape.


No SPOCK, I mean Snake-Eyes, there has to be another way....

Duke escapes the base and steals a tank but manages to evade the Cobra troopers.

Doc take Duke to sickbay who magically escaped to the Joe Base.

The world leaders meet but are teleported to the Cobra base. Surrender or else.

Duke can’t remember where the Cobra base is.

Cobra Commander demands the world surrender or else. Destro is worried about running low on fuel for the mass device.

Back at the mine, Major Bludd send in a robot to retrieve the crystals. They’re surprised when Snake Eyes wanders out. Bludd is sure he’ll be dead from radiation poisoning in a few hours and lets him go.

The Joes are over the deepest trench in the ocean to retrieve the heavy water before Cobra.

Snake-Eyes frees a trapped wolf that starts following him. A polar bear attacks Snake-Eyes. The wolf comes to the rescue. A blind mountain man takes Snake-Eyes to the cabin.

Bludd returns to the Cobra base with the crystals.

The Joes get close to the heavy water when Cobra strikes. Ineffective laser shots ensue. Suddenly giant tube worms attack everyone.


Excuse us can you tell where the giant worm tentacles are auditioning for "Overfiend?"
The Joes and Cobra agree to destroy the worms and split the water. Worm massacre ensues. Shooting the worm tubes free which float towards the surface. Later the Baroness tries to renege on the deal but the Joes get away with the heavy water.

The mountain man has cured Snake-Eyes radiation poisoning and returns to him the crystal jar.

Back at the Joe base, several Joes decided to build a missile to destroy the targeting satellite. However, Cobra beams up troops to defend the satellite. Snake-Eyes return with the crystals. The canister suddenly starts emitting some gas. All the Joes collapse.

Timber is able to rouse Cover Girl who gets the canister away before it explodes. They plan to go after the final element which is in the ring of fire. The Joes are also ordered to surrender. Cobra Commander overhears the order.

However, the Joes anticipated their communications would be tapped and used this as a diversion to get enough time to retrieve the element.

In the volcano, the Joes start to lift the meteor up. Cobra shoot the meteor free and try to force the volcano to erupt.

At the Cobra base, Cobra Commander decides to destroy New York City and launches the mass beam at the city. Selena sees and pours water on the machine which shorts the mass device out and keeps the beam from hitting New York City.

Airfight over the volcano, the meteor is launched up. Cobra is able to catch it with a net from their giant heli-carrier. Several Joes land and board. Scarlet chases Destro who is retrieving some of the element. He captures Scarlet and uses her as a shield to get away.

In the plane, Scarlet shoots the controls out. She them tells Destro how to use her arrows to regain control. Reaching the Cobra base, Scarlet is imprisoned. Destro is so disgusted with Cobra Commander’s New York City attack he takes over Cobra.

In the cell, Selena fights with Scarlet until she realizes the girl knows Duke.

The Joes’ mass device is ready.

Destro announces the military leaders will surrender the countries. The Joes device is able to deflect the Cobra attack. Destro vows to execute the captured leaders.

Scarlet and Selena plan on freeing all the slaves.

Doc hypnotizes Duke and remembers where the Cobra base is.

The Joes beam in and scale the base’s walls. They easily take down the Cobra-bots.

Duke frees Scarlet and Selena.

Destro plans to use the mass device to destroy the center of the earth? The Joes are able to stop the device and catch Cobra Commander.

Retrieving everything, the Eiffel Tower is accidentally beamed to London. Out of elements for the mass device, the tow the tower back to Paris on a barge.


What I say:

The first few episodes of any syndicated cartoon of the 1980s had to be a some multi-parter that lasted an entire week like in Bionic Six, Inhumanoids, Jem and the Holograms, Spiral Zone, and Transformers. We get a quick introduction why giant robots were trapped under a volcano for millions of years or how anyone can get ahold of holographic technology to start their own 80s girl group.

After the GI Joe the Movie, you'd think I'd have learned my lesson. Well, I'm delving a bit deeper into the GI Joe cartoon now. Not the Serpentor epic, but the first one...Yes, the first 5 episodes which introduced too many kids of the 80s to ninjas and knowing is half the battle.

Normally, I don't look into the voice casts. However, this is the exception. Pretty much look at the IMDB page of any of the voice actors, and see the number of voices. Michael Bell is almost a walk down memory a voice of the 80s cartoons, or Chris Latta as the voice of Starscream and Cobra Commander. The voice of Optimus Prime also graces these episodes, too.

With this being the first episodes, they could get away with things before many of the parental councilling groups attacked and claimed cartoons must be educational and not as violent. These are the people who pitched a fit about the evil of the Transformers Movie that cartoons couldn't mention death or provide Judd Nelson with any voice work. Sure, it may have been more than 10 years before the birth of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim or the growth on anime beyond just being something whispered about its fabled existence.

Trying to explain with any semblance of coherency has to be thrown out the window when reviewing a cartoon about a serpent-based terrorist organization dedicated to global domination. That is hard enough to get by without the stealing of various rare elements to power a mass transporter which will let them teleport various world landmarks and hold them for ransom.

With some of the rumors about the live-action GI Joe movie after how the Transformers movie was such a huge hit, it may not be bad idea to dig up some of the 80s cartoons especially if the the Joes become some sort of international task force and no longer an American Hero.



3 NINJAS

Quotable Dialogue

"I'm gonna kick the mustard out of that crazy hot dog!!"
"I've agreed to nothing reptile brain!"
"I'm starting to identify with frozen food."
"If that's Moby Dick, I'm checking out."
"Giant tube worms?"
"You weren't broadcasting when Gung Ho took a play break."
"I demand you obey your commander in chief!"
"It looks like the Hotel Dracula."


Morals of the Story

All women are expert gymnasts.
Laser rifles sound like machine guns.
"Ruled Brittania" must be played when watching the Eiffel Tower.
Atari 2600 joysticks can enslave humans.
Ninjas can easily defeat 10 feet tall robots.
Hang gliders don't rely on wind currents.
Deer fear heavy artillery.
People glowing bright red is only a slight problem.
Polar bears are 20 feet tall.
Satellite missiles can be built in 3 hours.
Microchips must have serpent insignias imprinted on them.
Wolves loved to be carried by jet-pack riding ninjas.
Bazookas are close range weapons.


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