Collecting the complete, twenty-episode series from 1991, G.I. Joe Series 2 is the version of the storyline that Hasbro unleashed twenty years ago. You’ll see the versions of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes (my favorite), as well as Duke, Cobra Commander, and General Hawk. Thanks to their nemesis organization, Cobra, the Joes have plenty of calls to action!
If somehow you never played with any of the action figures, never read the comic books or caught an episode on television, then the quick recap is this: the G.I. Joes stand as the force of good against the nearly constant onslaught of Cobra evil. Cobra wants to rule the world like Hydra (vs. Captain America) or SPECTRE (vs. James Bond), and their constant use of technology and plots show up in different ways.
Sure, there are some subplots where converts like Mercer cause the Joes to consider allegiances or where clones allow for some “which is which” kind of discussions. But overall, it’s basically good versus evil in black and white. Even when you might be inclined to think that Cobra has turned the corner… you shouldn’t be fooled. Cobra is bad and the Joes will rise up to stop them.
With a fair amount of humor and hijinks, this one is pretty tame entertainment for kids and old school adults. You can see the retrospective featurette thanks to the “Hasbro Toy Team,” but fans of the series will bring memories of their own. Again, if you’re looking for nebulous global evil versus absolute good and heroism, then you’ve come to the right place. Go, Joe!
