Film #081 - G.I. Joe - Spytroops: The Movie (2003)
Viewed March 22, 2006
G.I. Joe - Spytroops: The Movie was a free giveaway with the purchase of certain G.I. Joe 3 1/4″ action figures back in 2003. While I like the G.I. Joe line, I was never that big into it, so I didn’t get this at the time. However, late last year Toys ‘R’ Us cleared these DVDs out at something like $.50 each, so I picked it up. It was barely worth the price.
I’m not sure what I expected from something that is little more than an advertisement for a toy line, but Spytroops really didn’t come through in the entertainment department.
Spytroops was written by Larry Hama, a name that will mean little to most people, but that is revered in G.I. Joe circles. Hama wrote virtually every issue of Marvel Comics’ old G.I. Joe series and developed the characters much more than its contemporary cartoon counterpart. Yet somehow he fails to instill any kind of life into the characters here. Everyone seems to fall into one of two categories: hero or villain, with no subtlety or realistic interaction. Dialogue is sparse, yet characters often go off on tangents, providing plot exposition when none is necessary.
The animation in Spytroops is also a disappointment. When the G.I. Joe line was fully revived back in 2000, it was accompanied by a CGI trailer that seemed to bring the action figures truly to life. Yet this, a full-blown production, lacks the sophistication of that trailer. Character models move stiffly and unrealistically. Vehicular animation is somewhat better, but still lacks the impact that is required to make the action believable.
Voice work is okay, but none of the actors brings anything noteworthy to their roles. Even the juicy bad guy parts, where actors usually get a chance to really shine, seem taken out of Bad Guy Voiceovers for Dummies. I’d cut them a break, given the nature of the product, but I seem to remember better work in a G.I. Joe ‘Sgt. Savage’ video that came with action figures back in the 1990s.
Anyway, the price was not too bad on this, but I think fans of the figures or the old TV series deserve something better. There have been a few other of these kinds of G.I. Joe straight-to-video movies since then, so maybe there’s some improvement to be found. This one’s for the hardcore Joe fan only.