As a life long fan of GI Joe, I’m always happy to see the franchise stick around, even if I’m nowhere near as actively interested in it as I used to be. Naturally, any re-imagining or new take on the 80s franchise that I’m used to has me both intrigued and nervous. With the previous Shout! DVD release of Renegades, the ratio of intrigue to anxiety quickly shifted for the better, and I thought it was a pretty darn good show. The DVD release left a lot to be desired though, but fortunately for fans the Blu-ray makes up for those shortcomings.
The first, even if quite obvious, part about this release that I like is that it’s the complete first season. None of this Season 1, Volume 1 stuff that forces consumers to either make multiple purchases or wait to see if a full season release is on the horizon. Simply put, the convenience and robustness of just having a single box, with a full season, trumps a partial or half season anyday. Secondly, this is a modern, animated show that is ongoing on the Hub network. It’s a series that can really benefit from an HD presentation, so expect a marked improvement in the image quality and impressive sound as well. Third, several extra features are included this time around although most are audio commentaries on certain episodes.
Taking a step back now to examine the show itself for those unfamiliar, the premise is still about a team of skilled US military versus a terrorist organization. The names of each side are still GI Joe and Cobra, although an additional twist with the Renegades is that they are on the run from Flint and other ‘Joes who are trying to capture them. The Renegades — including Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and Roadblock, and Tunnel Rat — are framed out the series outset by Cobra. Cobra is as evil as ever, especially the Commander. Using a massive international corporatation as their decoy, Cobra is up to all sorts of secretive military experiments and world-domination schemes.
Most episodes exhibit the Renegades dealing with both Cobra and some kind of local problem that they encounter. Maintaining both the constant story arc of being framed and on the run, along with the numerous smaller issues that occur, helps keep a good pace and freshness to the series. Additionally, the slow and steady introduction of more characters is one of my favorite parts of the series.
With the Blu-ray release, expect all episodes to look vibrant and crisp with little to no technical issues or disappointments at all. The DTS-MA audio does a stellar job of mixing dialogue, effects, and the soundtrack. As for extras, most are audio commentaries but they star numerous cast and crew. Audio commentaries are included for the following episodes: The Descent (Part 1 & 2), Return of the Arashikage (Parts 1 & 2), Busted, Castle Destro, Union of the Snake, and Revelations (Part 2). Finally, two features (eleven and four minutes respectively) are presented in HD. The first talks about the series from a variety of angles and plays out like a promo or making of feature — definitely interesting. The second is a tribute to Clement Sauve, an animator for the series.
GI Joe Rengades is a solid cartoon, and I’m happy to see it finally getting its due on Blu-ray; let’s get to the summary…