G.I. Joe Resolute

Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Year: 2009

Rated: TV-14

Film Length: 58 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 480p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)

Audio: English English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Release Date: November 3, 2009
 

The Movie

G.I. Joe: Resolute is a compilation of the series of continuing 5 minute webisodes that were released on the World Wide Web in early 2009. The episodes tell a continuing story, although each episode is designed to stand well on its own. The story was written by acclaimed comic book writer Warren Ellis (Planetary) and intended for a more mature audience than usually intended for G.I. Joe cartoons. The dull blades and inaccurate laser guns of the original cartoon have been replaced here with sharp swords, firearms with real bullets, and characters that actually die after being shot, stabbed, or obliterated.

Even though it is an animated cartoon, G.I. Joe: Resolute is more adult and sophisticated in many respects than the live action movie being released day and date with this DVD. That statement is not intended as a criticism of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but only to demonstrate the efforts made by this cartoon’s creators to produce a G.I. Joe cartoon for adults (and teens). The mortality of characters raises the emotional stakes and the viewer is more affected and involved in the story than if the characters are all invulnerable. Credit is due to Warren Ellis for writing an interesting and compelling story.

Video

The movie is in 480p in a 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. The animation is drawn with finer lines than traditional TV animation with the result that "jaggies" are prevalent on most of the diagonal lines, which is to be expected in standard definition. Some macro-blocking is also evident, particularly in solid colors. These limitations make one wonder how much better this movie would look in high definition. Other than these minor defects, however, the picture quality is of fine quality.

Audio
 

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks create an unusually immersive experience, especially compared to some of the limitations of the video quality. The sound mix is excellent with dialogue appropriately audible even when competing with gunfire, explosions, and the like.

Special Features

The special features include all of the following:

"Now You Know" Teaser Promo (1:59): This is a special animated action sequence involving Duke, Snake Eyes, and Heavy Duty that was designed to promote the web series.

Interviews with filmmakers (20:36): Several producers appear in a mock talk show interview format to discuss their ideas and inspirations in producing G.I. Joe: Resolute for a more sophisticated audience.

Storyboards: Storyboards appear 2 to each screen arranged vertically and may be navigated using your remote control.

JOE files: These are character dossiers of the soldiers that may be navigated using your remote control.

Trailers: There is one trailer each for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. These trailers for live action adaptations of Hasbro toys also appear automatically before the main menu after inserting your disc into its player.
 

Conclusion
 

G.I. Joe: Resolute is an interesting, and successful, experiment in providing a G.I. Joe cartoon with (seemingly) realistic consequences, particularly for the characters who become casualties in this story. The constant reminder that no character is safe from harm creates a animated story that is arguably more emotionally involving than the live action film, which may have had a lower mortality rate than this cartoon. The 80s cartoon series had extremely strict limitations imposed by the broadcast standards of that time (i.e. no deaths, no bullets fired out of guns). For fans of that series who have grown older and more sophisticated in the last 20 years, G.I. Joe: Resolute is a welcome update of this mythology.