G.I. Joe - Valor Vs. Venom (2004)

Its not as good as the original GI Joe series

This version of Gi joe isnt as good as the original series by Sunbow, but it does have its good points. The battle scenes with Snake eyes and Storm Shadow are really spectacular and the storyline isnt too bad. I do prefer the old style cartoons rather than CGI. But all in all its well worth the purchase and to have in your GI joe collection July 26, 2008

Good for kids.

My boys like it, and unlike so many other movies out there, it is clean.

There is action, but not gory violence. As one of ny sons put it, "There's no blood and no real bullets -- everybody just shoots a bunch of lasers and then they karate fight." (That's fine, he likes karate fights.) Also, a lot of robots get blown up. July 23, 2008

CG animated (3.5/5)

this is a pretty good CG animated G.I. Joe adventure.it's funny and
action packed,with some great fight scenes.the voices fit the
characters very well.i liked the characters,both the villains and the
heroes.if you are used to seeing G.I.Joe in regular animation,the CG
may take some getting used to.for me,since i hadn't seen a lot of
G.I.Joe before,the CG didn't bother me at all.in some movies,CG doesn't
quite look right for some characters.but it works here.i didn't think
the story was all that special though.still,the movie was fairly fun
and fast paced.even if you're not a fan of G.I. Joe,you might still
like this movie.for me,GI. Joe:Valor vs.Venom is a 3.5/5 March 2, 2008

Same as Spy Troops- Not Perfect, But Still Fun

Valor vs. Venom follows the same format as Spy Troops, but with more characters and better animation. It seems their computer people got some practice in after Spy Troops. Much improvement on the computer animation. Watch the fights between the Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and the movements look more fluid than in the previous movie.

The same problems with story and characters, however, carried over into this next movie. The story, though it does the job, isn't really well developed and the character development is just as shakey. In fact, some of them aren't really developed at all. Which is a shame, considering they had a pretty nice cast of characters assembled, from old stand-bys (like Duke, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes) to relatively new additions (Kamakura and Dr. Link Talbot). It looks like they got so carried away adding characters they didn't leave themselves room to really go into each one.

The key, like the previous movie, is to just sit back and enjoy. If you're a die-hard GI Joe fan and want everything to be exactly perfect, you're setting yourself up for heartbreak. If you just want to see your favorite character with a modern-day facelift and some nice animation, you'll like it. Plus, even with the plot problems, the movie still has enough action and entertainment to keep things interesting. Plus, the extra features are fun to look at, including a cool music video (an even better one than Spy Troops), character profiles, and a behind-the-scenes look. Also, it apparently has a game, though I haven't really delved into it yet.

Overall, it has it's kinks, but still a decent movie if your willing to just relax and enjoy it. January 17, 2008

"I hear smoked snakes is tasty this time of year!"

The "Real American Heroes" collectively known as G.I. Joe have left the tried-and-true world of 2D animation behind them and boldly entered the perilous realm of CGI. The fun begins when Dr. Mindbender dispatches a gang of flying robotic spiders to the Washington zoo to collect a DNA sample from a foul-tempered grizzly bear. The following morning, after an embarrassing paintball defeat in New Jersey's Tall Tree Park, General Hawk is taken hostage by the Baroness and a somewhat ridiculous looking Destro. Afterwards, Hi-Tech tosses Duke the General's Gauntlet--a revolutionary new communication device worn on the wrist and forearm--and the President informs the acting G.I. Joe team leader of a series of mass kidnappings around the world. Being the brilliant military strategist that he is, Duke quickly figures out that these mysterious abductions, Hawk's disappearance, and the animal DNA collections by the metallic airborne arachnids are all connected. The true horror of Cobra's latest evil plan for total global domination is soon revealed as we catch up with bad ol' Cobra Commander at his bioresearch facility (codename: Viper Pit) in Antarctica. The mirror-faced Commander has obviously been watching a lot of Seinfeld reruns since we last saw him, as he has developed a fondness for the phrase, "Yada yada yada." With Hawk hooked up to a Brainwave Scanner and chastising himself for eating too many spicy burritos before bedtime, Dr. Mindbender and his not-so-loyal android assistant, Overkill, give the captured General a frightening demonstration of the gruesome power of Venom--a neon-green mist that can turn mild-mannered human civilians into beastly mutant warriors. Before you can say "YO JOE," Duke has rallied his troops--including Scarlett, Dusty, Gung-Ho, Wild Bill, Flint, Frostbite and Tunnel Rat...among others--and together they embark on a do-or-die mission to find and rescue General Hawk and, hopefully, thwart the maniacally silly Commander's fiendish plot to turn all of Earth's citizens into feral Venomized soldiers.

Although it certainly doesn't compare to the greatness of the classic 1980's series, `Valor verses Venom' is a surprisingly enjoyable new adventure with a generous helping of nostalgia thrown in to satisfy Sunbow fans. The plot is very reminiscent of the Serpentor saga, and several familiar characters are prominently featured--albeit with different voices. Some new characters are obviously based on old characters. Slice and Slash talk in unison, ala Tomax and Xamot, and Heavy Duty is probably related to Roadblock. The CGI work falls far short of Pixar standards--clothing looks heavy and overly textured, faces look like rubber, and all the females are kind of ugly with hair that resembles fat strands of yarn--but the vehicles and backgrounds look great and everything is very colorful and meticulously detailed. Ninja aficionados will be enthralled by duels between the legendary Snake Eyes and his perpetual nemesis, Storm Shadow...as well as the anime-esque subplot involving the golden-hooded Kamakura and his uncooperative mystic sword, the Tatsu Ashi (a.k.a. Dragon's Tooth). And exciting action scenes like the thrilling motorcycle chase over the rooftops of the Joes' Command Center and Kamakura's subsequent slow-motion attack on a Night Adder are sure to please. Plus, there's plenty of delightfully corny dialogue like: "Overkill's gone MAD!" "Well, at least he isn't boring."

The valorous/venomous disc comes equipped with an arsenal of interesting extras, such as: a `Making Of' featurette; drawing board to film comparison; a music video; and an in-depth guide to the wildly popular G.I. Joe trading card game. The back of the case lists a PG rating but I'd call this a G `cause there's no blood or bad language, just some good old fashioned red and blue laser beams. Order your copy ASAP. Yo Adrian...I mean, JOE!

"I will never leave you to fend for yourself. Trust me to stand behind you. I'm your glory unseen." October 29, 2007

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