G.I. Joe: The Movie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids G.I. Joe: The Movie
North American VHS box art
Directed by	Don Jurwich
Produced by	Joe Bacal Tom Griffin
Written by	Buzz Dixon (uncredited) Ron Friedman
Starring	Don Johnson Burgess Meredith Sgt. Slaughter
Music by	Robert J. Walsh Jon Douglas
Cinematography	Masatoshi Fukui
Editing by	David Hankins
Studio	Hasbro Sunbow Productions Marvel Productions Toei Animation Co., Ltd.
Distributed by	Celebrity Home Entertainment
Release date(s)	April 20, 1987 (1987-04-20) (United States)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

G.I. Joe: The Movie (also known as Action Force: The Movie in the UK) is an animated action-adventure film from 1987. It's a spin-off from the popular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero TV show. The movie is based on the famous Hasbro toyline. It was made by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions, with animation done in Japan by Toei Animation Co., Ltd..

This movie was created when G.I. Joe was super popular in the 1980s. It was meant to be shown in movie theaters, just like The Transformers: The Movie. However, G.I. Joe: The Movie had some delays in making it. This meant the Transformers movie came out first. Because other animated movies like The Transformers: The Movie and My Little Pony: The Movie didn't do well in theaters, G.I. Joe: The Movie was released straight to video. It also aired on TV, first as a full movie, then as a five-part mini-series.

The Story of G.I. Joe: The Movie

The movie starts with a big argument between Cobra Commander and Serpentor. They are blaming each other for why their evil group, Cobra, keeps failing. Suddenly, a mysterious woman named Pythona sneaks into Cobra's base, the Terror Drome. She tells Serpentor that her secret civilization, Cobra-La, actually helped Doctor Mindbender create him! Pythona then convinces Serpentor to plan to steal G.I. Joe's newest weapon, the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (BET).

Cobra's Attack and New Recruits

Cobra attacks the Joes while they are testing the BET in the snowy Himalayas. The Joes use the BET to power their automatic weapons. Serpentor gets captured, and Cobra Commander tells his troops to retreat. Cobra Commander then leads his soldiers to the hidden world of Cobra-La.

While the Joes celebrate their win, a group of new recruits joins the team. These new heroes include Jinx, a ninja who seems clumsy, and Law, a military police officer, and his dog, Order. There's also Big Lob, a former basketball player, and Tunnel Rat, who handles bombs. Chuckles is an undercover officer, and Lt. Falcon is Duke's half-brother and a Green Beret.

Discovering Cobra-La's Secret

In Cobra-La, the Joe forces are caught and held captive. The Cobra soldiers meet Golobulus, the leader of Cobra-La. He has Pythona and his other strong henchman, Nemesis Enforcer, arrest Cobra Commander. Here, Cobra learns about Cobra-La's ancient history. Forty thousand years ago, Cobra-La was a powerful civilization that ruled Earth. But the Ice Age and the rise of humans with their new technology forced Cobra-La's survivors to hide in caves in the Himalayas.

Golobulus explains that he wants to destroy humanity so his people can take back Earth. He found a nobleman who was working on biological weapons. This nobleman later became Cobra Commander, tasked with conquering the world for Cobra-La. However, Cobra Commander kept failing. So, Golobulus used a special mind-control device on Doctor Mindbender to create Serpentor.

Falcon's Mistakes and Retraining

Meanwhile, Zarana tricks Falcon into helping Serpentor escape. Because Falcon left his training, Duke puts him on guard duty. But Falcon leaves his post again to flirt with Jinx. This allows the Dreadnoks and Nemesis Enforcer to free Serpentor. In the escape, Alpine, Bazooka, and Gung-Ho get hurt. General Hawk is very angry with Falcon and orders him to stay in his room until his military trial.

In Cobra-La, Cobra Commander is put on trial. Golobulus reveals his plan to launch special spore pods into space. These pods are filled with spores that can change humans into snake-like creatures. He plans to use the BET to make them hatch, which would doom humanity. Golobulus punishes Cobra Commander for his many failures by exposing him to the spores. Cobra Commander turns into a snake! He escapes and makes his way to the Joes' camp with Roadblock.

Duke convinces General Hawk not to punish Falcon too harshly. General Hawk sends Falcon to the "Slaughter House" to be retrained by Sgt. Slaughter and his special team called the "Renegades." This team includes Mercer, a former Viper soldier, Red Dog, a former football player, and Taurus, a former acrobat.

The Final Battle

On a mission to spy on the Terror Drome without weapons, Falcon and the Renegades learn about Cobra's plans. They also find out that the Baroness has discovered where the BET is. As Falcon and his team destroy the Terror Drome, Cobra attacks the Joes. The Joes fight back, but the BET is stolen. Serpentor tries to kill Falcon, but Duke jumps in the way and falls into a coma.

Falcon, the Renegades, and the new recruits head to the Himalayas to stop Cobra-La. The G.I. Joe team is led to Cobra-La's secret lair by Cobra Commander. The new recruits prove they are valuable soldiers as the Joes rescue their captured teammates. Falcon, Jinx, and Sgt. Slaughter confront Golobulus, Pythona, and Serpentor. Jinx and Slaughter defeat Pythona and Nemesis Enforcer. Finally, Falcon sends Serpentor out of Cobra-La. He then changes the BET to burn up the spore pods in space and destroys Cobra-La. After the battle, the team gets good news: Duke has woken up from his coma and is getting better!

Voice Actors

See Also

In Spanish: G.I. Joe: The Movie para niños