My thoughts on GI JOE

Rich wrote something I felt compelled to offer my own rebuttal, not that I think he's wrong. I simply think it's something you should go and see for yourself and offer some information that may be of help.
We all had characters like shipwreck and bazooka who influenced the color and tone of the GI JOE cartoon that made my afternoons when I was child a lot more bearable. The combination of humor, action adventure and mystery helped make me who I was. Yet, this portrayal is only one part of a larger equation. The Joe universe has been something so much more and I think the movie tries and does well to re imagine the franchise and bring to the next generation.
The cartoon and the comic of GI:Joe A REAL AMERICAN HERO was a product of the time. America, coming out of Vietnam and the election of Reagan, was finally able to recognize the military as something that was needed and not the inhuman monsters the were portrayed as in the media.
The writer of GI JOE, a talented man named Larry Hama used his own experience in the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1969 to 1971, during the Vietnam War, where he became a firearms and explosive ordinance expert in the writing and methodology of the comic.
The movie does it best to use some of the plot points of the comic as well as that of the cartoon to present a movie aimed at a broader audience then either. Does it succeed? Yes and no. Like some of ou has mentioned there is no Shipwreck, no Lady Jaye to which the fans of the cartoon would complain were major compents of the cartoons. While the proponents of the comic would point out that the orignial team was not Duke, RIP Cord, Heavy Duty, Scarllett, Breaker and Hawk as well as Cover Girl but Breaker, Clutch, Zap,Flash, Grunt, Rock n Roll, Steeler, Stalker and Snake Eyes. General Hawk wasn't even the CO, General Flagg was. Popular charecters from the cartoon like Shipwreck, Lady Jaye and Quick Kick were featured but not delved into as deep as others like Stalker, Doc and Clutch were highlighted.
Another complaint mentioned by some was that of a brain washing that occurred to the baroness. In re-watching both the cartoon and the comic. Both versions were never completely loyal to the good Commander. In the cartoon it was always apparent that the Baroness was only playing along with commander for the power it afforded her and her relationship with Destro. In the comics it was very much in the same vein however, the baroness and Destro as well as some other characters were brainwashed several times in order to keep them his. The commander in the Marvel.Devils Due/IDW world is a lot more smarter, deadlier and sinister then his cartoon counterpart.
In fact the Commander was the only issue I had with the plot. I like the tying in of the rex character and the back-story but felt that would have given to a secondary crony a lot better then to who the sotry was given. I felt the origin of the Commander in Hama's Joe fit the design and goals of Cobra a whoe lot better. Why would this commander want to take over the world? We can see why Destro does.
Another flow I had was with the commanders faceplate. Once you see it you'll see what I mean.
All in all I felt despite the flaws. It provided a good decent movie that could be presented to the whole family and enjoyed by all. We actually saw the millitary presented as a force to preserve jsutice and peace rather then burning or torching villages. It also gave some great action set pieces and presented a fun adventure.