G.I. Joe Renegades Blu-ray Review

By Jason Nimer

Since I've been reviewing a lot more DVDs these days ' specifically television shows on DVD ' I've been wondering: Are these companies ever going to get TV releases right? No one wants to buy a smattering of random episodes on DVD (looking at you, Regular Show) and, I imagine, even fewer want their television seasons split into bite-sized pieces. Hell, I'm a huge and longtime Dragonball Z fan and I didn't purchase a single episode until they were finally released in season sets and, eventually, the incomparable Dragon Boxes. Despite it being my personal fave, it was almost a decade before I owned a single episode. Anyhow, I've come to the conclusion that DVD, as a format, will never get television right. Now, Blu-ray on the other hand, might be the answer to all DVD's problems. Case in point, the amazing first season of G.I. Joe Renegades, all in one place on Blu-ray. Go get this one, people; G.I. Joe fans and television completionists will be equally delighted with what this set has to offer.

Since I reviewed the incomplete DVD G.I. Joe Renegades: Volume One back in May (episodes 1-13, I believe), I'm not going to go too deep into the show itself; you can read my musings on the subject here. Instead, let's discuss what the wonderfully complete set bestows on those enlightened enough to give it a spin. The most important part is that it presents the show in one piece, and the already pretty good story is made much better by following it to the end. Well, as much of an 'end' as one could expect from a show's first season, not its entire run. With the extra episodes presented, the Cobra-as-a-pharmaceutical-company spin on the standard G.I. Joe material has time to grow into a full-fledged storyline, and both the good and bad guys are better for it. As much as Renegades surprised me with its quality, the first few episodes are the weakest; the more you watch, the better it gets. And Blu-ray looks to be the way to go if you want to see things get REALLY good.

Even if you are one of those who feel that the picture presented by Blu-ray isn't all that big of a leap from standard DVD, you'll be impressed by G.I. Joe: Renegades. Granted, not everyone will have the ability to play both the DVD and Blu-ray on the same television for comparison's sake, but the quality jump is big enough that most will notice anyway. The picture and sound is crystal clear, and despite the somewhat muted and boxy visuals, the show looks even better than you probably thought it could.

My only real complaint with this set is the almost complete lack of extra features. Blu-ray, to me, feels like a natural home for behind-the-scenes stuff and featurettes, but this three-disc set offers the episodes and little else. To be fair, I never really bother with that stuff anyway, but it is always nice to have the option.

G.I. Joe: Renegades is a must-own for any Joe fan. I've been as skeptical of series reboots as you are, but some of the most recent ones seem to be getting things right. Transformers Prime, Thundercats and Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have all been fan-pleasing and entertaining, and G.I. Joe: Renegades might actually top that list. And when you can get the whole story in one place, it's tough not to recommend this set. It should more than tide you over until the delayed live-action G.I. Joe film finally hits next spring.

Final Rating: