Unbelievable! And I thought you were weird!
  -- Sgt. Slaughter (to Sci Fi after walking into a science fiction convention)
Home Toy Commercial Animation G.I.Joe Armadillo, Mirage & Cobra Flight Pod (1985)

Bill Ratner, who provided the voice for Flint in the TV series and this animation sequence, orders Bazooka to take a briefcase back to headquarters. As Flint turns from the Rattler, the camera pulls back and blurs the background before focusing on the Tele-Viper in a headshot. The decision to blur the background while pulling the camera back is an interesting transition because it keeps the sequence's length of time brief and allows a connection between the two scenes. The technique also helps build the momentum of the animation. An error can be seen as the flames that appear in the close-up of Flint suddenly disappear when the camera pulls back to the Tele-Viper.
Similar to the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, a streak of red text scrolls across the Tele-Viper's eyes. Since the text on the Tele-Viper's goggles is also the last word from Flint's order, could this have been a subtle marketing gimmick since there was a G.I.Joe headquarters for sale?
Like any cartoon series, the forces of evil have always been overly-dramatic with their gestures and Cobra Commander is no exception. His gesture is similar to the pose of the Julius Ceasar statue at Prima Porta, however, Cobra Commader looks much more tense and desperate as seen by his very right straight arm.
The Cobra Flight Pod was a well-designed toy and its shaky appearance while launching is an injustice to the toy. The scene begins with a close-up of one Flight Pod taking off, but the camera lingers to catch sight of three more in the distance before sliding to the left. The center Flight Pod in the distance then falls close to the ground and the viewer before bouncing up into the sky.
Since Flint, who is flying a Dargonfly helicopter, and Bazooka, who is driving an Armadillo, are chased by three Flight Pods, the chase scene appears to be in full swing. Strangely, the G.I.Joe Dragonfly almost appears to be out of control because the blades are dangerously close to the ground. The lyrics of the backgound music remain simplistic and the songwriters were able to weave the name of one of the advertised toys into the song:
"Cobra's Flight Pods are on the attack
Look out, Joe! Cobra's fighting back!"

Jan 25: G.I.Joe Examined on Podcasts
Jan 25: Buzz Dixon Interview
Jan 25: Paulsen Annie Nomination & Dini on Batman Comic
Jan 12: Sgt. Slaughter Signing in Atlanta
Jan 11: G.I.Joe to Return on G4
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