Step back in time and see ‘G.I. Joe: The Movie’

Above : A 35th-anniversary screening of “G.I. Joe: The Movie” will screen on Thursday and Saturday. (Photo/Fathom Events)

It’s going to be a slow week at the movies, what with only “Elvis” and “The Black Phone” listed among the new releases – both of which I wrote about on Tuesday .

But fans of G.I. Joe, not just the toy but the animated series and the subsequent movies, may find themselves being mildly entertained. Why? Because the movie is returning to theaters to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Yay.

Following the series “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero,” which ran from 1983 to 1986, “G.I. Joe: The Movie” was released in 1987. Directed by Don Jurwich, and featuring a gaggle of voice actors that includes Don Johnson and Burgess Meredith, the movie for various reasons (mostly relating to scheduling) for released straight to video.

Movie reviewer Jeffrey Lyles was complimentary. “A fun old-school cartoon movie done right,” he wrote, “and one that even today’s more sophisticated youth would enjoy just as much as an adult reveling in a wave of ’80s nostalgia.”

Steve Crum, writing for the Kansas City Kansan, was a bit more blunt. “Take this back to Wal-Mart for toy exchange,” he wrote.

The film will screen at 7 p.m. Thursday and 1 p.m. Saturday at both Regal Cinemas theaters at Northtown Mall and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone Stadium .

And then you can rate the film all on your own.