Figure it out: G.I Joe Classified Metal-Head
An exercise in self indulgence....
Welcome to an experimental piece here on the desk, I am trying to do some new things and also I wanted to see how a camera we had floating around the house worked, So, if you have any thoughts on this, be it you hate it or, you love it. Don’t be afraid to drop me a line in the comments, I don't know if I am gonna continue to do this here or not, I may not continue these on here, this is really cause I don’t wanna run to five below and get a tripod, next time maybe it’ll be on YouTube.
So, with that in mind let’s do something for the lot of you who never collect toys and or don’t know what G.I. Joe is. Well you might, see back in the old eighties, the figures were 3/4th sized little guys who could move arms legs and heads. For a growing boy in the late 80s and early 90s, this along with an ample (if not sometimes more) dosage of Transformers became part of the nutritious breakfast that was Hasbro toys. As the line died and came back, it was considered sacrilege to do anything other than that size because it was the past, therefore superior in many ways to today's stuff. (This is really depending on the fan, also fun fact the original GI Joe comic is STILL GOING! Still written by the same man who wrote the originals...and had a minor role in the TV show MASH.)
However, when the line went dormant again for a long period, the return around Covid times was the line we are reviewing today. The line is now upscaled to six inches, articulation, and other things. The only thing that has not worked (unless you count the two haslabs) are vehicles. Sure we got bikes, and a hovercraft and whatever Serpentor rolls around in. So it is a mainly figure focused line with some fun things added in that go vroom from time to time.
We are going to take a look at a character some may know and some may not: Metal-Head
The Stats
Bought: got it at a Target
Paid: I paid 30 bucks (Retail is 35 but took advantage of a promo and also I got a discount period)
TL:DR: A very solid figure, though the hoses get annoying and also the guns feel to bendy, but but the sculpt and paint takes this over the finish line for a solid entry into your collection.
So let’s get one more mini-rant out of the way, the packaging. I know, it’s not the most important thing. Okay, amend that, to some of you it is, but I have to be honest I liked the sealed up no plastic boxes. I liked the art, and also I kind of enjoyed the fact it was sealed, I never had to worry about people tampering with it cause while yes you can look at the things in the plastic. If I am gonna hold onto packaging, which I do for my classified figures, I wanna have something besides a hollow plastic shell to show off. This is not a deal breaker, however, if you get this guy, you will need to take time when taking the things out as some of the missiles are connected to the effects in the packaging and may damage them if you are unaware,
Once you get him out of the box and out of the plastic bondage he’s in you get a pretty interesting looking dude. I like the flank jacket and the mouth guard also points for the Destro logo on the outfit, he is an Iron Grenadier after all (for those not on the lore, Destro made his own faction cause he was sick of the commanders shit.) I like the assortment of heads he comes with.
we got everything from crazy person to a kind of bad ass helmet thing that gives me a sort of medieval/futuristic templar knight vibe which is neat. to the final classic mask thing.
So he looks good on his own, but it’s not until you load him up with his crazy gear that you get the full effect….
The man is a walking anti-tank/pissed off neighbor that you’ve been keeping awake for 2 days and had enough of your shit type of guy who will make sure you don’t walk away, and given proximity possibly himself also.
Articulation wise he’s pretty good, I did not encounter any stiffness or restrained movement with the gear on. I would say the only downside is his backpack can mess with some of his weight and poses may be affected unless you have a display stand to work with. The only other thing is I felt his guns were a bit too flexible and pulling them out I was worried about bending them. I know there are tricks to fix it, but hey less work to do and enjoy it the better.
For the price of the figure and what you get, honestly he is a pretty good steal, he has good articulation, definitely stands out among other cobra agents, and I love the grinning face of madness he has. This is a dude you probably don’t wanna meet on a battlefield with or without a tank.
The hoses I wish connected better to the units from the backpack but it isn’t exactly a annoyance as he’s in display mode and not played with. Just a nit pick. I don't know how fast he’ll move off shelves, but if you have Scrap-Iron, well you have a nice partner in chaos, get bomb squad firefly and you have a cobra demolition team on your hands. Yeah he comes off 90s but the modern updates to the outfit and the new helmet are enough to hook you.
