Hasbro’s third G.I. Joe ‘DVD Battles’ box set
The most anticipated item from this set is likely to be Quick-Kick, making his first appearance in the 25th Anniversary line. Thankfully, he was well worth the wait. Hasbro’s new treatment of the character gives fans an updated, highly-articulated figure that looks fantastic and is loads of fun. The most unique aspect of the figure is his left hand, sculpted for chopping Cobras and giving Dreadnoks a ridge-hand from time to time. I realize this stylized choice may make some fans upset as it hinders the figure from holding both weapons at once, but I really dig it. It makes Quick-Kick unique among the Joe line and he truly serves as an amazing addition to the team’s ranks.
Quick-Kick is the only new character you’ll get in this third DVD Battle Pack. The others are remixed versions of characters Hasbro has released time and time again. These new versions are all solid and while I didn’t get every previous release of these characters (and cannot make version-to-version comparisons) each of the figures included in this set offers something exciting that could make them your new go-to versions of these Joe icons.
Cobra Commander is perhaps the most re-released figure in the G.I. Joe library. For his 13th version, the slippery snake has some newly added features. First, he has a new head sculpt with a longer mask. Unfortunately the mask is not accurate to the cartoon as it should be a darker hue than the uniform. Other than that minor inaccuracy, this is a solid version of the Commander. His accessories include the standard laser and a neat little snake baton that is a cool addition for this line. Also, unlike the other versions I’ve seen in this uniform, this Cobra Commander features two open hands. This enables him to hold items in both hands instead of just one and giving him a “hand” over the previous releases… sorry, that was bad.
Running a close second place for “Most Re-released Character” is Snake Eyes. This latest release marks the character’s 10th version and serves as the second take on the character in his popular visor. Seeing as how I never found the first single-carded Snake Eyes in his visor, this one was a really cool new figure for me. It’s hard to say if the dark purple tone is accurate to the costume of the cartoon, but the figure still looks great regardless. We don’t get Timber with this Snake Eyes, but he does feature a killer sword and a standard Joe rifle, both of which can be hung from his belt and held well within the figure’s sculpted hands. As I was unable to get the first version of this style of Snake Eyes, I cannot speak to this latest version’s strengths in comparison. However, I can say that I really fell for this figure and was happy to make him my new favorite version of the character.
The third remixed figure in this set is Major Bludd. I do not have either of the other 25th Anniversary Major Bludd figures, so I do not know if this one is any better than the others. I know that his cartoon-inspired deco looks fantastic and the bright silver makes him boldly stand-out in the line. He’s very accurate to the cartoon and is a really cool figure, particularly due to his awesome rocket pistol with removable rockets. Having not purchased the other versions of this character (Bludd was never a favorite of mine), I was pleasantly surprised with this figure and the fun-factor of his accessories. His gun is essentially just a hilt but his backpack features three missiles that can be affixed to said hilt. This gives him a unique feature among the Joe line. It is possible that other versions have the same cool accessory but of the three, I personally like the deco on this one the best.
The extras components to this Battle Pack are also excellent. The M.A.S.S. piece is of the device’s treads. An imaginative fan can use it as a transport of some kind on its own, or just continue to put together the M.A.S.S. device in full. The Cobra Cube is out of scale completely and just kind of a neat bonus novelty. It isn’t a mind-blowing new accessory but something kind of cool that one can treat as a MacGuffin during play or a unique display piece. The “Pyramid of Darkness” DVD is loads of fun and a great example of why the 1980’s Subow series was so incredibly popular. Given the multiple story-lines, extensive cast of characters and constant action scenes, it’s no wonder kids ate up this cartoon universe and loved tuning in time and time again.
As with every DVD Battle Pack I’ve reviewed thus far, the “Pyramid of Darkness” set includes a great deal of content and value at the $19.99-$24.99 price point and it is well worth picking up!
Click here to see our full photo gallery of the Hasbro G.I. Joe F.A.N.G. & C.L.A.W. vehicle set!
You can read more of C.J.’s musings on film, toys and music over at stunksstage.com.