View Full Version : REVIEW: GI Joe: Retaliation - GI Joe Trooper
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SysJgGxwavM/T-HWx-oS47I/AAAAAAAAM8Y/y1rSxJCOhMc/s1600/GI+Joe+Retaliation+GI+Joe+Trooper.JPG
Final Thoughts
The GI Joe Trooper is a real stand-out in the Retaliation line-up. Whereas other figures, such as the new Zartan, are great Retaliation figures, this strikes me as being the first figure in the single-carded range that ''regular'' Joe collectors will dig.
There are a couple of negatives - the knees (at least on my Trooper) seem weak, the backpack can put him off balance (especially as he comes without a base) and the orange shovel almost come off as Hasbro's We Like Bright Colors Department flipping you the bird - but overall this is a superb figure. I'm not always a fan of over-burdened figures but it's great to see that some actual thought went into this figure's accessories - and more specifically, what to do with them when he's not holding them in his hands, so for that I thank Hasbro.
This figure is also a great counter-argument to those who claim the Retaliation line is ''kiddified.'' This is a realistic-looking, well-designed, well-engineered and well-detailed figure that is in no way childish (well, aside from the fact that it's a toy...) that fans of the intricate, collectible action figure will totally dig, but that kids can also enjoy without worrying about losing too many pieces.
A superb figure that combines the fun of the Retaliation line with the Pursuit of Cobra-level of detail, design and excellence.
Final Score: A-
More images and full Review:
That Figures: REVIEW: GI Joe: Retaliation GI Joe Trooper (http://that-figures.blogspot.com/2012/06/review-gi-joe-retaliation-gi-joe.html)
fireflyguy
06-20-2012, 12:39 PM
I agree with your assessment! This is my favorite figure from the line so far, and will be until I get the 3 pack Firefly.
The things that keep this from being a solid win for me are the orange shovel, the discoloration of the lower legs vs. the upper legs, and the fact that the scarf isn't removable. Other than that, I think it's the best of the line so far.
I agree with your assessment! This is my favorite figure from the line so far, and will be until I get the 3 pack Firefly.
The things that keep this from being a solid win for me are the orange shovel, the discoloration of the lower legs vs. the upper legs, and the fact that the scarf isn't removable. Other than that, I think it's the best of the line so far.
Yeah, there are a few very minor points that just hamper its potential to be utterly awesome. A shame but still, it's a great figure.
Fast_Draw
06-20-2012, 01:02 PM
the discoloration of the lower legs vs. the upper legs
That and the soft knees really soured me on the figure. I had 5. I returned 2 to Target and am in the process of trading the other 3. I'll stick to the PoC/30th Steel Brigade (1st version) thank you.
That and the soft knees really soured me on the figure. I had 5. I returned 2 to Target and am in the process of trading the other 3. I'll stick to the PoC/30th Steel Brigade (1st version) thank you.
That's too bad, as personally - and this is probably Joe Heresy - I prefer this figure to the Steel Brigade soldier.
nighthawk
06-20-2012, 01:30 PM
I like this figure, but the knees are weak and I'm scared to move it around if he has all his gear on his backpack.
I like this figure, but the knees are weak and I'm scared to move it around if he has all his gear on his backpack.
Is it the weight of the pack or the contents you're worried about? I found the larger pistols were prone to dropping out of their holsters until I switched them around and then - bizarrely - they remained in place just fine. If it's the former though, yeah, it can take a little effort to balance him but I found a spare Joe stand and had no real issues once I'd positioned him on it.
great review...and a very slick offering from hasbro with this g.i. joe trooper imo .
Thanks. And yeah, I like it.
Good review as always Iok, and I dig the figure as well. I was taken back the head sculpt but it makes sense to me now.
This figure is a prime example of why I am excited that there is another GI Joe movie coming...without it, we would not be getting figures like these.
Thanks - glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah, I think the line has had a shaky start and Hasbro has made some mistakes but just when you think there's nothing to look forward to, you see a figure like this.
Raw Dog
06-20-2012, 03:14 PM
Sweet review Iok. I have several of that figure. I think it's awesome. I don't usually rock Joe troops like that but I couldn't resist this guy. He is the bomb.
geekacres
06-20-2012, 03:31 PM
Now if I could only FIND one of these guys in the wild. All of the online options nearly double the price once shipping comes into play.
Great review !
Sweet review Iok. I have several of that figure. I think it's awesome. I don't usually rock Joe troops like that but I couldn't resist this guy. He is the bomb.
Yeah, I'm not an Army Building guy at all but had I the spare cash - and I could find them - I'd be all over them.
Now if I could only FIND one of these guys in the wild. All of the online options nearly double the price once shipping comes into play.
Great review !
Ouch. Sorry to hear they're so tough to find. I have to admit I haven't looked for another since I managed to snag mine.
nighthawk
06-20-2012, 03:54 PM
Is it the weight of the pack or the contents you're worried about? I found the larger pistols were prone to dropping out of their holsters until I switched them around and then - bizarrely - they remained in place just fine. If it's the former though, yeah, it can take a little effort to balance him but I found a spare Joe stand and had no real issues once I'd positioned him on it.
Actually, just picking it up, sometimes parts fall off. I've almost lost the knife holder a few times already too.
Colt Blue
06-20-2012, 03:55 PM
Nice review. One of my favorites of this line, managed to get 2 of each color cape and it makes for a great ME update to OG Grunt I think.
Chief CWO
06-20-2012, 04:08 PM
I like the tan over the blue any day. I plan to get a few of these guys. Great review.
Actually, just picking it up, sometimes parts fall off. I've almost lost the knife holder a few times already too.
Aw, man, sorry to hear that. The only minor issue I had was with the larger pistols but - as I said - switching them from one holster to the other seemed to fix that.
Nice review. One of my favorites of this line, managed to get 2 of each color cape and it makes for a great ME update to OG Grunt I think.
I passed on the blue cloak. It just didn't look quite right to me.
I like the tan over the blue any day. I plan to get a few of these guys. Great review.
Thanks. Yeah, like I said, it's a figure I'd certainly be interested in acquiring more of.
rglass2
06-20-2012, 04:59 PM
Great review; I agree totally, the best figure so far...and I don't care if I'm a lone in this but that unmasked head is my Jack Bauer!
gruppenfuhrer88
06-20-2012, 05:09 PM
He cool man, nice review!
Owner of a Lonely B.A.T.
06-20-2012, 05:43 PM
I have to say this...overall the Retaliation line isn't very great...it may be SLIGHTLY better than ROC and hopefully some of the second wave stuff looks a little better, that being said heres my ROC trooper thoughts.
One of the better figures in wave 1 but at the very best I still don't find it to be that great.
I'll start with the figure itself...while not a bad mold it REEKS of biting off the popularity of Halo and Master Chief, which to a degree annoys me...its one thing to pay homage like they did with the Aliens rifles and the nod to Billy from Predator and even another to do a direct tie in like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, but this is the equal of ARAH having a line of Joes that were Young Mutated Sewar Lizards to have bitten into the popularity of TMNT line. Granted we got Ninja Force but it wasn't a direct bite.
Now I'm not saying I hate the figure, but something in that sorta annoys me.
Next the cape....totally un-needed...but better looking in tan than blue. But I still can't figure out the bright orange shovel.
I like the gear so much so I swapped out the knives vest to add to SE. Which looks great.
I have not warmed up to the alt head.
Over all for me...its an ok figure.
Great review; I agree totally, the best figure so far...and I don't care if I'm a lone in this but that unmasked head is my Jack Bauer!
Haha! I think the haircut is probably throwing me off but I can't see it myself.
He cool man, nice review!
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
I have to say this...overall the Retaliation line isn't very great...it may be SLIGHTLY better than ROC and hopefully some of the second wave stuff looks a little better, that being said heres my ROC trooper thoughts.
One of the better figures in wave 1 but at the very best I still don't find it to be that great.
I'll start with the figure itself...while not a bad mold it REEKS of biting off the popularity of Halo and Master Chief, which to a degree annoys me...its one thing to pay homage like they did with the Aliens rifles and the nod to Billy from Predator and even another to do a direct tie in like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, but this is the equal of ARAH having a line of Joes that were Young Mutated Sewar Lizards to have bitten into the popularity of TMNT line. Granted we got Ninja Force but it wasn't a direct bite.
Now I'm not saying I hate the figure, but something in that sorta annoys me.
Next the cape....totally un-needed...but better looking in tan than blue. But I still can't figure out the bright orange shovel.
I like the gear so much so I swapped out the knives vest to add to SE. Which looks great.
I have not warmed up to the alt head.
Over all for me...its an ok figure.
What's interesting is I was looking at the 30th Anniversary Steel Brigade Trooper and you can see a link between the two. It is a bit Halo (as I mentioned in the Review) but it's also got shades of (again, as I said) a motocross helmet.
And personally I dig the cloak. It's an unusual piece, sure, but I guess he's supposed to be equipped for all environments and maybe in the movie it's an extreme environment cloak. Or an Elven cloak and they use them to hide from Southrons.
Troops of Doom
06-20-2012, 06:29 PM
The weird thing about the shovel is that it's molded in the same gray as the other accessories. They went out of their way to paint it another color that doesn't work with the figure's pallet. So much for cost cutting.
Great figure though, the highlight of Retaliation.
The weird thing about the shovel is that it's molded in the same gray as the other accessories. They went out of their way to paint it another color that doesn't work with the figure's pallet. So much for cost cutting.
Great figure though, the highlight of Retaliation.
Exactly. It's like I said in the Review, I think they've a few dozen cans of day-glo orange paint they need to use up...
Sgt Major Haley
06-20-2012, 10:26 PM
It comes with a wallet that says "bad a$$ mutha f@*#er" on it.
rglass2
06-20-2012, 10:28 PM
True; best accessory ever btw
NCR_Ranger92
06-20-2012, 10:45 PM
It is an awesome figure. I dont think its as good as the steel brigade which was a fantastic figure. But this one is actualy worth the buy unlike the craptacular retaliation cobra trooper.
Although, am I the only one thinking the figure's head is a little to big or is just me?
CrimsonGuard101
06-20-2012, 10:47 PM
I give the tan cloak one an A- but the blue one gets a D-...i find it has way more issues with the green plastic on his legs then the brown cloak ones I got.
It is an awesome figure. I dont think its as good as the steel brigade which was a fantastic figure. But this one is actualy worth the buy unlike the craptacular retaliation cobra trooper.
Although, am I the only one thinking the figure's head is a little to big or is just me?
Cobra trooper is an underatted figure...hes really cool...I ended up liking him bunches and got 12 of em. Gotta use the dojo 3pak webgear or some other type of webgear cause th eblue looks kinda over bearing, once that sdone they are awesome shock troopers/riot control officers.
It comes with a wallet that says "bad a$$ mutha f@*#er" on it.
Haha!
It is an awesome figure. I dont think its as good as the steel brigade which was a fantastic figure. But this one is actualy worth the buy unlike the craptacular retaliation cobra trooper.
Although, am I the only one thinking the figure's head is a little to big or is just me?
I just can't get past the Steel Brigade soldier's pale blue shirt. It looks like something the girls used to wear at my junior school as part of their uniform...
I give the tan cloak one an A- but the blue one gets a D-...i find it has way more issues with the green plastic on his legs then the brown cloak ones I got.
Cobra trooper is an underatted figure...hes really cool...I ended up liking him bunches and got 12 of em. Gotta use the dojo 3pak webgear or some other type of webgear cause th eblue looks kinda over bearing, once that sdone they are awesome shock troopers/riot control officers.
That seems to be a running theme with the Retaliation figures - out of the box they're OK but switch some gear around and they become good.
sgt.bludhound
06-21-2012, 12:43 PM
I own both blue and tan versions of this figure. And yes the knees are weak on this figure.. But overall he's a great addition to the collection! He does have ankle rockers which help him stand pretty good too. Compared to the steel brigade of course the SB figure is way better in design and durability but the retaliation troop again is a great addition for your joe army! Get him!
KP Viper
06-21-2012, 01:47 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the likeness of the head looked like Robert Patrick.
MJjoe4life
06-21-2012, 02:19 PM
Thanks for the review!! This figures is one of my favorite from the movie line. I hope to be able to get a few of each color.
Coil Member
06-21-2012, 02:29 PM
That's too bad, as personally - and this is probably Joe Heresy - I prefer this figure to the Steel Brigade soldier.
I agree, in fact this figure has become one of my favorites. He poses well, is generic enough for a lot of uses, and has really cool accessories. Oddly enough, I prefer the blue over the tan.
Don't get me wrong. POC Steel Brigade is also amazing and definitely constructed better, but I like the Retaliation Trooper colors more.
laurenluna1977
06-21-2012, 02:46 PM
I wish they had used a darker green, and maybe put on some camo, to break up the rather monochromatic paint scheme. I would have also liked a more visible combat boot look for the lower legs [to me he is giving of a skater/grunge vibe with how he wears his pants].
Omega 8
06-21-2012, 02:59 PM
I was bitterly disappointed with this figure....
Rubbery legs, and bad weapons being the driving forces.
That said, I do have 2 and still like them, just not as much as I thought I would.
Omega 8
06-21-2012, 03:07 PM
Good review as always Iok, and I dig the figure as well. I was taken back the head sculpt but it makes sense to me now.
This figure is a prime example of why I am excited that there is another GI Joe movie coming...without it, we would not be getting figures like these.
Much of this 1st wave was created for some other "line"... they were repurposed for Retaliation to get movie figs out in conjuntion with the pushed up release date.
It's likely this fig was intended to be some other character, and would have been released either way.
I wish they had used a darker green, and maybe put on some camo, to break up the rather monochromatic paint scheme. I would have also liked a more visible combat boot look for the lower legs [to me he is giving of a skater/grunge vibe with how he wears his pants].
Yeah, the green is just slightly too GREEN but it's not as bad as it could've been. And as for the pant leg fold, I like it - it's nice to see a Joe not wearing lace-up boots.
I was bitterly disappointed with this figure....
Rubbery legs, and bad weapons being the driving forces.
That said, I do have 2 and still like them, just not as much as I thought I would.
The knee joints do seem to be a common problem (I wasn't sure if I was just unlucky) but it's not that big a deal for me, personally, as I found a few poses I liked that also worked with the figure. And the weapons seem fine to me... /shrug.
I own both blue and tan versions of this figure. And yes the knees are weak on this figure.. But overall he's a great addition to the collection! He does have ankle rockers which help him stand pretty good too. Compared to the steel brigade of course the SB figure is way better in design and durability but the retaliation troop again is a great addition for your joe army! Get him!
What he said. Except the bit about the SB figure being better. :)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the likeness of the head looked like Robert Patrick.
Yeah, it'd be ideal for anybody wanting to do a Terminator 2 custom.
Thanks for the review!! This figures is one of my favorite from the movie line. I hope to be able to get a few of each color.
Glad you enjoyed it. I've only purchased two of the single carded figures - the other being Zartan - but I've thought both were very cool.
I agree, in fact this figure has become one of my favorites. He poses well, is generic enough for a lot of uses, and has really cool accessories. Oddly enough, I prefer the blue over the tan.
Don't get me wrong. POC Steel Brigade is also amazing and definitely constructed better, but I like the Retaliation Trooper colors more.
I just thought the blue shade came off as being very plastic-y. I wonder how well it matches the blue Cobra figures... It could make for a neat accessory for one of them.
yea its a cool figure and good for army building a more future army soldier or special forces unit.
Stnick8541
06-22-2012, 01:19 AM
Very good review. How cool would it be if Hasbro re-released this fig when the movie comes out and added a bonus head sculpt pack with several different non-character heads as a troop builder idea along with new packs and weapons. Sure you could have them all look the same with their helmets but a whole joe team or squad of different troopers with different head sculps would be damn cool.
johnturner
06-22-2012, 02:33 AM
What's interesting is I was looking at the 30th Anniversary Steel Brigade Trooper and you can see a link between the two. It is a bit Halo (as I mentioned in the Review) but it's also got shades of (again, as I said) a motocross helmet.
And personally I dig the cloak. It's an unusual piece, sure, but I guess he's supposed to be equipped for all environments and maybe in the movie it's an extreme environment cloak. Or an Elven cloak and they use them to hide from Southrons.
I've actually swapped my SB head with the Joe Trooper mowhawk head and I think they both look good, if not better. The SB/Beachhead head on the Joe Trooper body looks good with or with out the SB helmet. I don't do any customs but I thought it was a cool easy swap. I also think the "halo"ish head looks better on JT than mowhawk head.
johnturner
06-22-2012, 09:00 AM
Also, the backpack peg was too long so I had to cut it down a little.
Stnick8541
06-22-2012, 11:31 AM
Good ideas. There are a lot of options for head swaps but a pack of like six diffent new head sculps would be great for an assortment of joe troopers. Pipe dream I know.
yea its a cool figure and good for army building a more future army soldier or special forces unit.
Indeed. Let's hope Hasbro doesn't short-pack him. :)
Very good review. How cool would it be if Hasbro re-released this fig when the movie comes out and added a bonus head sculpt pack with several different non-character heads as a troop builder idea along with new packs and weapons. Sure you could have them all look the same with their helmets but a whole joe team or squad of different troopers with different head sculps would be damn cool.
That would be very cool indeed.
I've actually swapped my SB head with the Joe Trooper mowhawk head and I think they both look good, if not better. The SB/Beachhead head on the Joe Trooper body looks good with or with out the SB helmet. I don't do any customs but I thought it was a cool easy swap. I also think the "halo"ish head looks better on JT than mowhawk head.
Cool idea!
Sithcobra
06-23-2012, 12:28 PM
Much of this 1st wave was created for some other "line"... they were repurposed for Retaliation to get movie figs out in conjuntion with the pushed up release date.
It's likely this fig was intended to be some other character, and would have been released either way.
yeah its a remake of a slideshow fig
Sithcobra
06-23-2012, 12:35 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the likeness of the head looked like Robert Patrick.
who did he play ??
Lifeline 71
06-23-2012, 05:25 PM
Robert Patrick played the shape-shifting T-1000 in "Terminator 2" and Col. Ryan on "The Unit".
rglass2
06-23-2012, 05:27 PM
Robert Patrick played the shape-shifting T-1000 in "Terminator 2" and Col. Ryan on "The Unit".
Yeah I can kinda see that as well
Lifeline 71
06-28-2012, 01:50 AM
Thanks! I'm a bit of a movie buff. I do see the resemblance, but I need to take another look at mine to be sure.
vermillion21
08-13-2012, 10:17 AM
Awesome fig. Wish I could find more ...
Steel Brigade
08-20-2012, 11:48 AM
That's too bad, as personally - and this is probably Joe Heresy - I prefer this figure to the Steel Brigade soldier.
TAKE IT BACK!! lol!!
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2013, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
SEO by
vBSEO