This past weekend, I covered the G.I.Joe: The Ride Of Cobra toy launch. It was big enough event to make a buzz and got people interested in the upcoming movie that's due this August. Coming out as a success, more kids were introduced to the line, and various collectors got a chance at grabbing toys, new and old, at the show floor. No doubt, it was all about the joes (and Cobra) that day - nothing more, nothing less. As such, I couldn't just leave the place empty-handed, so I went the extra mile and scored me some movie figs!
Yep, what you see before you is what I consider the best among the movie figs I saw in display. Feel free to speculate who's who, but while I'd like to review every single figure in detail, I'll only be able to spotlight one character today, and no duh, it's going to be G.I.Joe's badass commando himself - SNAKE EYES! As you can see from the photos, he has two figures of himself for the TROC line - one based on his regular look and another (SPOILER WARNING) an entirely new figure called "Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes". I'll be reviewing the latter for this post, so read on and find out why I think it's the most awesome toy among the bunch... SERIOUSLY.
Ok, I'm sure I don't need to give a long history lesson about Snake Eyes. With Wikipedia these days, you can look him up and get the dirt on him there, so I'll keep things short and sweet - Silent Ninja Commando member of the G.I.Joe Team, uses various forms of martial arts and has mastered using almost every conceivable weapon known to man. His past is shrouded in mystery, and his personal file remains listed as CLASSIFIED. Everything about the guy registers him as a living, breathing Lethal Weapon, so you don't have to use your imagination that much to figure out how awesome this guy is. That pretty much sums up his background. Now on to the toy review.
The first thing you'll notice is the completely restyled packaging. Naturally, it's for the movie line, so it's much, much different from the traditional G.I.Joe clam shells many fans have gotten used to seeing since it first appeared in the 80's. The figure stands at 3.75" tall - the standard joe figure size, so it'll go together with your other toys of the same height. I gotta say, it's an impressive way to package the movie toys, and it's more of a space saver now if you keep 'em sealed and store them. Packaging is uniform for all the figures here unlike the ones from the 25th anniversary line, where certain characters have their clam shells extended thanks to extra items taking up more space. It's a safe bet these movie toys will be opened though, so feel free to dispose the cards... EXCEPT the profile I.D in the back, which you can cut out and keep for your collection.
Now for the figure itself - it's a neat looking sculpt of Snake Eyes. Detail is down to a tee, and there's hardly any sloppy paint jobs noticeable. He sports a trenchcoat jacket that matches his black uniform, and he still retains the infamous visor that makes him so recognizable to joe fans everywhere. Accessory wise, SE comes with a knife, handgun, a sniper rifle, and a hand-forged steel heirloom katana sword with sheath. A stand to display the figure on is included, but it also doubles as a dogtag that you can wear around your neck if you so choose. I also forgot to mention that his loyal pet wolf Timber is also packed along as well, but that makes me wonder whether the pet is an extra or will appear in the movie... we'll just have to wait and see when the film pops up in a few weeks.
Once the figure is loose, it's hard to pry your hands away from this toy. There's so many ways you can pose Snake Eyes that it'll keep you preoccupied for the next few hours. His weapons fit nicely in the hands, and there are several spots around his body that you place his weapons in to keep when not in use. His sword and sheath can be pegged to a hole in his back, while his knife fits nicely in the belt area next to his right hip. Unfortunately, there's nowhere to place the rifle, so it's best kept in use at all times... unless you store it somewhere like a plastic bag or toolbox. As for Timber, he needs no stand of his own, and he can be positioned right next to his master for a great photo moment.
Overall, whether you're a newbie or not, Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes is a great pick for your Joe collection. You can't go wrong with a guy who uses both guns and swords at the same time. Plus, he looks bad-ass and cool, so there's a plus factor in getting this figure. I have to hand it to Hasbro, they sure know how to get the ball rolling when it comes to their merchandise. It's a great addition to the many versions of Snake Eyes that have come over the years, and I think it'll stick around as one of the tops for quite some time. As one of the most sought after figures of the series, try and keep your eyes peeled for this, it's a keeper.
Paint - 5/5
Packaging - 5/5
Articulation - 5/5
Fun Factor - 5/5
Score - 5/5
