Friday, November 17, 2023

Action Figure Review: Flint (Tiger Force) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro)

 



   It's time to check out another Target exclusive figure released within the last few months and it's one I've really been looking forward to: Tiger Force Flint! I've said many times that I was just starting to get into action figures around 1986 or so and thus I missed out on Flint at retail. Tiger Force Flint was my Flint as a kid (though I did have the shampoo bottle Flint). I loved Tiger Force and I'm really excited that Hasbro is continuing to grow the subset. While Tiger Force Flint is a repaint of the 2021 Flint figure, Hasbro did give him a few accessories and a new sheathe borrowed from Tiger Force Recondo. My biggest complaint with the previous Flint (who is one of my favorite Classified figures still) was that he needed a rifle and a knife. Lo and behold, that's what we get there. Ready to head off into the action figure reviewing jungle with Tiger Force Flint? Then join me after the break...







The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, mid-torso hinge, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Shotgun, pistol, holster, beret, rifle, magazine, sheathe and kukri.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars






Comparison:



* Tiger Force Flint is on the left while the original Flint is on the right. Other than the paint work and the few new accessories, these are the same figure. I love the brown Tiger Force shirt, though. 

The Positives:



* Flint has usually had a more traditional military look to him (other than when he was part of ECO Force) and that's captured nicely here. Even with some brighter colors like the brown, tiger-striped shirt and lighter green belts and web gear, he still seems outfitted to stay hidden in the jungle. The web gear and body armor are all one piece that sit over the torso. His belts are a separate piece, too. He's loaded with extra shotgun shells and he's carrying a Joe-Pro on his left shoulder.



* This time around Hasbro added some camouflage face paint to Flint. He has a stripe on his forehead, a stripe on his left cheek, but most noticeable he has a stripe across his eyes. It's kind of cool. I didn't like it when I first saw it in promo shots but in hand I'm a fan. It's very dramatic looking. 




* Flint's raspberry removable beret has been redone and it's now sporting the Tiger Force logo. It still fits on his head perfectly. 


* Like the rest of the Classified Series Flint has 
incredible articulation. There's some seriously well designed articulation that allows for a great range of motion everywhere on this guy. The Classified Series truly makes the classic Joes, the ARAH Joes, and the modern 1/18th scale Joes proud. These are fun, durable figures that are a joy to mess around with.


* Flint has been given a rifle this time around. It's the same as Recondo's rifle and resembles the M-14 EBR, though a stripped down version without lots of added kit. There are cloth strips wrapped around the rifle in a few places, though I'm not really sure what purpose they'd serve other than comfort. They don't exactly camouflage or break up the shape of the rifle. Still cool looking, though. It's nice that Flint has a weapon with a bit more range now.




* Flint's rifle also has a removable magazine and a hollow barrel, so you can place a firing effect inside.









* Flint once again comes with a very cool and compact pump action shotgun. The design is great and the forearm now gets a green paint hit to match the rest of his gear. The extra shells along the back also have their brass parts painted. It's an incredibly nice looking weapon.






* So... Flint's shotgun is a pump action shotgun that also has a break action. That's kind of odd and impractical. Still, the function works and you can expose the breech. Now why would Flint have a weapon that's both a pump action and break action shotgun? I'm still going with the idea that while he probably keeps standard shotgun shells loaded in the magazine, the break action feature allows him to quickly pop in specialty shells, perhaps something like a dragon's breath shell or an EMP shell, when the need arises. 





* There's a holster for Flint's shotgun permanently attached to the web gear on his lower back which his shotgun can conveniently slide into. It stays in their securely and looks petty cool.



* Flint's pistol is the same model that came with earlier figures like Duke and Beach Head. Here it's molded in plain black plastic. It's still a fine sidearm. 




*  The pistol easily fits into the removable holster on Flint's right thigh. It looks great and gives him easy access to his backup weapon.




* As part of Tiger Force, Flint needs a blade. He's now been packaged with Recondo's kukri. I love how it's so sleek with a modern handle; It just seems like it'd be excellent for both cutting through the jungle and for cutting through Cobra troops when things get close and personal. 




*  Flint comes with Recondo's sheathe for the kukri, too. It fits nicely inside and there plenty of pouches and pockets for gear. 

   This version of Flint takes everything I love about the first release, gives him some additional weaponry, and adds some nostalgia for the figure I had as a kid. He's a really solid figure and one of those figures I tend to just frequently pick up and mess around with while watching TV or something. I love the new color scheme and the addition of the face camo. He's an Epic figure and another worthwhile addition to the Tiger Force subset. 

   To complete the vintage US Tiger Force we still need Frostbite, Lifeline, Tripwire, Roadblock, and Skystriker. I'd be down for most of those though if Hasbro skipped Frostbite and Skystriker I'd be OK. I like Tiger Force as more of a jungle operations group. For Tripwire a scaled down basic release would be best. Some of the releases from '04 and '05 would be pretty solid, too: Stalker (in his '90s outfit), Wreckage, Beach Head, and Crosshair.  



   If you're looking for more of Flint/ Dashiell R. Faireborn, I've also reviewed the standard Classified Series Flint. 

For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Flint  



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