Monday, December 22, 2025

Action Figure Review: Dial-Tone from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I've got another review lined up today; can you guess what line it's from? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. Wait? Did you guess Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series? Ding ding ding! Listen, this is my favorite ongoing series of action figures (probably one of my favorites of all time at this point) and Hasbro keeps cranking out good releases, so expect to keep seeing them around. Dial-Tone was originally released much earlier in 2025 but, oddly enough, a few Dial-Tones shipped out and then he pretty much disappeared until this fall. It turns out that his production was affected by a switch in factories. He's pretty available now, though, and I've had him in hand for at least a month or so. He's another part of the 1986 crew which is getting pretty close to complete as well (Sci-Fi is already out, Lifeline is coming, and Iceberg has been announced, which just leaves a few drivers and Claymore from the Special Missions: Brazil set). Someone at Hasbro loved Dial-Tone back in the 1980s and early 1990s as he had four figures in the vintage line. This one is based on the most memorable, original version, though. Ready to see how Dial-Tone has adapted to the 21 Century? Then join me after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

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

Accessories: Rifle, magazine, cellphone, bionic ear, beret, wrist tool kit, watch, arm-band, communications pack, fold-out computer, thigh pouch, knife, and harness

Non-Scalper Price: $25-$28



Comparison:

* Here's the Classified Series Dial-Tone (left) with my childhood vintage Dial-Tone (right). Other than muting the colors just a bit, Dial-Tone looks pretty accurate to the vintage figure. Fortunately, it's a look that seems to translate just fine into the modern era. I don't look at Dial-Tone and feel like he's outdated at all. He easily still looks like a modern soldier, particularly someone operating with a special forces team.




The Positives:


* As a communications specialist, Dial-Tone is outfitted for both whatever battlefield conditions he might come across and for carrying lots of gear efficiently. He's sporting a very similar outfit to the vintage figure, though Hasbro has muted the colors a bit. He's not dull by any means as in-person his vest and green accessories really stand out. He's got lots of extra pouches for bits of gear and equipment so, if you need something, he's your man to ask. His vest is a separate piece over the torso and his harness with more pouches and even a couple of grenades is a separate piece over that. The vest isn't removable but the harness is. 







* Jack "Dial-Tone" Morelli has a thinner mustache than most Joes. I don't know why, but he makes me think of a WWII era French underground fighter. Maybe it's the haircut? He's got a solid portrait and definitely looks like he means business. You might think with everyone and their toddler having a cellphone these days that his job would be obsolete, but Dial-Tone probably has to handle all kinds of crazy stuff in the field. He's clearly one of the best if he's on the Joe team. 





* Check out the cool earpiece and throat microphone combo that Dial-Tone is wearing. That's a great modern upgrade, ensuring that Dial-Tone can be heard during chaotic moments or when discretion is needed. 







* Dial-Tone includes his black beret which fits him well. It's amazing how good the berets have been in this line! That little black and silver logo was also on the vintage figure and seems to be a generic version of a special forces logo of some sort.









* I'm guessing the patch on Dial-Tone's left arm was the vintage Joe's teams take on a U.S. Army telecom patch as I couldn't find anything quite like it, though if you look at it with a magnifying glass or zoom lens it has a horse on it and does actually have "TELECOM" printed below it! He's also sporting a removable watch that says 12:00 if you look closely, too. 







* On Stalker's right bicep is some sort of removable strap (I'm really not sure what it is) while his right wrist has a very cool magnetic bracelet and tool kit. It's really cool and is a removable piece with tiny sculpted tools on it. You know, like a portable electronics kit. Helps you keep from losing screws and such, too. 









* Dial-Tone is also sporting a leg pouch with a more standard field radio on it. But who knows? It could also be some sort of scanning device as well. 











* Dial- Tone's articulation is excellent. He's very sturdy with good, tight articulation. His vest inhibits his torso movement just a bit (there's a hinge under there but it's not doing much) but everything else is great. He looks really solid using all of his gear and such. Each of these figures is just really well made and so much fun to mess around with, especially when they have as many cool accessories as Dial-Tone does. 



* Dial-Tone comes with so much gear for communicating, one of which looks to be a smartphone. It's a basic piece of equipment that most people have today but it would have been a revolutionary, almost unimaginable piece of equipment during the days of the vintage line. It's a simple plastic piece with a label for the screen. I'm sure it's crammed with all kinds of apps and programs that are pretty cutting edge. He probably also has the Hasbro Pulse app on there, too, but even Dial-Tone gets hit by early sell outs on preorders.





* Besides some various pouches for carrying random bits of junk and spare parts, Dial-Tone also has a holster for his smartphone. It slides right it and stays in place pretty securely. 





* Dial-Tone has a really sweet rifle. It's not massive but it's clearly an automatic weapon that fires a decent sized round. It's fairly compact, making it lighter for Dial-Tone since he has so much other stuff to carry. It's an excellent design that looks reminiscent of a more compact SCAR H.







* Besides a removable magazine (which is always appreciated) Dial-Tone's rifle also has a clip on the top. What's it for? You can slide his smartphone device in there, allowing it to be used as an optic for the rifle. People do mount phones on rifles to record their shots and such but I could see Dial-Tone using his with a special app for perhaps tracking heat signatures, movement, and other items that need to be located. 





* Dial-Tone's knife is pretty standard though the handle is as long or longer than the blade. I imagine this is more for opening up equipment, cutting wires, and other such tasks than for combat.






* He keeps the knife in a very secure sheath on his left ankle. 




* Dial-Tone's bionic ear or listening device is another cool extra. What's it for? Amplifying sounds. Maybe he's spying on Cobra agents or checking to see if any movement can be heard in a base that's about to be raided. I remember using one of these in at least one of the Splinter Cell games, so it's a cool bit of spy gear with plenty of practical uses for the Joe team. 





* While Dial-Tone already has a traditional radio with a throat mic and a smartphone, he also comes with a new take on his classic backpack. This is a massive piece of equipment that can be hauled around on his back but also placed down to be used as a mobile communications unit. I have to believe that this is far more than just a standard radio p; this thing can probably help boost communications abilities in areas with next to no signal, get around jamming devices, and broadcast from wherever Dial-Tone is located. Heck, maybe he can even jam enemy communications with this device. The sculpt is quite similar to the vintage backpack, which always looked quite futuristic. It still kind of does, too, or at least it looks modern and cutting edge.







* There's what looks to be rotating webcam on the left hand side and a sensor of some sort on the right. Maybe it helps detect various types of frequencies or other signals? It looks like a mounted security camera, but that doesn't make any sense here. Maybe it's a scrambler of sorts?







* The part of the pack that attaches to Dial-Tone has a rack for keeping it on his back more easily and a mix of visible wires going from the middle to the top of the pack. There's quite a bit of paint detail here. The large arm is a microphone of sorts and it can fold into place over Dial-Tone's mouth. 








* The back of the pack folds down with a computer device of sorts being revealed. There are probably all kinds of uses for this. There's also a lot of techy looking details inside the backpack including some slots, though I'm not sure what they're for. 








The Negatives:



* The fold down laptop like device is really cool but the hinges it is on easily come undone, making it fall off when you're trying to use it. It goes back on easily and can stay it place, but folding it down does just cause it to come loose.










* I like the look of Dial-Tones harness but it often gets out of position, making it look a bit odd. Even when you use his backpack with it (there a hole in in the harness on the rear), it tends to cause the straps to go up against his face.







   Dial-Tone turned out extremely well and was definitely worth the wait. His gear is excellent and feels nicely updated while still retaining the feel and charm of the vintage toy. He really is impressive; it's just a shame that a couple little flukes are present as Dial-Tone would otherwise be one of the stars of the year. He's still a Great and a 1/2 figure, though, and he's really fun to mess around with. He's far more than just a radio operator; Dial-Tone seems like he'd be an invaluable asset on covert and highly sensitive missions.  



This is the first figure of Dial-Tone/ Jack Morelli that I've reviewed on the site. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Destro  
Flint  


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

What'chu talkin' 'bout?

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)