Action Figure Review: Airtight from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   
 Ready for another G.I. Joe: Classified Series review? Today I'm checking out Airtight, the last of the vintage single-carded 1985 G.I. Joe figures to be released in the Classified Series. Airtight was released during the height of the line's vintage popularity and so he appeared in the animated series and on lots of merchandise. Character-wise, though, he's not one of the most well known and well developed characters from that era. He does have a pretty useful function as a Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) warfare specialist. You've got to have someone willing to don a hazmat suit, right? Airtight may not be appropriate for every mission but he's absolutely someone you need to have on call. Ready to check out Airtight, real name Kurt Schnurr? Then join me after the break...

  

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/2 inches

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

Accessories: Helmet, backpack, 2 air hoses, pistol, tablet screen, "sniffer," and hose.

Non-Scalper Price: $28 dollars

Comparison:

* Here's a quick shot of the Classified Series Airtight (left) with the vintage Airtight (right). I never had Airtight as a kid so I actually just picked this vintage version up at a toy show earlier this year. The Classified Series Airtight really adheres pretty closely to his vintage (and the other versions of the figure released over the years).

The Positives:

* Here's a look at Airight without his helmet and backpack on, first just focusing on the details of his outfit. He's wearing a yellow hazmat suit which makes him stand out, which I suspect is a safety feature for the type of work he does. His outfit has green heavy duty boots and gloves along with knee and elbow pads for extra protection in all of those places where he's more likely to get a rip or tear. Airtight's vest is a separate piece placed over the torso, though it isn't removable. The yellow of the suit is really nice, bright, and clean, something that can't always be said for yellow plastic on action figures.  

* Airtight looks like he's based on his character model from the Sunbow animated series. He's just an average looking guy with short hair and a prominent widow's peak. He looks pretty serious here, though Kurt is supposed to be quite the practical joker in reality. I think he looks a bit like Ben Genderson from The IT Crowd. 

* Airtight's helmet might be a bit loose on his head but once you get the hoses in place it stays on just fine. It's really well designed and has an excellent clear visor so you can see his eyes through it. It really makes me wish that Hasbro would go back and release unhelmeted heads for Barbecue and Wolf Spider as those are the only G.I. Joes I can think who don't have unmasked heads. You know, other than someone like Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Of course, non-movie unmasked versions of those guys would be great, too. 

* Airtight's chest gear has lots of little printed panels and dials on it along with a fold down panel/ screen displaying a readout of some sort. It reminds me a little bit of the Android Tactical Assault Kits (ATAK) that some of the Joes have had (Grunt was first) but it's a bit larger and the base isn't a separate, removable piece. 

* Airtight is a completely unique sculpt so far as I'm aware, though he has the same great articulation scheme that has seen the Classified Series through seven great years so far. Seven! That's wild! While he's wearing a CBR suit, he's not overly inhibited by it and the only joint that's at all restricted is his chest hinge (due to his vest). He looks great and he can easily hold his sniffer/ fume extractor quite well with both hands.

* Let's talk about Airtight's primary instrument, which really isn't a weapon. It's a combination sniffer and fume extractor. Inside this tool are multiple sensors for detecting, isolating, and isolating various dangerous chemical, biological, and radiological. It also hooks up to his backpack, acting as a fume extractor. The backpack has filters inside, capturing the hazardous particles in an enclosed space. This looks pretty close to the vintage accessory though I take it that this is still a pretty sophisticated piece of equipment. While most sniffers are smaller these days, the fume extractors are larger units, so Airtight's is clearly compact and tactical. 

* Here's the backpack. It attaches securely and you can see the hoses that attach to his helmet (for a clean air supply, presumably scrubbed of toxins) along with the fans for the fume extractor. 

* There's now a slot on the backpack that the sniffer/ fume extractor can fit into, allowing it to be toted around while still attached to the flexible hose. That gives Airtight free hands, allowing him to work on whatever equipment he needs to in a hazardous environment. 

* Airtight presumably isn't involved in direct combat most of the time but he still comes with a pistol for when surprises pop up. It looks like a fairly generic automatic, maybe a 9mm? I don't think it's based on any particular real world pistol or anything. 

* It does rest securely inside this holster on his right hip. The holster is a separate piece but it's not really removable due to his knee pads. 

   Airtight turned out quite nice and I think he's worth a Great and a 1/2 rating. I do wish he had another accessory, maybe the shotgun or the small analyzing machine that the 30th Anniversary/ Renegades figure had. Heck, a separate, full-sized fume extractor would have been neat, too, but that probably would have pushed him into the deluxe territory. Airtight might be based on a toy that's now over 40 years old but he, surprisingly, still feels quite modern and equipped with current technology. I've got the rest of this series coming up (Sundown, Dawn Moreno, Hydro-Viper, and Overkill), so stay tuned!