Monday, August 7, 2023

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

 

   Shipwreck has been one of my most anticipated figures in the Classified Series and I'm really excited that he's finally here. I didn't have any version of Shipwreck as a kid as the original came out before I was old enough to collect G.I. Joe figures and I just never had the Battle Corps versions. I purchased  a vintage Shipwreck sometime between 1998 and 2000 when I got back into collecting G.I. Joe figure as a young high school student, but I lost him in a swap at some point. I've owned plenty of the Generation 2 and Generation 3 Shipwreck figures and I've really liked about every costume they've ever used for the character, but the traditional sailor suit is definitely the most recognizable and best choice for the first version of Shipwreck in the line (though I'd love to see a version in the sweater and toboggan from the 2000s G.I. Joe vs. Cobra series). Let's take a look at this raspy voiced sailor who can "splice a line, fry powdered eggs in the tooth of a gale and eat them, tell taller tales than a Senate Appropriations committee and take a three day liberty in Thule, Greenland and come back smiling." 

Hop aboard, after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8th 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, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: 2 Hair pieces, 2 pistols, holster, rope, parrot, and a boarding hook.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars






The Positives:




* Shipwreck wears a very classic Navy work outfit. It certainly doesn't appear to be very modern, but honestly, it's the best Navy outfit in my opinion. Seriously, this outfit just oozes cool. The shirt is nicely detailed and unbuttoned enough to show off Shipwreck's many chest hair. Yarr!!



* I love the portrait here. It captures the look of the vintage toy and Shipwreck's appearances in the cartoon and comics as well. Like Lady Jaye, Shipwreck doesn't have swappable heads but instead has a swappable hair piece. This one has his the traditional "Dixie Cup" hat that everyone associates with the US Navy. I like it! It's just so cool on Shipwreck. 




* Swap out the hairpiece and you've got Shipwreck showing off his slicked back hair. This might work really nicely for combat scenarios where he's lost his hat or where he's had to stow it away. 




* Not only does Shipwreck have his rank insignias on his shoulders but he's also sporting some great tattoos: An anchor with a winged serpent on his right forearm and a shark with a harpoon stuck through it on his left forearm. 






* Not only is Shipwreck wearing the classic Navy dungarees but they're even painted to look distressed. Nice! He's wearing  standard belt for keeping his britches up with an anchor on the belt buckle and a larger belt with a holster for storing his percussion pistol and some storage hooks. 

* As usual, I don't have any issues with the articulation here. Shipwreck moves well, can take a great variety of poses, and interacts nicely with all of his accessories. These are really sturdy, durable figures that have some of the best articulation out there. The only place where there is a bit of restricted motion is around Shipwreck's angles due to the bellbottoms of his dungarees, but it's pretty minimal. 




* Shipwreck comes with a length of robe that fits over his shoulder and across his torso. Not only does it add a bit more detail to the figure but it also allows Shipwreck to hold two of his accessories more easily. 




* Take Polly, for instance. Polly, Shipwreck's parrot, can plug into the length of cord, allowing her to perch on his shoulder. She's a nice looking little bird with some clean paint details to bring out the sculpt a bit. No alternate spread wings, though. 




* There's also a small hole on Shipwreck's left forearm where Polly can attach.



* Shipwreck comes with a very cool pistol as his sidearm. It has an extended barrel and some really nice design on the slide and on the grip. The design looks like a weave of rope, attached on the grip to an anchor. I love when the Classified Series figures come with these details that really show off their individual personalities and character. 



* The handgun fits easily in the removable holster on Shipwreck's right thigh. 


* Shipwreck also comes with a boarding hook, something the original figure had, too. Unlike the vintage toy, though, this one doesn't have a string attached. Instead, it can be hung on the little hook on Shipwreck's larger belt. 




* Or, it can be attached to the coil of rope he wears across his torso. 

* Shipwreck's last piece of gear is a pretty nifty looking percussion pistol. It has two barrels (though only one hammer) and a coil of rope on the bottom. It's a really neat, elaborate weapon, but definitely not something that's standard issue. I imagine it probably can do in a pinch but it's probably something with some sentimental meaning to Shipwreck, or he just carries it because it looks cool. 



* There's a holster on the side of Shipwreck's belt to carry the percussion pistol, too. Of course, You could also hang it from one of the hooks via the wrist cord. 








The Negatives:


* It's kind of weird that the boarding hook doesn't have a string. I mean, I know there are two places to hang it, but a string or cord would have been nice. I actually saw some folks use the cardboard ties from the packaging and I've done that myself. It's a cool workaround and it looks pretty decent. 



* The bicep swivels is kind of weird looking, don't you think? I wish it had been placed under the sleeve. It has an odd shape when you rotate it. 

   Despite my weird little nits, Shipwreck still gets an Epic rating from me. For the price, it really feels like Hasbro crams a lot of value into most of the Classified Series releases and Shipwreck is no exception. You have a lot of options here and, besides just the solid figure and accessories you've got two hairpieces, two places to perch Polly, two places to hang the boarding hook, and the option to display Shipwreck with or without the rope. That's a lot of options! I'm really trying to decide if I prefer Shipwreck or Torpedo more in this series. It's a real toss up!




This is the first figure of Shipwreck/ Hector X. Delgado that I've reviewed. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
Flint  



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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 28, 2023 at 8:15 AM

    I just got this figure for £4.99 and he's cool. I'm not big on Joes but he's a fun sailor with a little parrot. :) The paint on his sleeves is a bit sloppy with flesh tone going over the blue on the underside of the sleeves and a lil bit on top, but for the price I can't complain too much. Wish Polly had an alternate with outspread wings for flight though. Can't do many action poses with a non-flying birdie.

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    Replies
    1. Barbecue17December 4, 2023 at 10:44 AM

      Yeah, those sleeves are definitely the way point on this figure. Maybe we'll get a SEAL version of Shipwreck with a more action packed version of Polly. I love that take on Shipwreck.

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