Action Figure Barbecue: Wrapping Up 2023: Phillip "Chuckles" Provost from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

Chuckles was always one of my favorite G.I. Joe figures as a kid. He was an odd duck in the line due to his loud Hawaiian shirt, sure, but his shoulder holster and smaller, concealable pistol really gave him the feel of a secret agent. He's a guy who blends in by sticking out a bit. I always loved Chuckes and I'm very excited that Chuckles has made it into the Classified Series as he's not a character who gets visited that often in action figure form. Hasbro released him as the SDCC 2023 exclusive, though he went up for sale after the show a few times as well. I got mine through Hasbro Pulse. Chuckles is connected to the Crimson Strike Team (the 2023 Pulse Con exclusive) as there's a story told via the packaging of Chuckles stealing a briefcase and some documents from the Baroness and the Cobra twins. Hasbro loaded Chuckles down with accessories, though some of them don't work with the figure as well as I'd hoped. Still, he's a pretty solid figure with some nice goodies. Ready to check out Chuckles? Then join me 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 portraits, 4 swappable hands, briefcase, file, binoculars, sunglasses, cassette player, headphones, lei, shoulder holster, pistol, knife, sheathe, pair of handcuffs, 2 broken handcuffs, and a watch, .

Non-Scalper Price: $42 dollars

The Packaging:

* The front of the package looks like some sort of transmitter showing Chuckles on a screen, taunting Baroness, Tomax, and Xamot with the files on the Crimson B.A.T.s. he has obtained. The sides of the package make are also reminiscent of an older piece of communications equipment or an older computer case.

* The cardboard flap on the front opens up to show a comic styled illustration of Chuckles stealing some Cobra documents, along with a "glamour shot" of the figure.

The Positives:

* Chuckles is wearing a really nice Hawaiian shirt with some bright colors and some very nicely illustrated flowers on it. It's tucked in to some standard green cargo pants, though, so you've got a real mixture of business and pleasure here. Chuckles is sporting his shoulder harness, although it is removable if you want to make him more covert. His belt is a pretty basic belt with a JoePro on it and some slots on the back for his other gear. Hasbro went with making Chuckles a regular size guy here, which I like. That's how the figure looked and seems true to his appearances in the Marvel, Devil's Due, and IDW comics over the years. The animated movie made him seem way too large.

* Chuckles comes with two portraits and the first one is a pretty standard determined look. He's a decent looking guy with one heck of a leading chin.

* The second head shows Chuckles after he's taking a bit of a beating. He's got a black eye that's swollen shut, some bruising on his cheeks, and a big grin showing off a missing tooth. Chuckles has been through some serious crap on this mission, it seems.

* A pair of headphones is included, possibly to just give Chuckles something to groove to on "vacation" or perhaps they are some sort of secret listening device. He's probably got bugs hidden all over a secret Cobra outpost and he's just gathering intelligence.

* The watch is removable and it has a countdown on it. Only one second left!

* The articulation on the Classified Series figures is always pretty solid, so I don't have any issues with Chuckles. He moves well, can take a great variety of poses, and interacts nicely with most of his accessories. These are really sturdy, durable figures that have some of the best articulation out there. He's quite fun to pose and play with while singing "Secret Agent Man" to yourself.

* Chuckles isn't carrying anything fancy; just a pretty standard looking .45 caliber pistol. It has a nice sculpt and the barrel can hold a firing effect.

* It fits perfectly in his shoulder holster, so it's always at the ready.

* For all kinds of sneaky spy stuff it's useful to carry a knife, so Chuckles has one. I'm sure he's used it for some quiet kills, too.

* The blade fits snugly into the removable sheathe on his right hip.

* When he needs to look like he's doing some sightseeing or when he's really gathering intelligence, Chuckles' binoculars are a handy tool.

* He's also carrying a tape deck. Kind of a Walkman styled thing, but this one actually looks like the Transformer Soundwave. At least the design does. I'm not a fan of mixing G.I. Joe and Transformers but I'm OK with a cool little Easter egg like this.

* Both the tape deck and the binoculars can fit on the back of Chuckles' belt. It's not a perfectly tight fit, but it works and gets the job done.

* Here's the briefcase Chuckles has stolen. It's a pretty regular looking briefcase ( I wish it had a few paint applications on the handle and the latches, though) but there are some rips and slashes on it from where Chuckles has been using it as a shield or perhaps even an improvised weapon.

* The briefcase opens to reveal... well, not much. It's pretty dull inside. There's lots of room for storage, though, so most of Chuckles' gear can fit inside.

* The file that Chuckles has been trying to obtain is included. It's a manila folder with some documents inside and a photograph of the Crimson B.A.T. clipped to the exterior.

* Chuckles comes with two pair of hands. You've got the regular pair of pistol grips, of course, but you've also got a pair of fists sporting some brass knuckles. Chuckles isn't afraid to play dirty when he's on a mission, it seems.

* Chuckles was presumably taken captive at one point, so he comes with a pair of handcuffs some Cobra agents used to subdue him. If you pop off his hands and really push his arms together you can fit them on him.

* The standard cuffs are on the left while a broken pair of cuffs are on the right. No, they're supposed to be broken, so it's OK. Want Chuckles to run around with broken cuffs on his wrists, showing that he somehow managed to break them free and escape? Then use these.

* For protecting his eyes while catching some rays or shielding his eyes while keeping an eye on Cobra's movements, Chuckles comes with some sunglasses. Black frames with slick red lenses.

The Negatives:

* They're a bit wobbly, though, and don't fit on him particularly well. Removable glasses are tough on 1/12th scale figures; sometimes Hasbro pulls it off and other times they don't. This one's kind of a miss.

* The lei around Chuckles' neck is really cool in theory, but it just doesn't sit right. It looks off to me. It really should have been thinner.

I really liked how the Night Force convention exclusive Chuckles came with a removable tactical vest and some heavier gear for when things go south, and I was kind of hoping that Hasbro would include some of that extra gear with the Classified Series version of Chuckles. Still, the figure we got is pretty slick. He's more expensive than a standard figure but he does come with a lot of stuff, most of it pretty cool. I love the extra gear; I just wish the lei and the glasses fit better. Chuckles is a Great and a 1/2 figure and definitely a fun update of the original.

This is the first figure of Phillip "Chuckles" Provost that I've reviewed on the site. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:

Alley Viper

Alvin "Breaker" Kibbey
Arctic B.A.T.

Arctic Mission Storm Shadow

Baroness with Cobra C.O.I.L.
Baroness (Retro)

Baroness (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins)

B.A.T.
B.A.T. (Python Patrol)

Blue Ninjas

Cobra Commander

Cobra Commander (Regal Variant)
Cobra Eel

Cobra Infantry
Cobra Officer

Cobra Trooper (Special Missions: Cobra Island)
Cobra Valkyries