Storm Shadow (Paris Pursuit) | Produced by Hasbro | Released July 2009
Ruthless Martial Arts Master.
And I thought Snake Eyes was the quiet one!
Anyway, we've had a few GI Joe Reviews so far, but this is the first single-carded figure from the Rise of Cobra movie line.
The Rise of Cobra packaging is somewhat different to the Pursuit of Cobra single-carded figures, with a diagonal cut across one corner to accentuate the GI Joe logo. It's nice to see this different packaging, as it makes the toys easier to differentiate (as if the large Rise of Cobra logo wasn't enough...)
It's pretty much business as usual here - a glued-on plastic blister on a card, the rear of which shows a few other characters form the line. It's too bad there's no cut and collect card, though - at least not one of worth. I think we know who Storm Shadow is...
Storm Shadow (Paris Pursuit)
This movie Storm Shadow is the unmasked, ''Paris Pursuit'' version, from one of the movie's big set-pieces. Unlike some of the other Storm Shadow figures available, this one plays down the Ninja side of the character in favour of a more futuristic-cum-sporting outfit look. The white suit he's wearing looks like a cross between a ski suit and some kind of fencing gear. I like it, though, even if it's not that representative of the character's roots.
The outfit's folds and details are nicely produced and overall it's a quite stylish-looking figure. The use of stark white makes him ''pop'' without looking too unreal, which is good and it's not too fantastical so as to make it look like a cartoon character costume. There are also smaller details like straps on his wrists and his sneakers look like real sneakers. I like the realism of this character, for all it's not a combat-style uniform.
The facial sculpt is good and his hair has a nice sculpted pattern, with individual strands and a flicked-over fringe that is nicely rendered.
Joint-wise, Storm Shadow feels a little looser than I've been used to with the previous GI Joes I've seen. His hips and shoulders are quite slack and although he can hold a pose, you may find the limbs moving slightly or drooping over time. It's a shame, as the sculpt is nice.
Paint-wise there's not a lot to say. Storm Shadow's costume is cast in solid white with the only paint being his skin and face, plus the silver details on his jacket (zipper and pocket studs.) It's actually a very effective look and the paint that is present is very cleanly applied.
Extras
Storm Shadow includes two swords (which appear to be a Katana/Wakizashi-inspired set), a back-piece into which the swords may be placed, two Sai daggers, a pistol, a large cannon-like weapon that launches the included green missile (apparently launching weapons were the ''thing'' in these figures) and a... rubber... handlebar... thing that's.. well... I'm not sure. My guess is it's so you can hang him from a window or something. It's probably a key moment of the movie sequence but I can't remember it...
As seen here, Storm Shadow can be dressed with most of the smaller items.
He also comes with his own stand.
He also comes with his own stand.
Final Thoughts
It's probably heresy to say this, but I like this incarnation of Storm Shadow. The use of pure white makes him really stand-out and does a great job accentuating the sculpt. There's a lot of detail to be seen here, with folds, zippers, pockets and a very cool popped-collar that works really well. As I say, I like how it's more extreme sportswear than Ninja gear and the figure does a good job conveying that.
It's a shame the joints are so slack. This could well be a one-off and I may have simply struck-out with my toy, but it would be worth checking out if you're looking to buy this figure.
What's good is he's got a nice, solid feel about him without being simplistic. I could put him in my display case but have no worries about letting one of my kids play with him, as I think he'd be more than capable of surviving a hefty play session. The missile-launching cannon is clearly designed with kids in mind, as there's no way really for him to hold it or display it and that's fine. I've just stored mine away for later...
This is the first of the Rise of Cobra toys I've bought but I'll certainly be interested in acquiring more if they're as well sculpted as this.
Scores
| Sculpt | A |
| Paint | B+ |
| Articulation | B- |
| Production Quality | B- |
| Final Score | B+ |
Image Gallery
no offense to this figure but anything that reminds me of that horrible movie i must purge from my memory asap.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is another reason I wasn't so sure about GI Joes before I started collecting them. I didn't think it was terrible for what it was but I know it screwed-around a lot with the characters.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Micronauts movie won't do the same!
i've been hearing for years about this Micronaut movie. are we sure this isn't just some kind of long running rumor?
ReplyDeleteJJ Abrams often mentions it as being on the radar after Star Trek 2 (and Super-8 now...) and Hasbro's NY Toy Fair stand was displaying the Micronauts logo (albeit the Marvel comics version), so maybe they're trying to get people familiar with the name first. Who knows?
ReplyDelete