That Figures: REVIEW: GI Joe Rise of Cobra - Ripcord (Reactive Impact Armor)

Produced by Hasbro | Released July 2009

Military pilot Wallace ''Ripcord'' Weems trains with the GI Joe team's Reactive Impact Armor. Before infiltrating Cobra bases, he masters the operation of the team's remote stealth mini-drone that transmits real-time visual and auditory data.

Packaging Shots

Ripcord (Reactive Impact Armor)

There's not a great deal I can say about this figure that wasn't covered in the previously-Reviewed Duke (Reactive Impact Armor) figure. Ripcord uses the same base body as Duke with a new head sculpt and some new accessories. As a result of that, this will be a relatively brief look at the figure but if you do want to find out more, then I suggest reading the Duke Review. The remainder of this Review will simply highlight any differences.

The head sculpt is pretty good, despite the slightly skinny-looking neck it's mounted on. There's a little bit of a mold line across the top of the head but it's only really visible if you look closely. That aside, it's a pretty decent sculpt.

Paint is nicely done, with the suit featuring some scraped/worn panels and the facial details are nicely accentuated. The app is clean and there are no errant paint splodges or similar to mar the figure's looks.

Extras

Ripcord comes with a few accessories shared with the Reactive Impact Armor Duke but also includes a few surprises.

The shared arsenal includes the Bullpup rifle, pistol and dagger. Unique to the figure are the heavier calibre long-range rifle, a second, heavier Bullpup rifle and - coolest of all - the combat drone.

The combat drone is essentially a mount for the oversized weapon included with Ripcord and consists of two clip-together pieces into which the launching missile weapon can be slotted. Whilst there are no moving wheels, the drone is sculpted with tracks to give the illusion of being a vehicle. It's a shame the drone is cast in such a bright shade of green and features no paint or colour detailing, as it's a pretty cool-looking accessory and it's a nice addition to the set. The only thing I'm not sure about is how Weems is supposed to control it, given he doesn't come with any kind of data pad or similar device. I'm sure it would work well as an accessory for Breaker or Cover Girl, though.

Ripcord also comes with his own base.

Final Thoughts

A couple of accessories aside, there's really nothing here we haven't already seen in the Reactive Impact Armor Duke figure. Whilst the drone is a nice addition and it's cool to see Ripcord with some new weapons, there's just not enough here to justify any major changes to the original's score. I think Ripcord has a slightly better paint job but beyond that, the figure is as disappointing as his armor-mate.

It's not that there's a massive amount wrong with Duke or Ripcord in their Reactive Impact Armor. It's just that they're both so very dry, so decidedly average. There's nothing to hate that much but there's also little to find interesting or engaging. Indeed, as this Review shows, switch the heads and they could be anybody. They're like Army Builders, except you can't really Army Build with them unless you have a bunch of spare heads lying around. And even then, given the blandness of the sculpt, I don't know why anybody would actually want to do that.

If you're a fan of Ripcord or a completist then this figure hovers around that disappointing-to-average kind of mark but only if you can find him going cheap. But if you're a casual dabbler looking for a Rise of Cobra toy, this isn't the one to get. Along from the Reactive Impact Armor Duke, this is probably one of the weakest figures in the line and I really can't recommend him to anybody but the most die-hard of Joe fans looking to complete their set.

Scores