G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Shipwreck

by generalsjoes | Sep 2, 2015 | 50th Anniversary, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Toys, review-no-frontpage

To be honest, out of all the concept case figures this Shipwreck repaint was one that I couldn’t quite get my head around.  I really loved the two variations of the discount store Shipwreck, and while the “Navy” shirted version was interesting, it didn’t bring a whole lot new to the table compared to some of the other concept case figures.  Considering the figure is pretty much a 30th Anniversary/Renegades Law from the neck down with the Shock Trooper vest and Rise of Cobra Shipwreck head, I had trouble figuring out the appeal.  Don’t get me wrong, there certainly seemed to be a strong segment of the fandom who were clamoring for it, I just wasn’t one of them.  Give me that awesome looking Pursuit of Cobra Clutch or HISS Driver any day.

Regardless, getting this figure in hand, he’s not bad.  Not bad at all.  I’m a fan of the version of Law that was the template for this figure, he’s greatly detailed and extremely well articulated, so it’s tough to go wrong there.  The Navy on his chest is a neat touch, though with the vest on, you can’t see it much.  A white t-shirt and khaki pants is a good combination, even if it feels a bit segregated from Shipwreck’s classic look.  Perhaps my favorite thing about this version is that it seems to walk a good line for Shipwreck.  Previous versions were either a straight-up sailor, a wet-suited Navy SEAL, or a commando soldier hardcore military guy.  Shipwreck has always been a casual lay about who also happened to be a highly trained special ops soldier.  This combination of parts strays more towards the “lay about” side with his t-shirt and pants, but it’s fairly easy to slap the vest on him and put him more in a military commando role.

If I have any complaints about the deco work it’s that the differences in the green shades throughout his legs are pretty evident, as well as the white on the torso and white on the sleeves.  Not sure if that’s a plastic type/quality issue or more of a paint vs. production color issue.  It’s a little bit distracting, though, I have to admit.

It’s a figure that didn’t especially appeal to me in the concept case, and doesn’t use any new parts, but the final execution ends up being a bit more fun than I anticipated.

Accessories

The G.I. Joe sailor is equipped with pretty basic accessories.  A machine gun and submachine gun, as well as the tactical vest, two knives, pistol, and silencer.  Of course he also has his trusty parrot Polly.  None of the accessories are exceptionally different, but they compliment the figure nicely, which is all I can really ask for.  He can hold the weapons really nicely with those great Law arms, and is just a fun figure to sit and mess with.  The Shock Trooper vest has that handle on the back that can double as a mount for Polly as well, which is a neat touch.  I don’t know if that was planned (he fits, though the rubbery material of the vest doesn’t keep him there very sturdily).

I should also say that I assume both knives are his.  There isn’t an especially clear indication, but that seems to be the case, at least in my mind.

This is one of those few Concept Case figures that I just looked past and was never really captured by.  I didn’t see much of a reason to push him through to retail release, but getting him in hand, the figure has a lot of promise, and walks that great line between Shipwreck’s familiar slacker personality and more military edge.  I like it more than I thought I would.