Before Hasbro gave us official 5 POA GI Joe action figures by way of the GI Joe: Retaliation drivers, we got a glimpse of things-to-come thanks to McDonald’s.
In 2004 McDonald’s produced GI Joe Happy Meals. Some came with hyper deformed vehicles and some came with figures. For the figures, McDonald’s safely stuck to major players, using Cobra Commander, Duke, Dr. Mindbender, and Snake-Eyes. These characters were all released in 1:18 scale (or just slightly smaller).
You might consider this a Happy Meal pack-in toy, and not a true action figure. I respect that. Viewing this is an action figure might be generous. Either way, I’m approaching this review as if it’s simply a low POA figure.
When I reviewed Dr. Mindbender over two years ago, I liked the figure. Despite its low POA count, it brought something new to the table for Dr. Mindbender, in terms of pushing the uniform even further towards “mad scientist” than even the New Sculpt figure had.
Plus I’m very forgiving of the low POA format. I enjoy the Retaliation Clutch figure, too.
But today, dear reader, you can put away your hate daggers. I have to give McSnake-Eyes a thumbs down. It doesn’t accomplish anything with its design.
If this Snake-Eyes were substantially new or a progression in some way, I’d say good things about it. The bandaged head/sunglasses design would have been defendable, though not appropriate for a Happy Meal. The Invisible Man-esque Snake-Eyes is now the last comic book design we haven’t seen translated to plastic in one format or another aside from customs.
In all fairness, Happy Meal Snake-Eyes is well sculpted, sidestepping the issue of almost no articulation. The proportions are musculature are more realistic than the contemporary “real” Joe figures of the New Sculpt era. The pose is very fluid, with our favorite mute ninja commando in a wide-set foot stance with dramatically posed arms. The headsculpt is very unique, with an interesting design and clean lines, but it looks more like something Alan Davis would have drawn for a character in Excalibur (timely!) than Hasbro or Marvel would have made for a Snake-Eyes design.
The head doesn’t move, but the way. It is technically a point-of-articulation, but it will not move at all. It’s locked in place. Its craning-forward head/neck, which does work with the intended body, isn't even usable for customs unless you’re trying to make a scoliosis Snake-Eyes.
The detailing throughout the uniform is good, but most of it is recycled from NS designs. The gi top, webgear, and tall boots are all things seen before. One detail we hadn’t seen is the backwards S on the belt buckle, creating the appearance that Snake-Eyes battles Cobra AND literacy. How did this nugget of stupidity get through quality control? Maybe it’s supposed to be a snake and not an S? I don’t know.
None of the sculpted gear on Snake-Eyes is definitively weaponry. No knives or grenades or firearms. I understand that this is a McDonald’s toy, but at some point McDonald’s should have realized that the character IS a soldier, after all. One leg has what is probably a sheath on it, but that’s as close as it gets.
The figure came with a compass backpack. Sorry, I don’t have one to show, but it didn’t help the overall appearance anyway. As a Happy Meal pack-in, Snake-Eyes included no weapons or other gear.
There’s also the issue of the color. Taking a cue from the ’82/’83 figures, Snake-Eyes is molded in a solid color. Black might have been too dismal a color for a Happy Meal, so McDonald’s went with a medium grey. Not charcoal. This is a grey that registers for Firefly, but not for Snake-Eyes so much. These pack-ins were loaded with paint applications, but Snake-Eyes could’ve used a few touches of black here and there.
I can’t say that I despise this figure. It gets a thumb down from me, but not one backed with animosity or nerd rage. More of a meh.
In 2004 McDonald’s produced GI Joe Happy Meals. Some came with hyper deformed vehicles and some came with figures. For the figures, McDonald’s safely stuck to major players, using Cobra Commander, Duke, Dr. Mindbender, and Snake-Eyes. These characters were all released in 1:18 scale (or just slightly smaller).
You might consider this a Happy Meal pack-in toy, and not a true action figure. I respect that. Viewing this is an action figure might be generous. Either way, I’m approaching this review as if it’s simply a low POA figure.
When I reviewed Dr. Mindbender over two years ago, I liked the figure. Despite its low POA count, it brought something new to the table for Dr. Mindbender, in terms of pushing the uniform even further towards “mad scientist” than even the New Sculpt figure had.
Plus I’m very forgiving of the low POA format. I enjoy the Retaliation Clutch figure, too.
But today, dear reader, you can put away your hate daggers. I have to give McSnake-Eyes a thumbs down. It doesn’t accomplish anything with its design.
If this Snake-Eyes were substantially new or a progression in some way, I’d say good things about it. The bandaged head/sunglasses design would have been defendable, though not appropriate for a Happy Meal. The Invisible Man-esque Snake-Eyes is now the last comic book design we haven’t seen translated to plastic in one format or another aside from customs.
In all fairness, Happy Meal Snake-Eyes is well sculpted, sidestepping the issue of almost no articulation. The proportions are musculature are more realistic than the contemporary “real” Joe figures of the New Sculpt era. The pose is very fluid, with our favorite mute ninja commando in a wide-set foot stance with dramatically posed arms. The headsculpt is very unique, with an interesting design and clean lines, but it looks more like something Alan Davis would have drawn for a character in Excalibur (timely!) than Hasbro or Marvel would have made for a Snake-Eyes design.
The head doesn’t move, but the way. It is technically a point-of-articulation, but it will not move at all. It’s locked in place. Its craning-forward head/neck, which does work with the intended body, isn't even usable for customs unless you’re trying to make a scoliosis Snake-Eyes.
The detailing throughout the uniform is good, but most of it is recycled from NS designs. The gi top, webgear, and tall boots are all things seen before. One detail we hadn’t seen is the backwards S on the belt buckle, creating the appearance that Snake-Eyes battles Cobra AND literacy. How did this nugget of stupidity get through quality control? Maybe it’s supposed to be a snake and not an S? I don’t know.
None of the sculpted gear on Snake-Eyes is definitively weaponry. No knives or grenades or firearms. I understand that this is a McDonald’s toy, but at some point McDonald’s should have realized that the character IS a soldier, after all. One leg has what is probably a sheath on it, but that’s as close as it gets.
The figure came with a compass backpack. Sorry, I don’t have one to show, but it didn’t help the overall appearance anyway. As a Happy Meal pack-in, Snake-Eyes included no weapons or other gear.
There’s also the issue of the color. Taking a cue from the ’82/’83 figures, Snake-Eyes is molded in a solid color. Black might have been too dismal a color for a Happy Meal, so McDonald’s went with a medium grey. Not charcoal. This is a grey that registers for Firefly, but not for Snake-Eyes so much. These pack-ins were loaded with paint applications, but Snake-Eyes could’ve used a few touches of black here and there.
I can’t say that I despise this figure. It gets a thumb down from me, but not one backed with animosity or nerd rage. More of a meh.
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