Review of Roadblock (The Rock) - G.I. Joe Retaliation action figure

Introduction

It's very rare for me to buy a movie on blu-ray and then never watch it. There are exceptions though, like G.I. Joe Retaliation. I picked up one of the steel book releases because I loved the look of the case...and because I have a bit of an obsession with steel books. But I have yet to sit down and watch the movie, fearing that I'll never get that two hours back.

Hot Toys picked up the license, and they've done a terrific job with it. Their Joe Colton was an excellent version of Bruce Willis, and both the Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow figures was some of their best work last year.

Tonight I'm checking out another of the characters - Roadblock, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This is another of those reviews that I've been behind on, as he shipped awhile ago. You can pick him up for $200 - $220, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
I learned a valuable lesson about our newest dog with this figure - Shammie (that's the pooch's name) loves to eat cardboard and plastic that's been left near the front door. A cardboard box with another cardboard box inside, followed up by a delicious plastic tray center? Oh my God, he's in doggie heaven.

Thankfully, he didn't make it to the actual figure or the accessories, and everything survived. Also thankfully, I didn't really care about the box, since this guy will be on display next to Willis and Stallone on the 'movie tough guy' shelf.

The box did have the usual slip cover sleeve, and inside were a couple layers of trays. It's pretty standard stuff for Hot Toys right now, but Shammie gives it two paws up for taste.

Sculpting - ****
If you're looking for an exceptional Rock portrait that you can use for a custom, you've found it. With all the lifelike realism of the skin texture and facial hair, you'll mistake it for the real deal.

Of course, the bald head helps too. I think that less hair makes it easier for them to capture a more realistic head sculpt.

There's no mistaking who this is, and there's no arguing the quality. While the hands and boots also sport some nice sculpting, it's the head that drives the perfect score in this category.

I suspect some folks will complain about the exposed elbows, since they take away a bit of the illusion. It doesn't bother me at all - remember, I'm a toy collector at heart - but it's worth noting.

Paint - ****
It's a rare thing when Hot Toys doesn't nail their production paint. They've found a way to produce realistic skin tones, glossy life-like eyes, and even near perfect hair. It all comes together with this portrait, so much so that I bet it freaks out Dwayne Johnson to be in the same room with this figure.

Articulation - ****
The underlying large True Type works great, and the outfit is not too restrictive. You do lose some of the waist and chest articulation, thanks to the thick armored vest, but if you switch to the black t-shirt (more on that in the Outfit category), you'll be able to take advantage of those joints as well.

He's a bit taller than the usual Hot Toys figure, coming in at about 12 3/4". That feels right to me - I've included a shot with the shorter Willis and Stallone for comparison. It adds a lot to the display when you get some slight variation in height like this.

Accessories - ****
Roadblock comes loaded with weapons, always a good idea for a Joe.

He has a a pistol with removable grip and silencer. The grip is a little different than the 'brass knuckles' that I'll be discussing in a minute, but attaches to the front of the gun in a similar fashion.

Then there is what Hot Toys calls the brass knuckles. They do look the part, but they also work as handles for various weapons. There's two dagger tips, a longer knife blade, and an even longer baton that attach to these handles. The handles also mount on two pistols, working as the grips.

All this gives you a nice mix and match assortment of guns, knives and daggers, and there are hard case sleeves for one dagger blade and the knife blade on his chest armor. The two handles (brass knuckles) also have holsters at his hips, although these could be a little better executed. The handles tend to fall out at even a slight angle. Finally, the two gun halves also fit in holsters on his thighs. That fit is much better - they'll stay in place during normal handling.

Before I forget, there's also a sheath for the baton, and this attaches to the back of his vest on a couple loops.

To finish off his weapon set, there's a machine gun with a large ammo case that fits on the underside. There's a short ammo belt that can be inserted into the case and fed into the gun, completing the look.

The case doesn't really like to stay attached though, and it can be tough keeping the gun closed over the ammo. It does work, but it takes a little effort.

Be careful with the slide action on the gun as well. It's spring operated, and it's always cool to get moving parts (there's a bunch on this gun, including a folding set of bipod legs) but the action feels like it could break with too much pressure.

Roadblock has some extra hands, but not a ton. There's the relaxed grip pose he comes wearing, plus a set of fists and a set of gun grips. It's not a lot, but those six hands should give you just about any action pose you want.

There's a couple extra wrists posts for the hands as well, but I had no trouble swapping the hands without fear of breakage.

He also has two items to attach to his left forearm. There's a very nicely detailed watch, as well as a large GPS device. Both of these can be slipped on easily when you pop off the hand, and the level of detail is quite impressive.

Finally, he has the usual black Hot Toys display stand for consistency, complete with his name.

Outfit - ***1/2
His main outfit is the camo fatigues, covered with the heavier tactical armored vest. The tailoring and fit are excellent, including the complex set of belts and holsters around his waist and thighs.

The boots look terrific too, as do most Hot Toys boots. He stands great on his own, even in deep stances, thanks to the wide, flat soles.

He does come with a separate black t-shirt, and it looks great...in the package. I didn't have any intention of trying to undress this guy just to swap him into the plain shirt, but it's great that they included it for those that want that look.

Fun Factor - ***
There's plenty of cool accessories, as well as a very posable body - that makes for a lot of fun finding the best stance for the shelf. Thankfully, he comes completely kitted as well, so there's no frustration getting the holsters, belts or vest in place.

Value - **1/2
Retail on this figure is $220, but you should be able to find him for under $210. That seems to be the current going rate in the high end sixth scale market, but I'm hoping things have leveled out. At least this figure is packed with accessories and a complex uniform, making the price a bit easier to take.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing - everything was sturdy, and nothing felt fragile or likely to break. Do take a little care with the moving parts on the machine gun.

Overall - ****
For a movie that wasn't well liked, Hot Toys sure has done an exceptional job. Even if you're not a fan of the film, getting a high quality Rock figure is still a huge plus. Now if we can just get them to produce a Chuck Norris...how about a Lone Wolf McQuade?

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ****
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow has him for $220.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
You'll want to check out this guy's partner, Joe Colton aka Bruce Willis.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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