Review – G.I. Joe (25th Anniversary) Crimson Guard
The 2007 G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary series (Amazon.com search*) brought us a lot more toys and action figures than I think anyone was expecting at the time. According to Wikipedia the line:
“Originally planned to consist of only two sets of five figures each (one G.I. Joe and one Cobra), the 25th Anniversary collection was well received by retailers and collectors, and was expanded by Hasbro into a full-fledged toyline that ran through 2009 . . . “
Today’s review, the 2008 Crimson Guard*, was a result of the unexpected sales success of that line.
From 1985 to 2008
The original Crimson Guard action figure, released in 1985, marked an important time in the early years of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of the eighties. An “army within an army” design, the Crimson Guard was always (in my eyes) the “Imperial Royal Guard” of the Cobra forces. I’m sure the red colors had a lot to do with that, but the eliteness of the character concept also no doubt added to that line of thinking. I can’t say I’m at all surprised that Hasbro ventured down this same path when the 25th anniversary line proved popular, and after the number of times this Crimson Guard* tooling was used I am sure they’re happy they crafted this toy.
(See yojoe.com for all of the uses and reuses of this mold.)
Not a lot of accessories with this guy.
When it comes to accessories, as with the Cobra (The Enemy) (review here) and Python Patrol Officer (review here) action figures, the Crimson Guard* is actually a bit light for a modern G.I. Joe action figure. The toy was packed with:
- Stand – Useful, but fairly standard.
- Pistol – I love that there’s a holster (of sorts) on the left leg so this guy can easily carry the pistol around.
- Rifle – Bayonet has been painted to help the overall look.
- Backpack – Because so very many G.I. Joe action figures have backpacks.
A Nice Update to a Classic
Just like so very many of the other 25th anniversary releases the Crimson Guard* is a great update to the original design. The review of this toy over at joebattlelines.com shows the newer design with the classic and says:
” . . . the CG is a fantastic update of a classic figure and one that I can see fans picking up multiples of.”
I’ll agree, and I’ll point out that anyone who really does want several Crimson Guard action figures may want to take a quick look at the Crimson Guard TRU 5 Pack*: Instant army!
Closing Thoughts
The Crimson Guard* is another good 25th anniversary G.I. Joe action figure. The torso is honestly a little strange — that lower section looks very thin to me — but in general this is a good troop builder for anyone who wants a Crimson Guard army on their shelves.
(NOTE: I should have photographed the backpack. I guess I’ll have to “review” another Crimson Guard action figure soon and show what the back of this guy looks like.)
A fairly nice figure as far as the early 25th Joes went. It’s a shame though, that in addition to the oddly-shaped torso, the helmet didn’t really capture much of the sleekness of the original design (I’ve seen the reproduction described as resembling a “cyborg baboon”).