GI Joe Classified Series Vincent "Falcon" Falcone Figure Review

One of the best and worst things about action figure collecting as an adult is when toy companies release updated versions of your favorite childhood toys. Best because hell yeah that toy you lost on the street as a kid is coming back to you bigger and better than ever, and worst because sometimes you just never know what you're gonna get.

That's why I got the GI Joe Classified Series Vincent "Falcon" Falcone figure the moment it was announced. This was the guy who lead my Ninja Turles and my sister's dolls on adventures when we were kids. And now he's back and given the Hasbro GI Joe Classified Series treatment. But how did they treat him this time around? Read on to find out!

Lt. Falcon was my very first GI Joe figure, this cool soldier in a green beret and camo gear. His GI Joe Classified Series version retains much of the original toy's features, right down to the wee antenna and  useless sculpted knife and sheath on his webbing!

This is one of the most "generic soldier" looking of the GI Joe Classifieds, but Hasbro found ways to still make it look cool. The detail is at par with figures of the line, from the incredible sculpted "rope" on the backpack to the different textures of his uniform. This is one smart-looking Falcon!

The straps of Falcone's web gear and the hem of his shirt is one single piece, making it easy for you to pose him without the bottom of his shirt restricting movement. Falcone's got the standard GI Joe Classified Series articulation so you can put him in some badass poses.

Falcone has a couple of accessories, one of which is a Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun with folding stock. Thank goodness GI Joe Classified Series no longer gives its figures Nerf guns! The sculpt and detailing on the gun is amazing and fits in Falcone's hand well, and the stock of the shotgun even folds out! Unfortunately, the butt of the stock gets detached if you so much as breathe on it.

Falcone also has this gnarly-looking knife that fits in the sheath on his backpack. However, the knife handle is too small to fit in Falcone's hands, making it as useless as it looks.

And to add indignity upon insult, Falcone's headsculpt looks nothing like his announcement renders and more like someone with shrimp allergy. The lip tint they gave him does the sculpt no better favors. Sure, it's not like being ugly is a crime, but for idealized versions of superheroic soldiers from a cartoon-slash-toy commercial, I was hoping for something more pleasing to the eye!

It's unfortunate that my most-anticipated GI Joe figure gets saddled with a disappointing release. As much as I enjoy seeing Lt. Falcon come back to my collection, it shows me how sometimes, you're better off looking at nostalgia from the safety of rose-colored glasses.

Has your favorite GI Joe been given the GI Joe Classified Series treatment yet? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!