Welcome to Dan's ToyBox. Thank you for popping in for this review of the Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series #49 Ronald "Dusty" Tadur Action Figure. I am getting more and more excited about the G.I. Joe line and am looking forward to so many of the new figures coming out. I decided to drop a retro review on Dusty because I realized I never reviewed him when he first came out!
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ronald W. Tadur (an anagram of Hasbro Artist: Ron Rudat), grew up in the desert and became intimately familiar with it. After high school, he earned a living as a refrigeration repairman, and studied desert ecology during his down time. He went through basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, and qualified expert level with the M-14, M-16, M-16A2, M-60, M-1911A1 auto pistol and M-203 40mm grenade launcher. Dusty is an Army Ranger who specializes in desert warfare and survival.
In addition to the desert survival skills he possesses, Dusty is an excellent tracker, fluent in Arabic and Hebrew, and can hold his own conversationally in Kazakh and the Oirat-Khalkha languages of Central Asia. Dusty is a patient, strong leader who excels at both sneaking up behind enemies in the desert for a stealthy take down or, ripping open a can of firefight. After the Joes were disbanded, Dusty signed up for a tour in Israel, in order to keep his skills sharp. However, when the team was reinstated, he eagerly returned to active duty, and can usually be found leading new recruits in training drills.
Accessories (9.5/10)
Dusty comes with a commendable array of accessories that enhance the play and display options. The backpack is detailed very nicely but could benefit from a wash to help bring the sculpted details out better. The weapons, which include the rifle with moveable tripod legs and combat knife, are realistically sculpted, adding to the overall appeal. Once again, Hasbro sees fit to provide us with a removable magazine for the rifle, which enhances the realism for posing for ACBA. The inclusion of two pairs of desert goggles, one with a larger strap to fit around his removeable headgear and a second set which can fit on his head, over his eyes, showcases Hasbro's commitment to providing a complete and immersive experience. As always, I marvel at Hasbro's ability to cram so much good stuff in with their Joe figures, while still keeping the prices lower than other figure lines.
Appearance (9/10)
The Hasbro GI Joe Classified Series #49 Dusty Action Figure boasts an impressive level of detail in its sculpt and paintwork. The camouflage design on the uniform is well done, capturing the essence of Dusty's desert-themed aesthetic. The facial features are well-defined, and the overall build is sturdy, staying true to the character's depiction in the GI Joe universe. The subtle details, though, are what really make this piece stand out. From the small flag above his name patch to the camo paint on his face, the applications are excellent. I was very pleased with the detail applied to his head sculpt as well. The hair sculpting and paint applications are some of the best I've seen in the Joe line and really bring the character to life. Honestly, if I have one gripe with the figure... it's how the headpiece fits. It's a soft plastic, but the back of it tends to push against his upper torso, which raises the headpiece up so it's not sitting flush. This tends to make it tilt and shift on the character's head, which in turn looks silly. Also, when turning the head to his right, the chin strap also tends to push against the figure, causing the headpiece to look crooked. This makes finding good poses somewhat difficult, simply because of how the head ends up. Of additional note, his knees are a slightly different shade than both his upper legs and calves. You can see how Hasbro tried to match, but they are just off a shade from the rest of the figure. Otherwise though, there are many good features about this figure's design. The realistic uniform sculpts, facial features, accurate looking accessories, and overall aesthetic make Dusty one of the best-looking G.I. Joe figures released.
Articulation (8/10)
In terms of articulation, Dusty doesn't disappoint. The figure features multiple points of articulation, allowing for dynamic poses and recreating iconic action scenes. The joints are well-designed, providing flexibility without sacrificing stability. However, there are some limitations in extreme poses, preventing a perfect score in this category. Starting up top, without his headgear, the head will move freely, turning side to side and looking both up and down with solid range. Articulation at the neck also helps increase the head motion range, though not by a significant amount. Dusty has the "hidden" butterfly joints which provide minimal forward range but do allow for some backward shift. The shoulders will raise out to a slightly better than T pose and can rotate a full 360 degrees. The bicep swivel works fine, and the double-jointed elbows do allow you to bring his hands to his shoulders. The wrists pivot, but the hinge action on mine is so limited as to be almost non-existent. The ab crunch is pretty tight, but once I got it working, the forward and backward crunch/tilt were decent, but not overly impressive. The waist joint works very well though, allowing for rotation and tilt. His legs feature drop down mechanisms at the hips, which allow him to kick forward quite high and do a very impressive split. The upper thigh cuts needed loosened, but once free, worked fine. The double-jointed knees work good enough and can bring his boot almost to his backside. The ankles have fantastic pivot and hinge articulation, which we've long enjoyed from Hasbro.
Affordability (8.5/10)
Considering the quality of the figure, the price point is reasonable. The attention to detail in both the figure and accessories justifies the cost for collectors and enthusiasts. However, affordability is subjective, and some may find it a bit steep compared to other figures in the series. As I recall, I found this on sale for $17.99 and snapped it up, compared to the regular retail price of $24.99.
Overall, the Hasbro GI Joe Classified Series #49 Dusty Action Figure is a solid addition to any collector's lineup. Its impressive appearance, great articulation, and rich accessory set make it a standout in the series. While the few minor gripes might be a drawback for some, the overall quality justifies the investment for fans of GI Joe and action figure enthusiasts alike. Dusty earns a very solid:
8.75 out of 10 ToyBoxes
As always, thank you so much for taking some time out of your day, to spend in Dan's ToyBox. Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!