[TAO's Note: Welcome AD's newest guest reviewer, Ewan! Join him for a look at Pit Comando from Hasbro's GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and see if Pit Commando can stand up to the weight of his own accessories!

Name: G.I. Joe Pit Commando Covert Military Force
Line: G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: Summer 2009
Price: Retail: $7.99-$8.99, Online: $15.99-$24.99
Scale: 3.75 in.
Accessories: Assault Rifle, 2 machine guns, 1 handgun, helmet with clear visor, gas mask, jungle hat with nightscope, full-faced helmet, tactical vest, anti-riot vest, huge backpack, mini riot shield, removeable shirt tail, and figure stand.
Sponsor Listings: Amazon-$12.79 

     This figure is a repaint of the 2008 DVD Battle Pack "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" Dusty, which I hear is pretty hard to find. Well, Pit Commando is just as tough to find as well. Now it could be because there's a mad throng of you Dusty fans out there, but I suspect it's got something to do with the insane amount of accessories this guy comes with.
     The sculpt is pretty nice, but not as satisfying as the other movie Joes because his head looks really ordinary. Duke looks like Channing “Step Up” Tatum, Hawk is a spitting image of Dennis “Great Balls of Fire” Quaid (“Dragonheart” works too, but I thought GBoF was more evocative), Zartan looks like Arnold “Imhotep” Vosloo, so why doesn't this guy look like Brad Pitt? Oh, you mean he's not supposed to?...He's not played by Brad “Fight Club” Pitt?...Well, in that case, it works out well that he's got sorta a Joe Schmoe face. Besides, I don't think any studio could pay Mr Pitt to carry that much equipment on set. But I still think they could've given this guy a new head so that he doesn't look so expressionless and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb among movie star likenesses. As he is, PC sorta looks like a cross between a serious Will Ferrell and mild Ron Perlman.
     The other issue I have is with the hands. Other than the large assault rifle, the other guns kinda only fit loosely in his right hand. His left hand is open even wider, ensuring that the shield can fit, but even that isn't as snug as one would like. So you can imagine how PC likes to drop the guns in his left hand like the rookie he is.
     I do very much like the uniform's creases and folds, sleeves edges and bagginess of his pants. The one bit I really dig about this sculpt is the torso with his removeable shirt tail. A feature which will allow him to wear gun/ammo belts or any other accessory that can be tabbed around his waist. Not only that, but if you remove the shirt tail (or not), PC looks like a regular soldier in uniform. Compare him to the new mold of Desert Ambush Duke, who looks malnourished and anorexic without his camo vest on, and you'll see where this sculpt shines.
     I had this grand idea that I would pop PC's head off and put Duke's on him to create the ultimate Pit Commando Duke, but unfortunately, this is an older sculpt and the neck ball-joint fits rather high up in the head of the PC. So Duke looks more like a mutant giraffe on PC's body rather than the ultimate Joe.

Sculpt Score: 7 / 10

 

     Now this is also the reason why PC looks so ordinary. Compare him with Battle Pack Dusty,who's got camo on his face and wild, wide open eyes, and you'll see what I mean. But I have 2 big issues with the paint on the figure I got: firstly, his eyebrows! Oh. My. Lord. He looks like his platoon mates shaved off his eyebrows when he was asleep and he used brown shoe polish to paint 'em back--and too damn high at that! Secondly, his neck has grey paint from the uniform around the sides. It's especially noticeable on the left. It's a pity, cos his eyes and hair are painted very well, as is his grey camouflage on his uniform. I really like the Joe symbol on his shield but I'm especially impressed with the paint on his jungle hat. It's a small hat and the paint could have easily been fudged and/or botched but was not.
     A pity that his 2 suits of body armour are so highly detailed but under painted. Same goes for the black assault helmet and especially the backpack. With 7 compartments and a canteen, a simple dry brush of a dark grey/blue would drastically improve an already impressive piece. Saves costs I guess. And I suppose if I really wanted to, I could always try to drybrush it myself. Heh.

Paint Score: 7 / 10

 

     This is surprisingly where the figure shines—when he's not wearing his vests. Besides the usual points of articulation for the movie Joes, PC has got an additional waist swivel. Not that the ROC figures need it, but it's just nice to have and it makes the torso look less contorted when in a half turn pose. And where lots of the movie line have collars and the like getting in the way of the head turning 360 degrees, PC's head can turn freely side to side when he's not wearing either of his vests. And while it makes him look cool and all decked out and ready for his first field mission, the black tactical vest prevents his legs from being all the way forward at the hip. The riot vest does the same, but restricts his upward shoulder moverments as well. I actually think the riot vest looks more like an ancient samurai suit of armour than anything else. Besides, I think the tactical vest makes him seem cooler and less like a Joe on crowd control. But with this many accessories, something's gotta give. And if a figure comes with so much cool equipment, I don't think it really matters if a few of them get in the way sometimes.

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

     To be honest, I thought I'd have a lot more fun with this guy. After all, with this much equipment, you'd think he'd be willing to share it with his Joe friends. As it turns out, only he can wear his headgear because his head is really sleek (and others have berets, hair, Duke-ears in the way). And it's no fun too when half the time his guns fall out from his left hand. But all is definitely not lost. I kinda think of Pit Commando as a way to bring other Joes who are not in the movie line into the Rise of Cobra world. No Gung Ho? No Problem.  Use an old Gung Ho head from a previous line that suits the body and voila! I originally got PC as a customizeable piece for my other movie Joes. But I realize now he was meant for greater things—he was meant to bridge the gap between old and new, cartoon/comics and movie! Hey I just had a thought! I'll put my Resolute Duke's head on him to make the REAL movie Duke, one who has blond hair! And if that doens't work I'll try another. Oh boy, that's got me excited now! Just think of the possibilities!

Fun Score: 8 / 10

 

     At the regular price, this guy is definitely worth every penny, so if you find him at a Wal-Mart, Target, or a TRU, just snag him! Even at the $15.99 he costs at BigBadToyStore, he's worth it. Sort of. With 14 accessories excluding his figure stand, there's no doubt that even if you really weren't looking but find PC, you should get him. Even if his hats don't fit on anyone ese, you should get him—his 4 guns, 2 suits of body armour, shield and backpack alone are worth it. He's also the ideal army builder, so if you find cheap loose Rise of Cobra dudes in full/half blue/grey fatigues they can join his Legion of Pit Commando Terror. A note of caution, though. There are sellers selling chase variant PCs but all that's different is the packaging, so unless you're a MISB kinda collector, get the cheaper version.

Value Score: 9 / 10

 

7 / 10 - Rare sculpt, but nothing extraordinary.

7 / 10 - Hit and miss on the head and skin, but uniform is spot on.

9 / 10 - Standard excellent Joe PoAs, with extra waist swivel that's a plus.

8 / 10 - Tons of accessories for him and even other figures, but not all of them fit well, even on him.

9 / 10 - Army builder, customizer, great value at regular price, good value at boosted price.

83 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

If you manage to find him at regular retail, he is an excellent figure. I wasn't looking for him, but found him anyway and got him. Haven't regretted it since. An excellent flunkie for Genral Hawk to order around and carry his stuff.

-Ewan

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