It’s Halloween, so it feels appropriate to kick it off with a review of one of the main monsters from G.I. Joe, Pythona!
The box is slightly larger than the typical Classified box and features some amazing artwork by John Giang that has a bit of a foil hologram effect. I do like that they have had Giang do all the Cobra-La figure art so far as his style seems to mesh well with the outlandish organic designs.
The figure comes with a bunch of stuff including six bio-weapons, three sets of hands (claw effects, fists, and grip), two ponytails, a jewel, an extra head, and a cloak.
The bio-weapons are straight out of the movie. The group of four eel heads dovetail into a snake tail that wraps around the arm of the figure for easy wielding. I like the leathery texture in the sculpting and there is a bit of a wash to bring that out.
The face-hugger looking thing has a long tail that fits well in the grip hand for easy deployment onto enemy faces. There are three little tentacles and the two side ones are articulated slightly to help grip onto heads. There is good detail paint, but I could see a nice wash to bring out the grossness of the mouth.
The turtle/squid combo was squeezed in the film to spray disabling gas at enemies. Unfortunately, the figure isn’t equipped to hold it very well. You can kind of balance it on the claw hand with gas or kind of shove it into the grip hand. That would work better in the wrists hinged in and out. The sculpting is sharp and there are few different paint hits to bring out that detail.
I think the spikey rock with tentacles sticking out is the device used to wrap up enemies like mummies. Similar to the gas-turtle, this can balance awkwardly on the claw hand, but unlike the gas-turtle, I could not get it into the grip hand.
The clam was used in the movie as a holographic display to show Serpentor the B.E.T.. The sculpting is detailed and there is a nice paint job. A little hologram B.E.T. would have been a nice addition, but I suppose this makes it more versatile as you can imagine different things. There is the same holding issue as listed above.
The “jewel of that size” was used in the film to bribe the Dreadnoks to help Cobra-La. It’s a big chunk of translucent plastic that matches the movie look well. It is also a bit of an awkward hold in the grip hands.
The disc weapons feature a center handle in a snake form with a ring of translucent red circular blade surrounding it. Knowing Cobra-La’s reliance on bio-tech, I imagine they are actually some kind of snake, though I cannot imagine what the red blade is. I definitely gives me a cool Tron vibe that I like.
The claw hands have different effects, dripping acid on one hand and smoke on the other. I think the smoke effect is a bit more effective than the dripping acid. I like the idea of the effects, but I kind of wish that they were just big claws. The steam effect is nice, but it would be cooler if it was translucent and removeable. Fists are great to have always.
The cape is very nicely done with snake skin texture, two tones, a giant hood, and some decorative cutouts at the end. I initially put it on with the ponytails removed and it reveals a bit more of the face than it does in the movie, but it looks fantastic. The hood has a great shape and the cape falls nicely.
Pythona mostly wears the hood down in the movie and it looks great down from the front, but a little funky from the back with the large hood laying awkwardly. The hood face opening can be pulled over the head, but you can tear the eye hole a little if you aren’t careful. I’m popping the head off when I move the hood down now because I think I initially overstretched it bit.
The extra ponytail is shorter and chopped. I’m not sure if that’s a specific movie reference I forgot, like maybe Jinx chops a length off? It actually fits under the hood, so I’m thinking it’s there to fill out that big hood and bring the eye holes up a little higher to get more of a movie look.
One of my favorite accessories is the extra head with the fangs. I don’t recall that from the film, but the snake fangs feel appropriate for a lady named Pythona. The paint on the figure is fantastic with some crazy snake eyes on a creepily pale plastic skin tone. The tattoos around the eyes are so sharp and cool looking, this might be weird, but it really makes me want them to make some Jem and Misfits with their crazy makeup. They would nail that!
The sculpting on the figure is fantastic and I especially like the interesting texture on the clothing and it’s emphasized nicely with a wash. The design is a little different than the sort of bubbly webbing of the movie design of the outfit, it’s a bit more symmetrical, but it still has an organic feel. The portraits are a perfect mix of creepiness and beauty and the hair has a nice bouncy quality to it.
The articulation is pretty typical for G.I. Joe Classified including:
- Double-hinged knees and elbows
- Ball and socket waist, mid-torso, and neck
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, hips, wrists, and ankles
- Swivel biceps and thighs
- Butterfly hinge pecs
Overall, this figure is fantastic, one of my favorites for the year. Pythona has been a top want for me for a while and this figure definitely does her justice. It takes a lot of inspiration from the movie, but still does its own thing with her. I think my main critique is I would have liked plain claw hands and a hand to hold the monster weapons, but this is still an amazing figure. I cannot wait for more Cobra-La in the line!
