Charbroil (2009)

Another in the 2009 GI Joe movie line’s non-movie figures, Charbroil is again a figure that seems to work better alongside the 25th anniversary than the movie style. Made up of a mixture of 25th anniversary and Resolute Duke parts, he’s a close cousin to Blowtorch, design-wise. The choice of parts distinguishes him from being a straight repaint of the Joe team’s original flamethrower, and updates the concept nicely (which itself is quite dated–are flamethrowers even used in modern combat situations?)

Color choices are nice, and appropriate for the subject. The scorched effect added to the chest plate is a nice touch. It would have really tied the design together to apply the same effect to the helmet. With the addition of different accessories, I think the part choices and paint scheme would actually have served better as a Joe firefighter. It’s also a bit strange that a modern Joe character with a removable helmet doesn’t get a head sculpt underneath. I assume it was due to the design of the mirrored visor.  The combination of the helmet’s shape and the mirrored visor lend an ominous air to the figure. A repaint in blue or black would have made for a nice Cobra specialist trooper.