Rock & Roll (GI Joe Kreo)

I know everybody wanted GI Joe Lego. A quick image search will yield a number of custom creations out there. However, Hasbro wouldn’t want to license somebody to do that when they have their own Kreo building block line.

I want to say up front the character choice show this line was created by fans of the vintage figures, comics and cartoon. They really tug at those vintage “Joe Memories” to borrow from the Flag Points podcast.

First up, I’m checking out a guy I’ve never had a figure of in my collection, Rock & Roll. The original GI Joe machine gunner.

Rock & Roll had a pretty basic look, a couple of ammo belts slung over a plain green uniform. and that is exactly what the Kreo version gives us.

The belts in this case are separately molded pieces and I think it serves him well. The pieces are molded in gold and while stylized,  looks recognizable.

While the paint is minimal, they have added brown patched to represent the boots the original Joe figures wore. Another perfect nod to the original figures is the helmet. This is a pretty close version to that helmet that most of the original GI Joe’s shared.

Speaking of paint, I’m a bit let down by one spot. His beard beard is in a yellow color. While this is correct, There’s not enough contrast with the flesh tone to make it stand out. He ends up looking clean shaven in some light.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Rock & Roll without a big gun. This one is so big it comes in three pieces. My problem is  it looks nothing like a gun to me. I can see the barrel and the vent, but past that, it looks like a bunch of kibble to me.

I will say as my first exposure to Kreo, I’m fairly impressed. They seem to be a combination of the good from a number of other lines. The style is more Lego, cute, but recognizable. The articulation reminds me of Mega Bloks, though. Finally, the belts added on remind me of Minimates. All and all, a pretty solid entry in the minifigure game.

Overall:

While I’m impressed overall and glad to have him, Rock & Roll has the few issues I mentioned above. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great figure. But, the beard and gun just bug me. Seeing him as part of a larger team will make up for this in the long run I’m sure.

Engineernerd Score: 90/100

Tags: GI Joe, Hasbro, Kreo, Minifigure, Rock and Roll

Category: Featured, GI Joe, Toy Reviews