Pearl Harbor" may be the biggest movie of the year -- so far -- but so far its impact has been one-sixth as big as real life. New line of GI Joes
recalls Pearl HarborHasbro consulted with local
historian in designing figures
Burl Burlingame
Star-BulletinThat's the scale of the wildly popular GI Joe action figures, and since Disney is taking the "high road" in merchandising the movie -- no Sinking Arizona soda cups or "Strafe the Sailor" video games, please -- tie-ins have been largely limited to books and documentaries. The History Channel, with 16 new Pearl documentaries in the hopper, has actually called a moratorium on the subject.
But the subject is tailor-made for the action-figure market, which is composed of mostly grown men. Market leader is Hasbro, with its GI Joe figures, and we took a look at their four new Joes.Arizona Memorial historian Dan Martinez has become a fan of the action-figure venue ever since the company shifted to producing toys that are as accurate and historically correct as possible.
"It's a whole new way of interpreting history," said Martinez, who has become a collector. "Not only does the toy give you an accurate impression of what our sailors and soldiers were wearing and using, the packaging contains well-produced mini-histories on the subject. And you can play with 'em!"
Hasbro consulted the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center while designing the figures, and tweaked them with Martinez's suggestions.
The figures include:Wheeler Field Pilot. He's wearing khakis, helmet, goggles and a sidearm and is holding a piece of "Japanese Zero" wreckage. The package art shows another pilot wearing an aloha shirt.
Battleship Row Defender. A sailor in white uniform and Dixie-cup hat, plus a massive water-cooled .50-caliber machine gun. This is the only Navy figure.
Hickam Field Army Defender. Khaki trousers and leggings, cartridge belt, M1917 "soup-pan" helmet, white T-shirt and a .30-caliber machine gun and ammo belt. He's shown firing the weapon like a shotgun; not recommended in real life. This is the only figure in a "blister pack."
Diamond Head Lookout Invasion Alert. Soldier in "pinks and greens," plus campaign hat, '03 Springfield and a radio set that says "Air attack Pearl Harbor -- this is no drill!" when you press a button.The figures feature what Joe-heads call "New-sculpt" heads, which means they look a little more like Ben Affleck than the older Joe, plus hands with movable fingers instead of the old GI Joe rigor mortis grip. Our impression was positive, except that the ankle joints are loose and make for shifty standing. They go for $20 to $30.
Hasbro is also producing a Hawaiian Territorial Guardsman for limited release, either exclusively for Toys 'R' Us, which is in Hawaii, or at Target, which is not.
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