One look at this guy and you'll know why they named him Russell. Yes, his headsculpt is based on none other than Russell Crowe! And it is a very good likeness indeed. He's got a good expression for a soldier and looks nice and gruff.
Russell has the new "Neo Body type" with special arms that hide the elbow and wrist joints. When I first saw the figure, i figured he'd have the normal triple jointed elbows underneath his "skin" but unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. Rather, his elbow and wrist joints are like a bendy figure which is not terribly bad but not as good as the usual triple jointed elbow and hinge joints. The way the wrists bend is the most unrealistic as they seem to bend below where they should bend. He looks kinda freaky when he's bending his wrists. Because of this type of joint, and because there's so much "skin", you can't bend the arm as far as other Dragon figures can. The most they'll go is about a ninety degree angle. You can bend it more but it won't stay because of all the flesh in the way.
Now for the equipment! This stuff is very nice and makes the set what it is. Here's a rundown of what you get:
(3) M1956 Ammo Pouches
(1) M1956 Water Bottle
M1956 Belt
First Aid Pouch
K-Bar Knife and Sheath
(2) M26 Grenades
M16
(3) Ammo Clips
M1955 Body Armor
Jungle Trousers
OD Undershirt
Jungle Boots
Watch
Metal Bracelet
Dogtags
Helmet with camo cover
The Body Armor is great, with armor plates sewn in. You can zip up the front if you want but leaving it open looks cooler. His pants and shirt are also good quality and Dragon has even put some lumps of plastic in the side pockets of the pants to fill them out give them some bulk. The dogtags are absolutely amazing! Russel also wears a brass bracelet on his right wrist. This helps give him some character and added realism. The watch is not bad but not anything too special.
The ammo pouches are great though and are fully functional. You can open them up and store ammo clips inside. They even close and "lock" like the real thing! There's also straps on the sides to hold grenades. I haven't been able to fit a grenade inside proper but hanging them off the strap works just as well. The ammo pouches and the canteen attach to the belt via clips...only they're not really clips! You have to dismantle one side of the belt buckle to slide all the pouches through. Kind of a hassle but what can ya do?
For the first time I've got a knife worth talking about! Dragon has painted the edge of the knife silver, making it the most realstic knife i've seen yet. The rifle is also a great piece. You can dismantle the barrel grip to reveal the actual barrel underneath. The air vents in the grip are real holes so you can see the barrel through them.
The helmet is probably the only thing I don't like too much in this set. It has nice detail and a removeable camo cover and all but when Russel is wearing it, it just doesn't look right. It just looks too big or something. It actually looks decent without the cover on however. Also, the inner lining doesn't stay in place too well and falls out easily.
So I guess that's it! This is a great figure with only very minor shortcomings. If you are into Vietnam era figures than you cannot pass this guy up!
