There are few things more innocently adorable in human history than the angelically chubby-cheeked Carrie Fisher in A New Hope.  When the Kenner division of Hasbro set about making only the second Episode IV based Princess Leia in history, the end result could only be described as a violation.  The cuteness of Ms. Fisher is inversely proportional to the homeliness of this first Power of the Force “2” Princess Leia Organa figure, which immediately earned the moniker of “Monkey Face” Leia from the fans.  I don’t know if that is an accurate description to be honest.  To me this looks like the perfect likeness of Fran from Dodgeball:  An Underdog Story:

Here’s what’s problematic with that observation.  This figure came out in 1995.  Dodgeball came out in 2004.  I may have just unearthed concrete proof of time travel.

The issues with this Princess Leia hardly stop at the face.  What…the HECK…is up with this sculpt?  With these pre-posed figures, I can usually figure out which dynamic moment the sculptor was trying to recreate, but I’m at a loss here.  The legs are contorted into some sort of bizarre stance which is exceedingly difficult to balance.  When both feet are flat to the floor, it topples over.  The only balance point has the right foot riding slightly on edge. When fully adorned with the plastic vestments, this figure usually ends up resting on the lower skirt instead if the feet.  Lastly, the legs themselves extrapolate to someone who is 6’9”, which is hardly befitting of the 5’1” Carrie Fisher.  This figure is a 1 out of 10.  The only reason it own it is for its historical notoriety within the Star Wars line.  I do happen to own a decent carded sample for that reason.

But the figures themselves are hardly the point of these Sunday reviews.  The point is for the story.  The title of the “hot” figure during the early POTF2 days was transitory.  It was at times Lando, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Stormtrooper, etc.  The uproar over the homeliness on the head sculpt caused Kenner to pull back on production - at least temporarily.  This created a “shortage” of the Princess Leia figures to the point that it actually made the news, but as with many things, it was sensationalism.  Of course this caused a feeding frenzy within the general public, fueled by fantasies of funding college tuitions with $5 Star Wars figures. I literally had a woman lean a shoulder into me to nudge me aside as she grabbed every Princess Leia from my local Walmart.  The best part is I wasn’t even after those figures.  I had already watched the POFT2 Lando go from hottest figure in the line to pegwarmer.  I knew this Princess Leia “shortage” would be fleeting.  I was after the Stormtrooper figures because I knew what would have long term heat. 

Oh yeah!  This Princess Leia sculpt would later re-emerge in the green card lineup with slightly softened paint applications, but it would hardly make a difference.  It was still hideous.

After 26 years, I purchased the sample above this past Monday for the mighty sum of $6.  I probably overpaid, but I couldn’t wait to review this infamous figure.