Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with our second look at TVC…

Original Review:  Chris - 2/22/11 01:20 AM

This is not a good toy for children.  The swivel forearms tend to pop out when trying to bend the figure at the elbows. On top of that the figure doesn’t do that much aside from stand there.  Having said that, we don’t rate these figures as children’s toys (sad as that may be). 

As a figure targeted towards collectors, it’s pretty good.  Sure it lacks any lower body articulation, but that articulation would be wasted given the molded dress.  Granted, Hasbro could have attempted a soft goods treatment, but there is no way the design would have been as ornate as the one we have, and it’s that design which makes this costume stand out.  You basically get two figures for one with this one.  During the refugee travel, Portman actually undergoes a mild wardrobe change and you are allowed to recreate both versions of the costume.  The only deduction is from the aforementioned weak forearm joints and the fact that the mold prevents a lot of range of motion.  9 out of 10.

Updated Review: Bret - 6/09/18 07:05 AM

Again, Chris’s succinct review does the job.  It’s a great looking collector figure, and together with the Anakin Skywalker (Peasant Disguise) figure, it makes a nice AOTC vignette.  The only major figure missing from the spaceport scene is Rose Byrne as Dormé, which is obviously a top priority by Hasbro.*  This figure is a prime example of how deep the 3.75” line went, and it thumbs its nose at the 6” line!  Good for you, Padmé Amidala in Peasant Disguise!

The figure is 100% collector-driven, wearing a costume from a trio of minor scenes with zero action and tons of cringeworthy dialogue (mostly from Anakin).  It’s beautifully done.  The outfit has tremendous detail and depth, mostly sculpted in plastic with some soft goods highlights.  The head sculpt isn’t awesome, but it’s passable.  It comes with two different headdress accessories, one being an odd hat, and the other a lovely shmata to go along with Anakin’s.  The only articulation is from the waist up. We get a salt shaker figure, which, as we discussed in our review and comments for the 2018 Solo figure, Moloch, can be OK in TVC if executed well and done for a figure that doesn’t make you miss the underarticulation, as is the case with this one.

The figure is about as perfectly done as you have any right to expect.  Sure, the likeness could be improved, or if the body were articulated with soft goods the figure could sit with Anakin at the dining table while traveling.  Or the arms could be less prone to popping off when you move them.  Or it doesn’t have to come with a no-reason-blaster that’s easily misplaced.

Nevertheless, let’s consider this the definitive version of this Padmé

*Seriously, if the line didn’t get derailed in 2012, isn’t it feasible that we’d have a Dormé figure by now?  I liked living in a world where something like that was possible.

Verdict:  No Action 

The figure is definitive, so no resculpt is necessary.  Like the Anakin Peasant figure, it also doesn’t command much of a premium on the secondary market.  It’s not the most exciting figure, but as collectors, you should think back to the days when a figure like this was possible, and be grateful we have it.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.