Photo Real Update Chris - 2/1/21 07:05 PM

Let’s put aside the fact that someone at Hasbro thought that an obscure version of Padmé wearing some sort of ornate Naboo formal wear that appears on-screen for less than 120 seconds demanded re-release in an assortment targeted at new collectors.  Let’s forget that Flipper Padmé resembles a giant sea turtle in some poses. Just put that nonsense out of your mind. What is really puzzling is what massive degree of organizational amnesia must Hasbro be suffering to think any figure from the TPM-themed 2012 launch wave needed more market exposure.  That wave almost ended the super articulated 3.75” line.  Bringing back figures from that wave would be like Disney releasing a director’s cut of The Last Jedi.  Let your flops die.  Kill them, if you have to.

With all that said, once again the Photo Real results are amazing.  The figure looks so lifelike that it borders on an uncanny valley feeling, which leads me to my new conspiracy theory:  the decision to re-release figures is not based on those that need Photo Real, it’s based on those that can really show off Photo Real’s capability.  It’s like someone gave Hasbro a Bedazzler for Christmas, and they will not stop until they have bedazzled all the things.  Whether or not it fits or is in style does not matter.  All that matters is that it’s made out of denim.

Original Review:  Chris - 12/31/2011 03:58 AM

Chapter 31.  If you’re wondering where you can spot this particular costume, set your Blu-ray to chapter 31.  That is it.  It begins and ends there.  This particular costume has been nicknamed the “post-senate” costume by fans.  It’s part of a flurry of wardrobe changes by Ms. Portman as she appears in different dress for three consecutive scenes.  As with many of the ornate Queen Amidala costumes, there’s not much that Hasbro can do in terms of an action figure.  The design simply does not lend itself to a fourteen point of articulation figure.  Figures like this are sometimes referred to as “salt shakers” for a number a reasons such as the similar shapes, the lack of articulation, and the fact that the figure will largely just sit on your shelf. 

In order for a figure of this type to earn top marks with me, it wold have to blow me away in terms of design and detail.  This figure is very nice and has nicely detailed multicolored paint applications.  But I wouldn’t say I’m absolutely blown away.  By comparison, the wave 4 Padmé Amidala (Peasant Disguise) figure has a more ornate feel to it.  One gripe is that the elongated sleeves have a unidirectional observance of gravity.  This means that rotated too far the sleeves start to look like flipper wings and the figure turns into a koala-fish mutant bird. Hopefully it will save us at the zero hour.  I collect all Padmé figures, so I’m happy to have any new additions. This one is nice, but if you pick and choose which figures to buy, I wouldn’t say it’s a must own. It’s a respectable 6 out of 10.

Updated Review:  Bret - 8/21/2018 07:05 AM

I must start by adding to something that my esteemed colleague Chris pointed out in his review above.  Approximately 99.44% of the time, I would defer to his knowledge on such things. Queen Amidala actually wears this outfit twice in the film.  I found that odd, since it almost seems like she changes outfits in different shots in the same scene, as she did in the first senate scene.  The gaffe wasn’t corrected until the Blu-Ray release.  (This never happened.  I’m just saying.*)  She wears this particular outfit following the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Zod, but she also wears it at the end of the film on Naboo when the newly elected Chancellor Palpatine arrives to celebrate the defeat of the evil Trade Federation.  To be fair, I myself stumbled upon this revelation only while prepping for this review and scanning my Blu-Ray of The Phantom Menace for scenes to approximate with action figures. 

The figure is fantastic looking, from almost every possible perspective.  The sculpt of the dress is amazing, as are the fabric details and paint applications.  The head sculpt is one of the better ones I’ve seen in TVC so far.  It’s an outstanding likeness to the disguised Queen Amidala.  I would say an outstanding likeness to Natalie Portman, but I feel the makeup obscures her look enough, even though no viewer was actually fooled by this trickery.  The face looks incredibly similar to what you see on screen, right down to the somber look during the scene in her suite with Jar Jar and then Palpatine.  As one would expect from a Padmé/Amidala figure in one of her ornate gowns, the figure is a salt shaker from the waist down.  This is totally fine, and Hasbro should feel free to go this route with these types of figures.  The waist itself is articulated (not necessary, actually) and the rest of the upper body is super articulated as well. 

Perhaps the only downside with the figure is the way the sleeves manifest themselves when you articulate the arms in any direction. The figure is already reminiscent of a Geisha, and the sleeves actually look like she’s holding paper fans…or more like her arms look like kites.  The aesthetic works to perfection when the figure is just standing normally, but any attempt to have Amidala do anything dynamic, such as aim the included blaster accessory, it looks rather silly.  The forearms are articulated (not actually the wrists.). I can imagine a tweak to the design where the forearms could have a greater range of motion so that raising the arms doesn’t look ridiculous (or perhaps just less ridiculous). 

Overall, this is an outstanding looking figure, even if it is short on action.  It’s more or less perfect for what it should be, and as such, this is a definitive version of Queen Amidala in this outfit.  Get one.  I feel this figure meets the requirements of the baseline 7 we’ve established since Chris did this review, so as such, I’m going to give it a 7.  It may not be particularly exciting, but it works well, and as stated, gives collectors an outfit worn in 2 different scenes.

Verdict: No Action 

It’s very good, and it’s definitive, but eBay values are only low to moderate, so there is no reason to consider another effort.

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.