PRINCESS LEIA Bespin GownThe Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No. 37512
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC111
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2012
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back
Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. No specific character information.)
Image: Adam's photo hole.
Commentary: The third time's the charm! After a pretty great debut in the Princess Leia Collection and a subsequent pretty fantastic figure in The Original Trilogy Collection, Hasbro actually decided to redo a perfectly good figure and make it great. It's rare where I can say "I liked the last one and I like this one too" without reservations, but this figure is basically an across-the-board improvement. The previous one was an all-plastic statue, and I liked it. She looked fine, the height was about right, the head and hair were big improvements, and the new one is even better. Surprisingly given a new sculpt with 14 points of articulation, Leia's pants hide her ankle joints well and her gown covers many of her points of articulation nicely. Despite not needing to, she can sit down easily through the extensive use of higher quality soft goods, complete with a pattern printed on the back. (Most of us thought Hasbro would leave this off, and we are glad to be wrong.)
While not perfect-- the unique creases of the actual costume are hard to render in teeny-tiny fabric-- it's easily the best toy version of the costume made in the modern era. The plastic clip around her neck looks great, the gun fits in her hand perfectly, and she looks more like "Princess Leia" than "some chick with boobs and too much makeup," although do not think I have anything against chicks with too much makeup and boobs. Far from it. This is a good figure and arguably an improvement over what you have, even if she requires a little more care to get to stand properly. If you have the 2004 version it's a worthwhile upgrade, but budget-conscious fans already upset with this being a wave made completely of upgrades, you can probably skip it if you must. But I doubt you'll be sorry you bought her.
Collector's Notes: Distribution is what it is, so let's move on. The figure is sold in 3 different ways: a San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive boxed set, and two "vintage" packages for retail. One is based on the classic Kenner packaging, and the other is a blue and black cardback based on a rejected Vintage artwork from the 1970s. I prefer the standard black and silver, but it's certainly nice to see this new concept brought to life.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,872: August 16, 2012
"although do not think I have anything against chicks with too much makeup and boobs. Far from it."
ReplyDeleteHa ha!