Queen Amidala - TVC - Basic (VC84)

When Hasbro released Queen Amidala for the first time in 2012, it quickly became one of our most-favorite action figures in the line. Now, Hasbro reissued the figure with a significant amount of updates, making the figure look better than its first release. The Vintage Collection's Queen Amidala figure from The Phantom Menace is excellent, despite Hasbro not breaking any new ground. Hasbro approached this version of Queen Amidala the same way they did for the last three to four takes of the Prequel Trilogy character. 2008's TLC The Padmé Amidala Legacy Evolutions figure, 2009's LC Queen Amidala (BD08) figure, and 2011's TVC Padmé Amidala (Peasant Disguise) are nearly identical in their design. With multiple ball joints in the upper body and practically a static statue from the waist down, you would think that a figure with this type of basic sculpting would be anything enthralling. But that is not the case for Queen Amidala. It's quite the opposite. Not only does this figure have an alarmingly realistic appearance, but it may also have the most extraordinary likeness of Queen Amidala our collections have ever seen. The portrait is stunningly beautiful and captures every detail of Natalie Portman's face in a 3.75" scale. The Photo Real deco brings the figure's authenticity to life. For example, the face's expression is captivating, and Queen Amidala looks somber and with worrisome concern. And Queen Amidala looks better than ever in the basic figure line thanks to some careful planning and stringent standards in the hallowed halls of the design team at Hasbro. Reissues are concerning TVC collectors. But if Hasbro keeps making them look this good, they can keep reissuing them as far as we're concerned. This action figure is the quintessential Queen Amidala representation from Episode I. And we hope that Hasbro remains steadfast and continues bringing the quality interpretation of the on-screen character in this manner going forward. Queen Amidala appeared only seconds in this costume. However, she wore it twice in Episode I: the first time after the Senate hearing and the second time after the Battle of Naboo (where Palpatine lets Anakin know of his "great" interest in him). It's an essential representation of the queen.

Aside from the Photo Real paint on the face, Hasbro added gold detail via half-toning around the hairline. It looks so much better. The old version doesn't have this detail. Interestingly, Hasbro left off the gold line on the figure's back. We're not sure why they eliminated it this time. Queen Amidala isn't a figure that you'll pose in a variety of ways. You'll have to accept that the figure functions more like a figurine than an action figure. Some collectors even hail these types of sculpts "saltshakers" due to their limited articulation. Accepting that this figure is what it is, there is no denying what a fantastic accomplishment Hasbro achieved here. Queen Amidala has minimal viable posing options that are believable thanks to the arms' inherent design. Should you choose to pose the arms in any upwards fashion, you'll see how difficult it is to accomplish. It feels like Hasbro didn't intend for the figure to have upper-body movement. The sleeves point downward, so if you pose the arms up towards the sky, they blatantly resist the natural gravitational pull and stubbornly remain pointed upwards. Only in the case of soft-goods would the figure benefit from a more realistic design. OK, so you know what NOT to do with this figure. If you remove the figure from the packaging and place it on the shelf or in a diorama, you will have a spectacular work of art. The dress has a very intense design. The 2021 version has this detail painted differently than the original 2012 version. It's mostly black, but there are multiple textures worked in to give it a multifaceted look. The pattern on the fabric is ornate and utilizes both gold and silver. They've been placed evenly and in a straight line on the sleeves, but to give it a more natural look, Hasbro had the pattern run to one side, and it gets cut off by the black portions of her dress. It ultimately looks impressive, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the final results. Queen Amidala doesn't lean to one side when placed on a flat surface, and the plastic used is slightly pliable and has some flexibility, no that this is necessary to aid the figure in any way. It was just an observation.

We've already raved about the head sculpt. It is the best head sculpt of Queen Amidala we have ever come across. And please allow us to reiterate that Photo Real deco proves how incredibly accurate the toling of the portrait is. We are inordinately impressed with it that we'd like to congratulate Hasbro on the accomplishment once again here. We'd ask that Hasbro use the face portion of this figure for all future Episode I versions of Queen Amidala. The face sculpt is brilliant and painted white (a detail that Hasbro missed on the 2009 LC Queen Amidala (BD08) figure), and the two red cheek dots are equidistant from each other and evenly rounded. But it looks more symmetrical on the Photo Real version now. Whether you look at this figure head-on or a profile, you will quickly see just what an incredible job Hasbro did on this portrait. As you can see, we cannot contain our joy for it. We are hard-pressed to complain about this action figure, but if you're looking for something, we'd say that the waist swivel joint isn't necessary. It's not needed since this figure works best standing on a display shelf "as is" in your collection. If you articulate the waist, it breaks the continuity of the figure's dress and looks awkward. Hasbro could have quickly abandoned this point of articulation altogether, and we would have been OK with it. But some collectors like having this flexibility. Also, the swivel "wrists" (actually, the sleeve cuffs are articulated) probably could have been eliminated as well. They are quite challenging to move, and placing the blaster pistol in them proves to be a chore. The hands are already in the correct position to hold the included blaster pistol, so why bother including articulation points that won't likely ever be utilized? We probably made it obvious we're enamored with this figure. We hope you will welcome Queen Amidala with open arms into your collection. It may not be the best choice for a TVC repack, but the figure is spellbindingly gorgeous.

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Queen Amidala (VC84) figure in January 2021 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) "photorealistic" deco, (2) new outfit deco paint operations, (3) missed paint details on dorsal sdie of figure (4) refreshed 2019 packaging with different graphics

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is January 4, 2012. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery and revised General Analysis and republished on January 30, 2021 after Hasbro reissued the figure.