The Good: Decent sculpt, Good coloring, Fine accessory
The Bad: Very limited articulation, Balance issues, Discoloration on the arms.
The Basics: The Power Of The Force Princess Leia In Ewok Celebration Gown action figure holds up better than most Power Of The Force figures, but is still not at all perfect.
There are very few Power Of The Force Star Wars action figures that collectors continue to hunt down. While Kenner did a fairly good job on many of them, the limited articulation and sculpting issues of the time prevent collectors now from bothering with them. Hasbro has remade so many of the Power Of The Force figures with improved coloring, articulation, balance or accessories. One of the few Power Of The Force figures still worth picking up would have to be the Princess Leia in Ewok Celebration Dress figure.
Princess Leia appeared in Return Of The Jedi (click here for my review!) in the middle and end on the forest moon of Endor. She was seen wearing a simple leather dress provided to her by the Ewoks. Why the Ewoks had a dress that would fit a grown human woman exceptionally well is a minor mystery of the Trilogy. Regardless, she wore it when the rest of the Rebels were captured and after the destruction of the Death Star when Endor was filled with excited, dancing Ewoks and actors who had no clue their careers were pretty much over.
The 4" Princess Leia In Ewok Celebration figure is pretty cool and I like the fact that it does not try to blend fabric and plastic elements like so many Leia figures attempt (with mixed results).
Basics
Princess Leia is the famed Rebel officer and princess of the rubble of Alderaan in her dress from the climax of Return Of The Jedi. The figure stands 3 3/4" tall to the top of her head. Princess Leia is dressed in her tan dress with white sleeves. Her long hair is cast down and she is wearing sandals which are pretty much just painted on. The figure is made of hard plastic, except the skirt portion of the dress that covers her legs and her hair.
This toy is a pretty decent sculpt, looking very much like Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Her left hand is cast in an open position, so she may only hold her blaster in her right hand. The dress has decent molded details, like the seam along her bustline and the belt around her waist. The painted details are equally extensive and include blush on the figure’s cheeks and bright red lips. Kenner also included tiny pink “x”’s in Leia’s hair which represent well the leather ties she had braided there in the movie!
I was prepared to rate this figure a little higher until I noticed an issue with the arms. The arms of the Leia In Ewok Celebration figure have discolored over the years. As a result, the tan of the sleeves on the arms does not match the tan of the dress and the off white of the undergarment sleeves has become more off-white as time has passed. While this is not as extreme as the yellowing of the Stormtroopers, it is noticeable and brings down an otherwise surprisingly well-detailed action figure.
Accessories
Princess Leia, Rebel leader who has much to celebrate, comes only with a sport blaster. The sport blaster is the simple, long-barrel pistol carried by Princess Leia in Return Of The Jedi. It is rendered for the figure as a 1 5/16" solid black plastic gun with distinctive ribbing on the upper barrel (presumably these are emitter coils or the like). The gun has a very thin handle and only fits in Leia’s right hand.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and Princess Leia is fair in that regard. The figure is poorly balanced and lacks significant articulation to make it interesting with her weapon, largely because she only has straight-armed posing. Princess Leia has limited poseability. Because of the skirt figure can only spread its legs a little and it can barely be moved out of a flatfooted position. Flatfooted or not, this is a very difficult figure to get to stand on its own.
Princess Leia is also low on articulation. The figure has six points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints: shoulders, groin socket, neck and waist. The leg articulation is inhibited by the skirt and Leia’s head barely moves because the hair that descends is long and stiff enough to prevent much of a range of motion when the head is turned.
Collectibility
Princess Leia is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. The Princess Leia in Endor Celebration Gown was only produced on one card, with the Freeze Frame slide in 1997, making it one of the more rare Power Of The Force figures. As a result, this one may often not be found for less than its original issue price and has actually appreciated marginally in value.
Overview
The Princess Leia in Ewok Celebration Gown from the Power Of The Force collection is a moderate success and a figure well worth picking up, even now. As one of the least-sculpted versions of Princess Leia, this is a worthwhile figure for any fan’s collection!
For other Princess Leia figures, please check out my reviews of:
2009 Legacy Collection Slave Leia
2006 Saga Collection Leia as Boushh
Bespin Escape Princess Leia
Power Of The Jedi Deluxe Princess Leia with Sail Barge Cannon
12" Slave Leia
Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 Scale Leia as Boushh doll
5.5/10
For other toy reviews, please check out my index page!
© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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