The Good: Wonderful coloring detail, Generally good accessories, Fairly decent articulation
The Bad: Accessory coloring is awkward, The fabric elements are obvious.
The Basics: The Vintage Collection Padme Amidala (Peasant Disguise) figure pays homage to one of the last, previously un-figurized, costume changes Padme Amidala had in the Star Wars Saga!
It actually surprises me some that there was an entire wave of Star Wars action figures that came out at the end of 2010 that I, apparently, missed. Ironically, that wave is now easily available at discount stores and the Attack Of The Clones Vintage Collection figures in that wave I missed are now coming into my collection at a nicely discounted price! In the case of the Padme Amidala (Peasant Disguise) figure, the fact that my wife picked me up the figure as part of my Easter basket from her was pretty cool.
For those unfamiliar with the Padme Amidala in peasant disguise, that is not terribly surprising as she did not stay so garbed long in Attack Of The Clones (reviewed here!). Padme Amidala was forced to flee Coruscant in disguise after her second assassination attempt. After turning power over to Jar Jar Binks, she quietly slipped off planet on a peasant transport with Anakin Skywalker.
The 4" Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is an entirely new rendering of the character and the only one that has her in this specific outfit.
Basics
The Padme Amidala in peasant disguise figure stands 3 7/8" tall to the top of her standard hood (the one that comes on the figure in the package). She is the politician in robes, which are a mix of hard plastic and velvet cloth pieces. I’ve never been a fan of the outfits that blend the cloth and plastic, but this one looks pretty good, arguably because the simple outer robes are opened enough to reveal the underrobe which has detailing that is precisely the same color as the cloth.
This toy is a decent sculpt, though it is largely inflexible. Hasbro bothered with molded details like the lacing on the boots beneath the dress, despite the fact that they are virtually invisible. The hoods and sleeves are molded with folds and billows that make the outfit seem like it exists in the real world. The sculpt is as accurate as it can be considering that most of the aspects that would make it distinctly Padme Amidala are hidden. With the figure’s realistic proportions, the fingers are molded perfectly, though they do not have any fingernails.
Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is colored with exceptional attention to detail. Her dress features an intricate pattern that looks exactly like the one on the figure’s card. Moveover, the shoulders and bracelets are equally ornate. The skin tones for the face are realistic and the figure has both red lips and perfectly detailed eyes (whites, brown irises and black pupils!). This is a figure that Hasbro put a lot of coloring detail in, which pretty much makes up for the lack of articulation in the figure.
Unfortunately, the standard hood does not have the same level of coloring detail. The orange hood with the plate in it is molded with intricate texturing, but it does not continue any pattern or texture from the rest of the outfit. That headdress also does not actually match the figure’s sleeves, which seems somewhat problematic because the two are exceptionally close. While this headdress is clearly supposed to be the lace headdress pictured on the back, it looks nothing like that on the figure.
Accessories
Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is essentially a refugee, so she comes only with her ornate headdress and her blaster. The ornate headdress is the one worth outfitting the figure with. The metallic-looking headpiece fits perfectly over the figure’s hooded head when the one headdress is removed. It is intricately detailed to match the figure’s dress and it looks entirely appropriate on the figure’s head.
Also worthwhile is the blaster that this Amidala comes with. Recognizable to fans of the Star Wars Saga as Amidala’s blaster, the little 11/16” firearm is silver and black and fits in either of Amidala’s hands. The fact that a silver trigger breaks up the black handle impressed me!
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is fair in that regard. First, the figure has incredible balance. Because Padme Amidala in peasant disguise can only be arranged flatfooted with her solid under robe supporting her all the way around, she is virtually untippable. In fact, one almost has to wonder why Hasbro bothered to put the peg holes in the feet of this figure; she stands so solidly.
Padme Amidala in peasant disguise holds up moderately well in the articulation department. Despite her lower half – everything below the articulated midriff – being immobile, her upper-body articulation is pretty incredible. She has hinged ball and socket joints at the elbows and shoulders, as well as a ball and socket joint for the head. Sure, her hood prevents any movement of the head, but it was a nice thought. The wrists and waist both have simple swivel joints that provide the figure with more than enough posing options to make the figure worthwhile!
Collectibility
Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is part of the Vintage Collection line that was released late in 2010 and then promptly disappeared from the market. Padme Amidala in peasant disguise is Vintage Collection figure VC33 and it is part of the assortment that has suddenly flooded back into the market, thanks to discount stores like Five Below. Because the figure is so simple and it is part of a discounted collection from, arguably, the least popular film in the Star Wars Saga, I suspect it will be a long time before this figure appreciates in value, if it goes up at all.
Overview
While the figure might not look as good outfitted as it comes in the package and this Amidala has very limited articulation, out of the package, the Padme Amidala (Peasant Disguise) figure is a surprisingly strong and worthwhile action figure!
For other Vintage Collection figures from Attack Of The Clones, please check out my reviews of:
VC30 Zam Wesell
VC37 Super Battle Droid
VC49 Fi-Ek Sirch
6/10
For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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