Review of Princess Leia action figure
Star Wars Black 40th Anniversary

Introduction

Where would the collectibles industry be without gimmicks? Sure, the strongest lines come from enduring, solid concepts, but that sort of logic and reason has never gotten in the way of a goofy idea.

Playing off the nostalgia of collectors is a well worn gimmick. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and it's always a roll of the dice. Hasbro has decided to roll these particular die one more time, putting out a special line up of Star Wars Black 6" figures on retro style packaging for the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope.

The Black series is already successful, at least successful enough to survive through 2017. Whether or not slapping some already existing figures on new card backs will be a great selling point remains to be seen.

The first wave of these are hitting Target, with other stores soon to follow. There's Han, Leia, Luke, Obi-Wan, and R2 in this first set, and they'll run you the usual $20 a pop. I'm checking out just Leia tonight.

Packaging - ****
This is a rather unusual situation - the Packaging category is really what you're here for. Normally it's a low level, unimportant feature. An attractive package might help catch your eye, and a protective package is always important, but these things aren't the top reason you buy a figure. But with Leia (and the other four in this set), that's pretty much it.

Yes, it's a great looking card.  It reminds you of the original releases from 1977, and it will look fantastic mounted on a wall with the rest. The back shows off the other planned figures, retro style, and the card stock is sturdy enough to survive the pegs.

There's a 40th Anniversary logo too, but you want to know my favorite aspect? The Kenner logo on the front. They were a company I was sorry to see go, finally absorbed into the beast that is Hasbro.

This pack is NOT collector friendly, which means you'll have to destroy it to remove the figure and accessories.

Sculpting - ***
If you already have this Star Wars Black Leia (she was number 30 in the recent set), you already know everything else about this figure. They've merely repackaged her on this new card.

The facial sculpt is much better than the old days, with some nice detail work in the hair. The face is still a bit rough, looking puffy in the jawline and chin. The paint work on the eyes isn't doing it any favors either, making it a little difficult to discern how much of the problem is sculpt, and how much is paint.

I do think the nose, lips, and eyes are fairly accurate, but the lower cost paint work is getting in the way. Perhaps my biggest issue in this category isn't with the nits on the portrait, but her size.

She comes in at just 5 3/8" tall, making her much smaller than the other SWB figures. Carrie Fischer was short, and I bet if you do the math it's not that far off. But in hand, she looks almost child sized, and it hurts the look of a group display.

EDIT: Some folks are expecting this to have a much better head sculpt than the #30 release.  I held the two side by side under a very bright light - any difference is extremely minor. Some of it is paint, as the cheeks on the #30 have some blush that isn't present here, but if I squint just right I can make myself believe the head is slightly less round, with slightly less full cheeks...but it's a very minor change if not a figment of my imagination. Or maybe I just got lucky and got a better painted #30, making the changes less obvious.

Paint - **1/2
As I mentioned, I think some of the issues with the likeness are driven by the paint work, particularly around the eyes and eyebrows. Of course, this is a $20 figure, and expecting the sort of paint quality we see on something like the One:12 Collective, with their $75 price point, would be unreasonable. That doesn't change the fact that the eye paint is hurting the overall appearance though, reducing the score here.

Articulation - ***
The underlying body has plenty of joints, and they work reasonably well.

The rotating hinge neck allows for decent tilt and lean, and the rotating hinge shoulders and elbows have a good range of movement. The wrists merely turn though, and the ankles lack much rocker movement. The rest of the leg joints - hips, cut thighs, and pin knees - all work well.

There's also an ab-crunch and waist joint, and she can bend forward without much restriction from the outfit.

Accessories - ***
Like the earlier boxed version, she has both the blaster rifle and pistol. They are made from a very soft plastic, but thanks to the useful arm articulation, she can hold them in a wide variety of poses. The arms can easily manage a two handed pose with the rifle as well.

Outfit - **1/2
Another area that's a bit disappointing is the white outfit. It's cloth of course, and isn't too restrictive, but it does lack the quality you might expect.

The hood is relatively thick, and doesn't lay very well on her back.  I tried unsuccessfully to put it over her head and not end up with a goofy look. Flatten it out on her back the best you can, and forget it's there.

The edges on the material, both at the sleeves and at the bottom, are not hemmed but simply cut. That means loose threads and a rough, uneven appearance.  They did do a nice job with the collar however, but clearly blew the costume budget making that happen.

The plastic belt rides a bit high on the hips, but you should be able to get it down far enough to look reasonably good. I find it interesting that this simple white costume seems to create such problems - even Hot Toys had a hard time getting it to look right on their very expensive figure.

Fun Factor - ***
With decent articulation and both guns, she's a fun figure for collectors and kids alike. You won't get a million poses out of her, but you can get some key looks, and kids will appreciate having this standard white outfit to go along with Luke and Han. Remember, the current generation got to she her wearing it again in Rogue One. Of course, if you actually plan on opening this figure up to pose and play, I'd recommend going with the boxed version.

Value - **1/2
They stuck with the usual $20, and that's pretty much an average value.  You aren't getting anything amazing here, but you won't feel ripped off either.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
I almost dropped this figure another half star for the Overall, and it's largely due to the costume. The fit, the rough edges, the goofy hood - I'm not a fan. If it wasn't for the packaging, she would have lost that additional half star.

But let's be honest here - this isn't about the figure. If you really want this figure, go buy the version in the nice, collector friendly box, so you can open it up, pose it, and display it without destroying the cool package. The only reason to buy this one is to get that card back, and whether or not that's going to be enough of a draw for the average collector is still an open question.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ***
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***
Outfit - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
First option is to check your local stores. I've seen her at Target already, and other retailers should start putting this first wave out soon. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has her for $21.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Star Wars Black reviews include the Hovertank Pilot, Jango Fett and the Flametrooper, Old Man Han and Trooper Finn  the Resistance Fighter, Captain Phasma, the Target two pack of Poe and the Riot Control Trooper, the first Poe, the basic FO Trooper (along with the Disney die cast version), a Snowtrooper, and Captain Zuvio.

Other great Leia figures include the Hot Toys sixth scale version, the SWB Slave Leia, the Premium Format Slave Leia, the Sideshow Leia, and the Premium Format Leia.

I've covered a ton of the earlier Star Wars Black 6" figures as well, so you should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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