Review of Belle - Beauty and the Beast
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Perhaps my favorite animated Disney movie of all time - pure Disney, before their buyout of Pixar - is Beauty and the Beast. When they announced a live action version, I was skeptical, but the casting of a particular actress won me over. Selecting Emma Watson to play Belle was a perfect choice, and raised my hopes that the final product would be all the original was and more.

Count me among those not disappointed. While the animated film still has its strengths, as a live action adaptation, the new film was excellent. And it was due largely to Watson, who nailed the character in every way.

When Hot Toys announced they'd be producing a figure based on her portrayal, it was an easy pre-order for me.  As regular readers know, I like lots of diversity in my collection, and I'd rather have 50 different characters from 50 different movies than 50 Iron Men variations. Of course, this is one of those figures that creates confusion in the mind of some collectors - is it really an action figure? Or is it a doll? I know where I stand on the issue, but you'll have to figure it out for yourself.

She's currently shipping, and will run you around $230 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Nothing too unique here, but the package is fairly large to accommodate the fullness of the dress. The plastic trays inside keep everything safe and sound, but there's quite a bit of protective plastic to avoid staining, much of which you won't be able to replace once you've removed it.

The highlight is the die cut 'bell' rose cover on the front, with a clear plastic sheet over the photo of Belle. It's a nice touch, but it's not really something you'll feel the need to save long term.

Sculpting - ****
With online photos, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I opened this one up. But in hand, I'm happy to say that this is an excellent adult Watson as Belle sculpt - excellent.

They've nailed the eyes, nose, lips, and chin shape. The hair is finely detailed, with no need for rooted hair to replace it. They've included thin strands along either ear too, which increases the realism of the hair overall.

There's a soft, fine texture to the skin, not so much as to appear old, but enough to appear life-like. The head and neck are properly scaled and sculpted to work well together, and the neck joint under the jaw line is well hidden, even though this is a separate head/neck combo. The neck and upper chest are actually quite impressive. It's the realistic look of the neck and the collar bone that ends up selling the overall realism.

The expression is well chosen, with a slight smirk on her lips and in her eyes. It's much less mannequin in appearance than most Hot Toys females, and captures the personality of the character nicely.

There's a couple nits, don't get me wrong. There's a minor mold line in the hair that bugs me, and the open hands have the damn E.T. fingers. But right now this might be my female sixth scale figure of the year, and it's going to be a battle in my mind between her and the Hoth Leia.

She stands just under 11 inches tall, wearing short heels.

Paint - ***1/2
I do think Hot Toys made a mistake when they went from the prototype to the final product, and it hurts the appearance of the figure. It's not the sculpt though - it's the paint.

Not the quality, oh no. The skin tone is even and realistic, and the hair line has a subtle transition from hair to skin. The eyes are just about perfect, with the details (lashes, makeup, edging) are super clean and life-like. The lip color is excellent, and the eyebrows are clean without having fake edges that look like they were cut with a knife.

So what's the problem? The skin tone itself. The prototype had a much whiter, more alabaster appearance. I think it looked amazing. What we got was a more typical skin color, not a whole lot different than any other Hot Toys figure. Sure, it's realistic, but it doesn't look like the prototype, and it will be the one issue haters can lock onto that is clearly off.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying TrueType works well of course. The ball jointed neck can actually pose at both the head and torso, even with the skin covering. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists are a bit encumbered by the skin, but natural arm poses are still possible. The hands swapped easily, but stay in place while posing.

The torso was a highlight. I thought the dress would restrict it quite a bit, but I was able to get some very good lean and tilt out of it. She still can't turn through the torso too much, but the tilt action adds personality to poses.

The hips, knees, and ankles work great, but the dress will make anything wider than a medium depth stance pretty much moot.

I am worried about the wrinkling and/or tearing at the elbows long term, but that's a bridge we'll just have to cross when - and if - we get there.

Accessories - ***1/2
Here's a category where they should have gotten four stars, if not for a couple nits.

There are a total of six hands - the open palms she comes wearing, plus two sets of gripping hands to work with the various accessories. They swap easily, and there's a couple extra wrist pegs just in case.

She also has her small necklace. The thin string is both a bit cheap and a bit annoying, since it tends to spiral up. The pendant itself is nice, however. You'll need to pop off her head to put it in place, so take some care when popping it back on not to catch the thin strands of hair inside the neck joint.

She has two different versions of the rose. There's  single rose she can hold in her hand, as well as the enchanted rose that stands beneath the glass bell. The cover isn't glass but plastic, but it is crystal clear, and includes detailed itching on the outer surface. There's a small plastic stand that holds this rose upright.

She also has all her friends with her - Cogsworth, Lumierre, Plumette, Mrs. Potts, and of course, Chip. There's a small saucer for Chip as well. The sculpts and paint work on all of these is excellent, but I do have a couple nits.

Plumette looks terrific, and is held up with another of those translucent plastic stands.  However her beau, Lumierre, is not so lucky. He has quite the dynamic sculpt, but I have no idea how you're supposed to keep him upright. EDIT: I hear there's supposed to be a little plastic stand in the box for him...I think I got screwed.

I like Mrs. Potts and Chip too, but it's Cogsworth that takes the prize. He looks fantastic, and the sculpting detail and paint work is really outstanding.

Finally, there's a large display base with a support that has a sticker covering it, mimicking the look of a ballroom floor.

That's a nice assortment, no doubt about it. If Lumierre could stand on his own, I'd be about as happy as I could be. I also wish she'd had at least one or two books, particularly since her hands are sculpted to hold something like that. But this is still an amazing set of extras.

Outfit - ***1/2
Most of the time, the first thing you notice when you pull a figure out of the box is the portrait. Even when it's a character like Jack Sparrow, complete with a very complex outfit and lots of accessories, it's the sculpt that catches your eye first.

But not this time.  The beautiful ballroom gown demands your attention. It's soft, and flowing, and gorgeous, with multiple layers thanks to the pleating and tacking.

Again, that doesn't mean I don't have nits.  After the initial 'wow' factor wore off, I noticed the line formed by the shoulders and top along her chest isn't as square as it should be. That's because the top of the dress sits up too high on her chest - compare to the photo on the front of the box and you'll see what I mean.  There's also an issue with the stitching across the front, with the triangular shape being a bit uneven and offset.

The shoes don't thrill me either, although you'll never see them unless you look. The sculpt is adequate, but the color is very close to the same skin tone of her foot, making them blend in a little too much.

But there are many other highlights that override the few issues. The lower half is tacked in back in such a way as to create a bustle effect, without any actual bustle. Underneath you have a pair of bloomers, a nice touch that's in keeping with the period feel of the film. And the patterns and designs along the lower edges are lovely, capping off the overall impression of the gown.

Fun Factor - ***
You aren't going to do a lot of posing and re-posing with this figure. But the additional accessories provide some opportunity to get creative, and if we ever get a Beast, she has the articulation to pose well with him.

Value - **1/2
At $230, she's about 10 bucks more than I'd like to spend, but let's be honest - you're getting a lot more unique accessories than you usually do with a Hot Toys figure, the outfit is quite complex, and this is a Disney license. I have no doubt it cost a decent chunk of change to acquire.  With all that in mind, I'm going with an average value here, which won't increase or decrease my personal Overall score.

Things to Watch Out For -
When you pop the head off and back on, be careful not to catch the thin strands of hair on either side up under the neck. Otherwise, you should be good to go.

Overall - ***1/2
This was oh, so close to a four star figure. So close.

If Lumierre could stand, there would be four stars in the Accessories category. And if the shoe sculpt were a little better, and the triangular section of the dress were a little straighter and even, there would be four stars in the Outfit section. And this would be an easy four star figure.

But the real issue, the only one that pulls her back from the extra half star for me, is the skin tone. If we had gotten a more porcelain color, something closer to the prototype, I would have been hard pressed to not go a full four stars Overall. Hot Toys hurt themselves this time by showing us a perfect figure, and releasing one that doesn't quite match.

I'm still glad I got her, and she'll hold a special place on the shelf. But I'll also always know that she could have been better had they managed to give us what they promised.

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

Where to Buy 
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Related Links -
I haven't looked at any other Disney princesses...but if you're looking for other Emma Watson figures, check out the young Hermione, young Hermione in casual clothes, and teen Hermione from Star Ace.

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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