Monday, October 1, 2018

Action Figure Review: Princess Leia (Bespin Escape) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   Hey everyone! Listen, I know the focus of today is that it is October 1st and I've just kicked off The Revenge of 31 Days of Toy Terror but I really, really just had to check out the new Target exclusive Princess Leia (Bespin Escape) action figure from Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series. I found her on Thursday while I was out and about so I managed to score her for 20% off during Target's awkwardly worded Star Wars sale (which said "20% off Star Wars toys, bedding, decor and apparel shown and more*" yet nothing more was ever marked in the store. Lots of Targets seem to have just keyed in 20% discounts if you asked. I did!). The Bespin Escape outfit refers to the white outfit Leia wears on Cloud City during the time when Han Solo is frozen in carbonite and she, Chewie, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Lando escape from the Empire. While this is the outfit that Leia wears during what is probably the greatest 30 minutes from the greatest Star Wars film ever (the end of Empire is amazing and you darn well know it) it hasn't received much action figure attention. I believe the last, and only, version of this outfit was released in the Power of the Jedi line back in 2001 (it's where the moniker Bespin Escape comes from) so there definitely is some excitement about this figure being released (although 1/18th scaled fans are probably saltier than feta cheese that the Black Series is getting the update). Let's check out this new version of Princess Leia Organa after the break...



The Facts:

Height: 5 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a balljointed head


Accessories: E-11 blaster


Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

 The Positives:


* Here's a 3/4ths shot of Princess Leia which shows off the detail in her jumpsuit. Yes, this is actually the jumpsuit Leia wears on Hoth minus the vest (the boots are also different, but we'll get there in a minute). Hoth Leia is coming out later this year as a standard release so Hasbro smartly decided to give us a less popular Leia variant as the exclusive, which is a good idea. While there is a lot of white, there is a lot of detail on Leia's suit too. It looks fantastic!


* Leia is nicely articulated. Leia is a woman of action and her escape from Cloud City definitely gives her a chance to show off her skills. The articulation is great here and makes her incredibly fun to pose in various Stormtrooper slaughtering poses!

* Let's talk about this headsculpt: It's gorgeous, isn't it? This is the first figure of Leia to utilize the faceprinting technology and it really does an excellent job of capturing Carrie Fisher's likeness. Sure, if you overthink it I'm sure you'll have some nitpicks but as it stands this is easily the best Black Series Leia yet and probably one of the best Leia's outside of Hot Toys or Sideshow. Admit it: You want to say "I know." to her, don't you?


* The hair sculpt on the back is really nice. Hasbro did a great job of capturing the detail of these braids (I have no idea what you would call this sort of hairstyle) and it looks perfect to my eyes. Now let's tackle some Padme figures, huh Hasbro?
 * Princess Leia is pretty lightly armed, only carrying an E-11 blaster rifle that has been taken from a Stormtrooper. It's the same mold we've seen a dozen times but it is a necessary part of the escape from Cloud City so it needs to be here. It doesn't have any paint apps, though. I kind of wish she had another accessory, though. Maybe a piece of the medical equipment she uses on Luke back aboard the Millennium Falcon?

 The Negatives:

* Another difference between this outfit and the Hoth outfit is that Leia is wearing these white boots rather than her high snow boots. They look alright but the ankle joint seems very, very weak. The peg seems way too thin and even moving it normally seems to put some stress on the joint. I'm not sure what would be a better solution but this one has me concerned. Be careful when posing her!
   This is a spectacular Princess Leia likeness of one of the less celebrated outfits from the Original Trilogy, so already it's a hit. As a Black Series figure, though, it does feel a bit light. There aren't that many details or paint applications, she only comes with one blaster, and the ankles are a bit weak. Leia is probably a must have for collectors of this line but more casual fans just wanting a good recognizable may be able to pass this one up and wait for the Hoth version of Princess Leia. She's still a Good and a 1/2 figure but she isn't as exciting on her own as many other figures in the series. Still, she gives me high hopes that the Hoth Leia is going to floor us!



   If you love Princess Leia Organa check out some of my other Leia reviews on here including the Black Series classic Princess Leia Organa, Princess Leia (Slave Outfit)Princess Leia Organa (Boushh), and General Leia Organa as well as the micro Leia from the Micro Machines Classic Characters 2nd edition pack and from the Ice Planet Hoth Playset, as well as the background Leias from the C-3PO and Jabba the Hutt mini heads.

For more figures from Star Wars: The Black Series, check out the following:
442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
4-LOM
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Baze Malbus
C-3PO
C-3PO (Resistance Base) 
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma (Quicksilver Baton)
Captain Poe Dameron
Chewbacca (Target Exclusive)
Chewbacca (The Force Awakens)
Chirrut Imwe 
Clone Captain Rex (HasCon Exclusive)
Clone Commander Gree
Clone Commander Wolffe 
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Death Star Trooper
Dewback/ Sandtrooper
Director Krennic 
DJ (Canto Bight)
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Enfys Nest's Swoop Bike/ Enfys Nest
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
Gamorrean Guard
General Leia Organa
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo (Exogorth Escape)
Han Solo (Solo)
Han Solo (The Force Awakens)
Hera Syndulla
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Kylo Ren (Throne Room) 
Lando Calrissian (Solo)
Lando Calrissian (The Empire Strikes Back)
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)- Ahch-To Island
Maz Kanata 
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (SDCC 2016)
Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order ---Stormtrooper Officer four pack
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron and First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper
Porgs
Princess Leia Organa 
Qi'ra (Corellia)
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Range Trooper
Rebel Trooper
Red Squadron (R2-D2, R5-D8, and R2-X2)
Resistance Tech Rose
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Island Journey)
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait
Rey (Starkiller Base) 
Rey's Speeder (Jakku)
Sabine Wren
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
Scarif Stormtrooper
Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader 
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Snowtrooper 
Stormtrooper (With Blast Accessories)
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tobias Beckett
Tusken Raider 
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty

7 comments:

  1. I was big into the Black series until wave three (not phase, but wave) hit, and they were impossible to find. It was clear Hasbro still didn't have it together in terms of distribution, so I sold them all off, and gave up before I got too heavily invested.

    It's a shame, because the figures are great. However, having to immediately go to secondary markets just to get them was ridiculous to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was the original Boba Fett in Wave Two or Three? Because I have never seen a single one in Metro Manila, not even in the specialty toy stores.

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    2. The original Fett was in the second series. I don't believe he was ever carried forward. He should be seeing a rerelease here in the next 6 months or so in the new Black Series set that's going to feature rereleases.

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    3. The early days of the line were tough, but the Star Wars market was tough then, too. I don't even remember when Wal-Mart started carrying the line but it took quite awhile.

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    4. To be honest, I never thought I'd see six-inch Star Wars figures at all. I was happy with my Power Of The Force Boba Fett and the loose three-inch super-articulated Fett (which I think is supposed to come with a silver collector's coin) for years until the Black Series appeared.

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  2. Saw her at Target when I got the Solo exclusive Chewbacca. She's next on my list. :)

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    Replies
    1. Target seems to be getting full cases of her, so hopefully she's easier to get than the Gamorrean Guard.

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