Liberation 1: Royal Elegance Queen Amidala

With Star Wars: The Phantom Menace opening this week, who could be more appropriate for my first liberation than Queen Amidala? This doll is currently being snatched up by hordes of eager fans who will keep her imprisoned in the hopes of selling her to finance their kid’s college education. Their loss….

The Doll

Hasbro did an astounding job with the face mold here. It can be really difficult to get a face that is both true to life and attractive on this scale, but this doll has both. Not only is there a great resemblance to Natalie Portman even with the over-the-top movie face styling, but it is really beautiful and just a trace wistful looking. Warning for customizers: that’s white plastic on the head mold and not face paint. *sigh*

As far as body molds go, Hasbro has managed to pick up some of the best and the worst traits of other fashion dolls. When did those hideous white molded undies become an industry standard? Her knees have four positions (maximum shown above center) and her bust ,while petite, *guess George still doesn’t want his princesses to have boobs* is well shaped and anatomically accurate. Arms have a swivel joint and are molded slightly bent at the elbows. Her hair is twisted into five strands and held in place by several tons of hairspray.

If you’re hoping to redress this doll, keep in mind that her feet are posed with a rather extreme heel, so she can’t wear any shoes besides her own. Even the B-girl’s new t-straps aren’t skimpy or stretchy enough to allow them to slide on. Shoe packs, anyone? The good news is, she can trade clothes easily enough with the Generation Girls or Teen Skipper (although why she’d /want/ to is another matter).

Quality control was apparently sleeping when this doll came through the line. If you look closely at the scan above, you’ll note that her leg is cut at an angle, which causes her right leg to be noticeably longer.

The Outfit

Why, in a set full of lovely metal snaps, does this dress have long, hair snagging velcro? This is especially nasty as her hair, as previously mentioned, uses only hairspray to maintain the style. The dress is nicely tailored, with full princess seaming and even tucking at the elbows to give a smooth line on the sleeves. The large plastic things on the bottom of the dress were upsetting at first, until I realized that they give the dress some needed extra weight to allow the material to drape properly. You can’t see them in the above scan, but there are black snaps on either side of the back slit to allow them to be fastened to the pointelle sleeve accessories, another nice touch. Be cautious when putting the dress on or off, as the fit in the shoulders is extremely tight. The dress fabric has a lovely texture that is small enough not to be overwhelming, and the trim is black velvet rather than the fur of the movie costume. Teen Skipper and the Generation Girls can wear this gown, but the bodice is too tight for the B-girl.

Outfit Scorecard
Fabric: A
Style: B+
Execution: C+ (note: one letter grade was lost because of use of velcro)
Overall: B+

The Accessories

Hasbro has done a reasonably job of taking the costume seen in the movie and separating it out into individual pieces for rearranging. The long tapestry-like dangle fastens around her waist or neck with a black strap. The fur-lined oversleeves are attached to a red velvet neck ruff. There are also two more ruffs, designed to fasten at waist or neck, that reverse from gold to red. Soft squishy red pumps finish off the outfit.

Accessories Scorecard
Concept: A
Style: B+
Playability: A-
Overall: A-