Tag: Saga

Recommended music: Adam Warnke – Augie’s Great Municipal Band on Trumpet

So this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’re also taking a look at the Hasbro Star Wars: Queen Amidala Celebration Ceremony!

When the Original Trilogy Collection was wrapping up in early 2005, Hasbro released a short 16-figure line in the same packaging. This line was the “Post OTC.” Then, they transitioned over to Revenge of the Sith. For whatever reason, five of these figures were not from the Original Trilogy, as they were characters from Episodes I and II. This included Padme in her feathery parade gown.

The “Celebration Robe” is removable, but the character is unlikely to stay standing upright with its tiny high-heeled feet, needing the big semi-translucent robe to keep her in place. The figure did include a little two-part peace globe for you to assemble and for Padme to pass from Sio Bibble to Boss Nass for some reason, but I seem to have misplaced mine.

Fortunately, the basic articulation included one swivel elbow. This allows Padme to put her hand back down at her side after passing off the glowing ball.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Mikhail Lesogorov – Battlefront 2 – Battle of Naboo

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re taking a look at another figure in The Phantom Menace line. It’s Queen Amidala (Naboo)!

This figure was released with the first waves of TPM figures back in May of 1999, and at the time, it appeared to be a fair likeness to Natalie Portman (not too sure about that now with more modern paint applications). All these figures were easy to find (and army-build apparently). The sculpt is decent, but the sleeves look a bit silly if the arms are posed too high. The figure did come with the Comtech stand. It could play several lines of dialogue on the chip reader. It also included two differing lengths of blasters, as these tiny accessories were easy to lose.

I thought this shot of the royal troops storming the Naboo hangar was impressive. The incognito queen and her handmaidens, in matching outfits, were startled to see a mysterious hooded figure (Darth Maul). They were soon relieved when Qui-Gon declared, “We’ll handle this.”

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Paramore – Decoy (Live)

So this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’re also taking a look at the Hasbro Star Wars: Sabé (Queen’s Decoy)!

Ah, that moment in the film where the true queen reveals herself to the masses and tells everyone that Keira Knightley is just her decoy to gain the trust of the Gungan army. Even though this costume is around for a few scenes, I feel like Hasbro was short-sighted with the release of this character in the Power of the Jedi line, which is still the only figure with this look in the 25 years since the film.

The skirt piece features slits on the side, which would be great for posing in a way other than the standard traffic cone look, but there is no articulation in the knees or ankles. Also, noticeably absent are elbow and wrist joints, so the arms can either be at her side or clasped together to hold the included blaster, like in the scene where they storm the Naboo hangar.

I thought it would be more fun to just put Sabé into this prior scene instead, which also features Obi-Wan scratching his head and Gungan soldiers with their hands in the air, a preview of their later surrender on the battlefield.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Killer Queen

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re taking a look at the Minnie Mouse as Padme Amidala in Senate Gown!

This Disney Parks exclusive figure was released in 2012 and features a good likeness of Minnie as if she were addressing the Galactic Senate with powerful dialogue like “I will not defer… I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee.”

You must admit would be funny to hear and would not be taken seriously if delivered in a Minnie Mouse voice. The figure stands well, with the only included accessory being a part of the build-a-droid, as there really isn’t anything else that makes sense to include with this carded version of the character.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Artificial Records – Queen Amidala’s Wardrobe

Popping up this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’re taking a look at the Hasbro Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Queen Amidala!

Another scene, another new outfit for the queen. This 2021 version was a repaint of the 2012 TVC figure of Padme on Coruscant. The only difference is the use of “photo-real” face printing. It looks more realistic, but I’m not sure it looks any more like Natalie Portman than the first release. She comes with a blaster for some reason, but in the only scene with this outfit, there was not a lot of action besides pacing around and Padme deciding to go back to Naboo. While it was nice to get this look for the character, and the sculpt looks pretty accurate, the figure is unfortunately quite the traffic cone with no articulation below the waist.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Metallica – Master of Puppets

This #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got another Jedi from The Saga Collection, it’s Yoda!

Like Yaddle, Yoda is an “unknown” species that helped tie the prequels to the Original Trilogy back in 1999. This figure was originally available in The Phantom Menace Collection. It got a slight repaint and retool for the 2002 Saga line. This was the first Jedi figure to be released with his Jedi Council chair (and on his own individual card). He also had a magnet in his hand to force-attract his included lightsaber. His chair is the same sculpt as Yaddle’s but is a brighter blue for some reason.

Like other members of the Jedi Council to follow, he stands fine but looks strange in the chair due to minimal articulation. Speaking of looking strange, even this repainted version looks more like the original puppet Yoda from the theatrical version of TPM, as the digital recreation wouldn’t be commonplace for a few more years when George Lucas decided he wanted the character to look more like the model used in Episodes II and III.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: V.I.C. – Wobble

The toys are back in town for this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives! Today, we’ve got another Jedi from The Saga Collection, it’s Yaddle!

While Yaddle is a mysterious character, she is not a unique alien on the Jedi Council, as she is of the same ‘unknown species’ as Yoda. Yaddle only has about 15 seconds of screen time in The Phantom Menace, but the character does make her return (with dialogue) for the animated Tales of the Jedi series.

This Yaddle figure was originally available in a 3-pack with Yarael Poof and Depa Billaba (and their chairs/floor pieces). The figure can stand just fine if desired, but it did not come with any weapons and has no articulation for the head or below the waist. So, she fits in her chair, but she looks a bit strange.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: John Williams – Qui-Gon’s Noble End

Even this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’ve got another Jedi from The Saga Collection. Today, we’re taking a look at Even Piell!

When the character was first shown in promotions for Episode I, there was speculation that he was the same species as Yoda, or “Pink Yoda.” This was not found to be true, and his species was later identified as a Lannik. The male character was portrayed in the film by a female actor, with additional footage being shot and used in Attack of the Clones. He finally got a speaking role in The Clone Wars animated series and a new death scene than the character had experienced in novels.

This Piell figure originally came in a 3-pack with Mace Windu and Oppo Rancisis, their Jedi council chairs, and floor pieces. What he didn’t come with was a soft goods or adjustable skirt piece, so he can’t really sit in his own chair without removing the cloak (which also looks weird), so I just used this scene where he continues to have no dialogue but is close to the action of Qui-Gon’s funeral pyre.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Pet Shop Boys – Opportunities

Oh yes, the weekend of my visit to Rancho Obi-Wan has arrived! On this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’ve got another Jedi from The Saga Collection, it’s Oppo Rancisis!

Another unique-looking alien on the Jedi Council, Oppo is a Thisspiasian who appeared in Episodes I and II, Clone Wars, and apparently in some High Republic stories as well. The figure did not come with any weapons, only available in a 3-pack with Mace Windu and Even Piell (and their chairs/floor piece). What he DID come with is a long swivel tail. It is somewhat flexible, but it makes it difficult to pose him in his chair. He also has FOUR hands, as there are two additional hands hidden under his clothing.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Luke Combs – Beer Never Broke My Heart 

Yes, this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’ve got a Jedi from The Saga Collection, it’s Yarael Poof!

While this goofy long-necked alien did not come with any weapons, he came in a 3-pack with Yaddle and Depa Billaba, and each of them came with their Jedi council chair and a connectable floor piece. Thankfully, the figure came with knee joints and a soft goods skirt piece so he could actually sit in the chair. Unfortunately, his feet are too small for him to stand very well, and his neck is actually shorter than what we see in the film.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Steely Dan – Do It Again

Behold, this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got another podracer pilot. From The Saga Collection, it’s Dud Bolt!

This figure was released in 2006 on a single card packed with Mars Guo. It was rereleased six years later in a 5-pack of podracer pilots with minimal paint changes. For some reason, a rifle that originally came with Durge was included. His character does get a shout-out in the film and serves as a bodyguard of sorts for Sebulba until crashing on the last lap of the Boonta Eve pod race.

“And back again, it’s the mighty Dud Bolt with that incredible racing machine, the Vulptereen 327!”

Behind the scenes, the character’s name is a play on the term “deadbolt” and is one of two pod racer pilots who were practical puppets on the set, and not CGI.

The Phantom Menace turned 25 years old last year, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Beedle The Bardcore – Ruff Ryders’ Anthem (Medieval Bardcore Version)

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we don’t have just another podracer pilot, but instead have this pair of pod race announcers. It’s Fode and Beed!

This figure from the Power of the Jedi line corrects the version that was included in The Phantom Menace line just a year earlier. The TPM figure was not based on the likeness of the character we actually see on-screen. Instead, it was designed to reflect the character concept art. Besides the design change, the heads of the characters played by Greg Proops and Scott Capurro were on the wrong side of their body. The pair of comedians was originally filmed with makeup on their heads with the rest of their bodies in blue suits; however, the effect never worked convincingly, so Fodesinbeed Annodue became the completely CGI character we eventually see in the film.

“It’s Skywalker! The crowds are going nuts! – Fode and Beed

The Phantom Menace turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th

Recommended music: Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – It Takes Two

Today we’ve got another podracer pilot on this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives. From The Saga Collection, it’s Teemto Pagalies!

Hasbro put this figure out on a single card in 2002. It was then released again, 10 years later, in a 5-pack of podracer pilots with minimal paint changes. While the character is barely seen on screen, he gets plenty of back story in books and comics in doing things like being a heavy drinker, getting saved from bounty hunters by Qui-Gon, and buying a slave’s freedom with his pod racer winnings (where have we seen that before?)…😄

The Phantom Menace turned 26 years old as of last month, and I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25+ years of The Phantom Menace!

#ThePhantomMenace
#thephantommenace25th