Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) - SW [S - P3] - Basic (’03 #36)

While being guarded by Anakin Skywalker after attempts were made on her life, Padmé accompanies Anakin to Tatooine on a mission to rescue his mother. Tormented by nightmares, Anakin decides he can wait no longer to go to her aid, and Padmé chooses to stay by his side, even if it means going against the decisions of the Jedi Council who are trying to ensure her safety.

It’s hard to find a situation in collecting Star Wars action figures that beats when Hasbro gives us multiple outfits for an action figure in one fell swoop. It’s gratifying to witness Hasbro kill as many birds with one stone as possible, especially when a character like Padmé Amidala is wearing different threads in almost every scene of the film. This was especially true in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. We probably never saw Padmé Amidala wear so many various outfits than we did in that film. And what’s interesting is that Hasbro hasn’t given rhyme or reason to why they release action figures in these outfits of hers or not. One sequence in Attack Of The Clones involved Anakin Skywalker returning to Tatooine alongside Padmé Amidala to find out the status of his mother. In the beginning of this scene we quickly witness Padmé Amidala in two different outfits. It is in these scenes that Hasbro was inspired to make Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) for the basic figure line. She is a simply articulated action figure, but she looks pretty good, albeit not as perfectly as you might hope. But the interchangeability and versatility of this action figure are enough to paint smiles on even the most discriminating of collectors. What’s more, Hasbro included another spectacular environmental display stand to tie everything together. Count this action figure another winner in the basic figure lineup.

When fully “assembled”, Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) looks like an ornately dressed nun. The large, thick and heavy outer robes cover her body completely and the hood also completely covers her head except for the face portion. While absolutely simple, she looks ripped right from the scene where she and Anakin land on Tatooine and encounter C-3PO. The detail sculpted into the robe is stellar. But it’s the use of multiple colors for the paint job that is really impressive. The robe has a pearly look to it and pleats naturally down her silhouette. There aren’t many things you can do with Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) in this setup, so it’s more than likely you’ll choose to pose her sans outer robe. Once you remove her outer robe, you’ll find the crux of the action figure underneath it. Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) is a fairly well designed action figure with modest articulation. The ball-socket head is a nice gesture, but other than swivel shoulders and a swivel mid section, this action figure contains no more articulation other than that. Just like Padmé Amidala (Secret Ceremony) (‘03 #22), Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) is a display piece first and action figure second. But she is a nice display piece that you’ll definitely want for your own collection.

By the way, this varies based on the sample you have, but some of the Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) action figures are cut crookedly (actually, at an angle is perhaps more precise) at the base of the feet. Some have a terrible “Leaning Tower of Pisa” quality about them that really affect the aesthetics of the action figure. We’re fortunate as the sample used for this review has been cut almost flawlessly and has made the photo shoot much easier to complete. It’s interesting how this varies so much from one sample to the next. If this is something that will bother you, you may want to search for a loose sample first. It’s impossible to tell while still in the package. Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) has a very cool environmental display stand too. It’s a section of Tatooine terrain (which is obviously close to the Lars’ homestead) and perfectly captures the spirit of the scene in Episode II on which this figure is inspired. Pose Padmé Amidala (Lars’ Homestead) with or without her cloak on the display stand, both look amazing whatever choice you make. We hope that Hasbro keeps finding ways to release more and more Padmé Amidala action figures into the basic figure line. They really do a fantastic job on them and they find the perfect accents to add to make them even better. In this case, it’s a good action figure with great accessories. And it’s an action figure that will look fantastic in your collection!