My review of Ilum Padme...

Every so once in awhile, a figure pops up that illicits extreme reactions. Either people hate it or the love it. Sideshow's release of Padme Amidala in her Clone Wars Ilum 'Snow bunny' costume is just such a figure. And as is more often than not the case, I think the real truth lies somewhere in between.

She does have issues - three big ones for me. But she also has some very positive points that shouldn't be overlooked. You can find all the reviews at the usual:

https://www.mwctoys.com

Have a great weekend!

Michael
MWC

Connor-"Um, excuse me, where you looking at me. I really couldnt tell?"

King Darkness said:

Connor-"Um, excuse me, where you looking at me. I really couldnt tell?"

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Nice review mike

good and honest appraisal as usual michael

- Glad I missed her - although a paint makeover as will be seen on the custom boards will probably change my mind

and no doubt a new body ! and belt !

"back off Connor or i will kill you with my crazy eyes"....


im really hoping one of our resident artists can give her a repaint that will take that joan crawford look away.

King Darkness said:

Connor-"Um, excuse me, where you looking at me. I really couldnt tell?"

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That photo says to me "As the toy world turns..."

Very Mike. Actually maybe a bit more fair than I think mine will turn out being.

Nice review Michael-- quite fair and balanced.
I'm still looking forward to receiving her from my Canadian supplier...hopefully soon.

The Josh said:

Very Mike. Actually maybe a bit more fair than I think mine will turn out being.

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I always try to be Very Mike.

Michael Crawford said:

I always try to be Very Mike.

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I bet. Man, its been a long day.

thanks for the review...

yea, this figure is still an easy pass. Besides being in a costume i don't care for in the first place the paint is just god awful. those eyes haunt my draming and my waking.

Great review.

Its a figure I never wanted... just not interested in the incarnation. But it seems to have turned out pretty good. Whats kind of strange to me is the suit, which everyone was worried about turned out great... but then the usually easier things to get right (glove length and eyes) just went astray.

I like how thorough you are with your reviews but it seems so many of your reviews end up with 3 or 3.5 stars. How can this be? The difference between EpIII Obi Wan and Padme is 1/2 star?

Anyhoo ... I really enjoy your website and I hope you do Medicom Maul. I would love to read your thoughts on him.

Because I don't only take into account the one thing I hate or like about the figure - I consider the whole thing.

And just like in real life, most figures are going to follow a bell curve when it comes to getting a grade. 50 - 60% are going to end up getting a B, with things getting fewer moving out from there. Very few things get four stars - very few get two or less. It's hard to be so perfect in every way to get those full four stars...and it's hard to suck so badly in every way to get less than 2 overall.

And yea, I should be doing Maul next week. And I'm disappointed in him right out of the box, but we'll see what comes of him after I play around with him for awhile and shot the photos.

This figure wasn't for me, and I didn't order one, and I agree that the paint job doesn't serve the sculpt. Any time the entire iris of the eye is visible all the way around, it creates an unrealistic, shocked, surprised, pop-eyed, dead, doll look. Add a white dot, and it's awful.

But I disagree with Michael's assertion that having the eyes looking to the side reduces the posing possibilities. Looking straight ahead doesn't help a pose. Wherever the eyes are looking, you're stuck with it, and there's no "neutral" eye position. Eyes straight ahead is as limiting as any other glance. How often do people look precisely straight ahead? I think you'd be hard pressed to find many good stills where the actor's glance matches up with an action figure that's got the "standard" eyes.

I just hope for eyes that seem to be looking at something, anything, anywhere except over the 1,000 yard ridge, and that capture the subject's personality. If they look alive, they'll sell the pose. That's why I repaint, and support repainters.

Any time you do something like this, you reduce the number of poses and looks you can give the character. She has to be posed in certain ways for her eyes to even make sense.

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I'm with Michael. Had the eyes been painted in a looking forward manner like most other 1/6 figures, I'd enjoy Padme even more.

I realize that people don't stare straight forward for the most, but on a figure, the look does offer far more poses and such than posed eyes.

As a photographer of figures, I find I can get dozens of various successful shots of figures with straight looking eyes. Posed eye figures limit me, as there are only so many angles and figure poses that match to the eye's pose. The sculpt on Padme is great, I wish the eyes had been done differently so I could shoot her even more.

Great review.

I love your photos, Maul, but look at the Maul in your sig: he's looking to the side...and he looks great...and I'll bet you can find a few more poses for him.

Gruff Old Bear said:

I love your photos, Maul, but look at the Maul in your sig: he's looking to the side...and he looks great...and I'll bet you can find a few more poses for him.

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I have different feelings on statues with posed eyes, since the whole piece is posed and locked, but for figures, it's a frustrating limitation, it happened to me with Scarface, ANH Leia and now Padme, all of which I really like shooting but only had so many options.